The James New York

I’ve stayed at the James a few times. Good location and nice sized rooms (for NY) with great views.
The problem: Broken shower and poor customer service.
Details: During our last stay we had the unfortunate experience of being in a room with a broken shower (i.e., wouldn’t drain). We didn’t find out that the drain was clogged until shortly before check-​out and I didn’t want to stand in several inches of standing water in a hotel shower, so we had to spend a day of traveling feeling gross and dirty. I expect the bare minimum, such as a working shower, at this caliber of hotel… but okay, things happen.
So then I made the mistake of thinking that we would experience some decent customer service since it’s a big inconvenience to not be able to shower at any hotel, especially a «nice» hotel. We went down to talk to the front desk about the shower and they offered to comp our mini bar… too bad we didn’t use the mini bar. So then they offered a free upgrade for our next visit (as if we would ever come back)! After some complaining, since apparently you have to make your case on why not being able to shower is bad, we got $ 50 dollars discounted from our stay.
Tips: Stay at your own risk! And check the shower!

The James is a very pretty hotel. The lobby is modern and most rooms have an impressive view of the city. The staff is also very accommodating and friendly. Jerome is a lovely man.
However, the hotel as a whole needs to step up its game. Basic details go unnoticed and there seems to be a pattern, based on other reviews. For my stay, we experienced TV’s too dim to see (tried to adjust it; still nope!), TV remotes needing new batteries, bedside clock 6 hrs slow and cannot be adjusted (what?), toilet-​paper holder that is loose on the wall and falls to floor when you rip paper from it, lamps that are loose and swing around when you pick them up, lack of general lighting, chipped furniture or room wood fixtures, bulbs out or missing, amenities like hand cream in bathroom missing, 1 bar of soap for the entire bathroom shower and tub (yes, we can ask for another, but that’s not the point). I could go on.
This hotel cost me close to $ 400 per night for a suite (totaling around $ 1,000 for a weekend stay). The room’s view was amazing, but the lack of basic details made me feel like I was getting gypped. I wouldn’t expect these types of basic silly issues at a Holiday Inn. So an expensive luxury hotel in Soho should absolutely never have them, ever. The James is not good enough. They haven’t earned the right to charge $ 400/​night because they keep low expectations of their guests.
Just to further prove the widespread issue, we even switched suites to a new one and the 2^nd room still had some or most of these issues listed above.
Guests simply don’t get enough for their money here and in a city like NYC, that lacks in hotels like Wall St does for money, there are so many other great hotels to choose from. This is not Richmond, Virginia where luxury choices may be slim. If The James wants to compete, or better yet, stay in business at all, they better take a real hard look at every single room in the building.

Comfortable room and decent amenities, but I was charged TWICE for valet because I took my car to dinner. I was also charged for smoking, yet no one smoked in my room. Completely unacceptable and I will never stay at the hotel again. Trump soho is a better option, all-​around.

I stayed here for one night with my girlfriend and I really enjoyed it. Our room had an excellent view and it was wonderful to wake up to. We checked out Jimmy after we had returned from dinner and it was a really cool place with some really beautiful views.
I will return again for another stay.

It’s not like you spend much time in your room when in NYC. But here it goes. The bed was soooo comfortable. The rooms quiet. Room service was delicious. The scone and coffee in the lobby every more really got us going. A Subway stop is a block away and plenty of great restaurants are about a 15 minute walk in both Tribeca and Soho.
I did feel far away from the action and that neighborhood did seen to close down rather early, (you had to walk a bit to find civilization after 10:30pm) but all in all it was a good stay. I would only return to this hotel if the rooms were greatly reduced though.

Just fantastic. Upgraded upon checking in to a corner room with a serious view of the WTC. Absolutely deserving of it its stars. The hallway smelled like divine lemon cookies. While the room was a bit quirky as the bathroom is glass, there is a motorized curtain. Speaking of the bathroom, it had a relaxing rain shower head. The room itself was extremely well kept and appointed very nicely. We had a large bench and table to sit at to accomplish some work. Subway is a quick block away and shopping is all within walking distance. I wanted to stay in the room forever. The bellmen were extremely accommodating and helpful with getting us a car to the airport.
Fortunately we had phenomenal weather and was able to take advantage of the $ 50 David Burke credit outside for brunch. The burger was out of this world yummy and hubs said the Bloody Mary was the best he has ever had.
The Jimmy left little be desired because of the crowd, but the space itself and view is worth a trip up the elevator.

I stayed here for business for 11 days and had a very mixed experience. My first impression upon arriving was that the hotel looked a bit ruddy and run down on the interiors. It could definitely use a refresh. The elevator took an excessively long time (perhaps because there are 2 for 17 floors). Upon entering the room, there was a hand-​written note welcoming me for my long stay which was a nice touch. The room is minimal, the bed is comfortable, but the shower was the best part. The toiletries are not the best, so for you ladies (and gents) who love great toiletries, bring your own.
Room service was mediocre which is surprising since it’s tied to David Burke’s Kitchen, I had a couple of things on the menu and everything was over-​seasoned – if you were ever able to get a hold of room service – you had to call a couple of times, and a few times I just gave up and ordered Seamless. When I did get room service, I’d often get a phone call an hour later asking if I could leave my tray outside, which was unpleasant, especially when you like to have a leisurely morning and have a DND sign on your door. There was also one night when I returned at 7 PM to find my room hadn’t had housekeeping yet — the front desk said there was a glitch in the system and comped me $ 100 room service.
Overall, an underwhelming experience when paying a premium. I expected a much higher level of consistent service, especially for a $ 6K stay. I likely will choose a different hotel for future stays.

Extended a business trip and stayed through the weekend. The location was great– very convenient if you want to walk to everything in Soho and Tribeca. Also, it’s literally right next to the Holland tunnel so very easy to get to airports.
However, I thought that for what the hotel is, it was a bit overpriced and I was underwhelmed by the service. I had a large shopping bag with makeup and one light weight item of clothing that I had just bought and the housekeeper threw it out… I have never had that happen before and in my opinion is completely unacceptable.
I will likely stay somewhere else next time I am in NY.

The service and staff were very nice and accommodating. The rooms are very cool and have awesome amenities — nice shower and cool décor. The lobby has coffee and scones every morning, free wifi and easy to work from. David Burke kitchen right next door is great and it’s nearby everything. Cool rooftop when it’s warmer outside also. 5 stars!

A beautiful hotel with lovely front desk and concierge! Check in was easy and the woman behind the desk was kind and informative. We enjoyed a comfortable 3 night stay and were in awe of our 11^th floor view and the luxurious room! Unfortunately, I knocked a star off due to the rooftop entry experience but I will be writing a separate review for the Jimmy. It almost felt like two different experiences. How we were treated at the James couldn’t have been more different than how we were treated at the Jimmy (poorly). I would recommend the James to anyone but would recommend to stay far away from the rooftop bar.

I just returned from a 4 night stay at The James. Here are my pros and cons:
Cons:
–The photos and website are way nicer than the hotel. Man, that is some good photography. The hotel is actually not that nice. Needs a change of paint, floors, carpet, artwork.
–The lobby elevator is on the second floor, so you have to take an elevator to the lobby, and then change elevators. This sucks when carrying luggage, in a hurry etc
–No one is ever in the downstairs lobby. If you need a cab, help with your bag, or want to ask a question, 50% of the time no one is there so you’re on your own.
–The staff at the roof bar is not top notch. They are budget staff and do not know how to cater to 5 star guests at all. They put my fries on the couch and said I couldn’t have a cocktail table even though there were 10 empty tables. They are always «reserved» but half the time no one comes. If I’m staying at the hotel and spending $ 3,000 am I still not important enough?
–I had 4 different cocktails, all of which were way to sweet and almost undrinkable.
–The maid told me there was no 24 hour room service, only for breakfast. So I went out to eat. I checked with the front desk upon my return and they said in fact here is 24 hour room service. I asked why there was no menu in my room and they said they’d bring one. They never did. I asked the next day, it never arrived. On the 3^rd day I asked again and it finally did come, but that’s after 3 asks.
–Food is overpriced
Pros:
–Rooftop view is totally amazing. Hard to find a view this good.
–I appreciate they provide water in the room in a glass bottle, that’s a very nice touch.
–Front desk staff is nice.

Went to the rooftop and it was so much fun! Awesome views without the pretentious people of some other places

Very nice attentive staff. We LOVED the room! The Complimentary coffee and scones in the lobby were very good! The location is great and the views are awesome. The bed was very comfortable and the shampoo/​soap products in the bathroom were very good quality. I would definitely stay here again.

I like this place. The view is great, the drinks are amazing, and the DJ fantastic. It’s really a great place to start the evening or to end it. Beware 2 cocktails will cost you 40 bucks. Other than that, great vibe.

I love this place.
I stayed here for about a week with my 20yo son. We were both very happy. Great neighborhood, great food (except the eggs) Close to everything.
Staff was personable and very attentive.
The rooms were nice. Linens could be a bit nicer like the Surrey but I still will return. Maybe there could be a linen upgrade option.
Anyway, still love it.

Just stayed there for two nights. The good news: They allowed me to check in early after a redeye flight. The bad news: they gave me room 1706 right below the roof top bar and next to the kitchen. It is very noisy from 8p to the bar closes around 2a?. I asked several times to get another room. No success. I suspect booking via Expedia didn’t help my case.
The location is great and the hotel is super nice but at $ 500/​night I’d like to have a reasonably quite room. Looking for another place to stay next time I’m in NYC.

Best service, nicest staff I ever had in NYC!
Beautiful accommodations, super cool rooftop bar,
But the staff is the best. Friendly and warm and on their game. Very warm and welcoming. Beautiful interiors!

My photo booth company provided a rental for their company BBQ in exchange for room stay at their property.
Dealing with Giselle B. was a dream and they were so obliging to my team during their event.
When it came time to redeem a night’s stay at this amazing Soho hotel it was such an amazing experience!
The rooms are gorgeous and so very well designed.
I hope they will need many more photo booth rentals down the road!

My husband and I stayed here for an extended weekend off his business trip. It’s pricey, but I think for Soho it was fairly reasonable. Upon arriving the hotel, we were immediately greeted by the staff who helped us bring up our luggage to the lobby (on a higher floor). Not to mention it was about 15 degrees and windy outside — they stood outside to greet, welcome, and help all guests. I really liked that. At check-​in, the staff at the front desk were very friendly and talked to us about the rooftop bar, the complimentary wine and cheese in the lobby, as well as the coffee and pastries they will have in the morning.
The rooms at the James are very modern but very small. The giant windows do help make the room seem more open though. Also, the bathroom also has a floor to ceiling window panel that you can see through, or you can press a little button and a screen comes down for privacy. That also helped make the room seem bigger and less cramped as well. It’s NY, so I didn’t expect to get a giant room. The amenities in the hotel rooms were nice (complimentary bottled mineral water that is refilled nightly, they fill your ice bucket every night, organic/​gluten-​free lotion, body wash … not sure what gluten-​free lotion is… but whatevs). The bed was comfy. I would say overall it was cozy and perfect for a couple.
We did check out the rooftop bar before we headed out for the night. It had amazing views of the city. It’s nice that most of it is enclosed since it was below freezing outside. There isn’t a lot of seating so try to get there a bit early before the crowd arrives.
Overall we had a very pleasant stay at the James Hotel and would recommend it to anyone!

Possibly the slowest service I have ever experienced! I think I waited nearly half an hour for a bar tender to even acknowledge me. On top of that I was only drinking cranberry juice and seltzer because I was working out right after and they charged me nearly the same price as a cocktail.
The outside area and view were great, probably under utilized but the area is kind of random.
Great spot to take a date but make sure you order at least 30 – 45 mins before you actually want to chat.