The Benjamin Royal Sonesta New York

We were especially happy with the lighting in our one-bedroom suite. Bright and cheery. Great for reading! So many hotels are poorly illuminated nowadays. Nice to see that The Benjamin is not following that trend.

1 star. This review is strictly about one specific incident with a front desk employee. Other staff were nice, but I had an extremely unpleasant interaction with a male front desk employee late at night on September 9 while retrieving our luggage. I initially asked about our luggage and was told to wait about 15 minutes for the bellman, which I accepted. When I asked again nicely, I explained that it was late, I was tired, and I simply wanted to get our luggage so we could leave for our next hotel. Instead of simply answering, the employee became visibly angry and repeatedly said things along the lines of, “See, I got the whole hotel to manage.” He continued speaking in an agitated manner, and I repeatedly had to say, “I’m just asking questions. Chill out,” while explaining the situation again and trying to calm him down. He initially said he did not know where my luggage was, but eventually became impatient and went himself to open the luggage room. When my wife thanked him, he did not respond. At one point, he said he had already been “respectful” by answering my first question. I found this concerning because I was simply asking a follow-up question. His tone and demeanor were extremely angry and intimidating. Importantly, his behavior frightened my wife. After we left, I had to spend considerable time reassuring her because she was genuinely shaken. I know that staff can be busy, but a simple question about luggage should not result in this kind of confrontation.

This hotel is excellent! Staff are so friendly and service was excellent! Location is perfect as it is a short walk to grand central! Would definitely stay here again!

The one-bedroom suite was spacious, clean, and well-appointed. Really enjoyed our stay!

Rooms are large and renovated. However the AC is super loud and shuts on and off all night long. All in I recommend if you need midtown location. Staff is excellent.