Well, reviews are very good...people seem particularly impressed about the room sizes (large) and just the general atmosphere of the place..
But of course there are dissenters who say just the opposite of people who praise the place!(Some say wonderfully clean, one says dirty and crummy I noticed)
Some say nice quiet room, others how noisy it was
I just assume all of this comes at a price..but one man claims he got a great deal here.
Suggest you read all the reviews to get the full picture
Affinia Shelburne
303 Lexington Ave
(between 38th St & 37th St)
New York, NY 10016
Neighborhoods: Midtown East, Murray Hill
(212) 689-5200
(between 38th St & 37th St)
New York, NY 10016
Neighborhoods: Midtown East, Murray Hill
(212) 689-5200
- Nearest Transit Station:
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Grand Central - 42 St. (7, 7X)Grand Central - 42 St. (4, 5, 6, 6X)33 St. (4, 6, 6X)
- Price Range:
- $$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Paid
80 reviews for Affinia Shelburne
Review Highlights What's this?
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"The hotel is located on Lexington so it's easy to catch a cab." In 47 reviews -
"...bar has great views of The Empire State building and The new World..." In 13 reviews -
"I loved the philosophy bath products and the super comfy king sized..." In 4 reviews
Rating Distribution | Trend
79 reviews in English
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Review from Nicole D.
Amazing sized rooms for NYC!
I don't really know what their room rates are because the room was paid by the people I was visiting, but for the size of the room, I have to believe it's a good value.
Bed was super comfortable. Room had a separate bedroom, living room, and kitchen area with fridge and microwave. I think the couch had a pull-out sofa.
Service was good, and the hotel is VERY green. Full sized shampoos, they don't change the sheets during your stay, limited towels, etc. I thought this was great, but good to know.
The only funky part of the hotel was the bathroom. It was big but there was only one small sink, and the shower has one of those half-shower things with the open door. I don't like that.
Internet was $14.95 per day. Furniture etc was showing signs of wear, but I'd definitely stay here again. -
Review from Jessica S.
San Diego, CAThis boutique hotel has the potential to be good, but it certainly isn't there yet. We stayed there for a week, so I think our experiences were not just of a snapshot in time, but seemed to be the norm. And just for reference, I typically only require three things from a hotel: cleanliness, safety and courteous staff.
First, let me get to the positives.
The Good:
- The front desk and lobby staff. They were always 100% helpful, willing to answer our questions and get us what we needed when we needed it. That's huge on my checklist.
- Room size. For New York, the room was almost obscenely big. There was actually room for my husband and I to walk - side by side! - from the bed to the bathroom, or from the front door to the room's desk. There was an honor bar (meh) and a mini fridge (yay!), which definitely came in handy for the week.
- Gym. The gym was surprisingly busy the days we went down there. There were four treadmills, a couple step machines and some free weights. Towels and cleaning supplies were supplied, as was a water fountain. Nice to have, when traipsing to Central Park wasn't an option.
- Grand Central Terminal. The hotel is situated almost perfectly between Grand Central Terminal and the 33rd St station, but we preferred going to Grand Central. It's a three or four block walk, but it's definitely easier than cabbing your way all over the city.
- Lucid Coffee Shop. This little gem is right next door to the hotel. They serve up some really good quality lattes and mochas, but be warned - it gets crowded early on the weekend.
- Duane Reade. Right across from Grand Central is a Duane Reade. I know it's strange to list this as a positive, but if you're always thirsty yet unwilling to spend $7 on a dusty bottle of Fiji water, like I am, Duane Reade and the mini fridge will be your best friends.
Yes, there was only three good points for the hotel itself. I realize that. I hope you'll understand when I get to the next section.
The Bad:
- Noise. Now, I live in an urban environment, so I'm not complaining about street noise. I'm complaining about the noise coming from INSIDE the hotel. There are no door closers, so there's nothing to stop the toolbag next to you from slamming his door so hard the entire wall shakes - three or four times at 7 am.
- Noise. Yes, again. Woe to the traveler coming to New York from the West Coast, struggling to get used to the time difference. If you're not up and around by 8am, housekeeping will do their darnedest to make sure they make enough noise to wake your ass up. We heard things being slammed down on carts, carts being shoved into the wall outside our door, and things that were being dropped, seemingly from a very high distance, onto the metal carts.
- Noise. I don't know if the hotel was just built entirely without soundproofing, but you can hear everything outside your walls. Door slamming and unsubtle housekeeping aside, you also get the oblivious tourist who finds it necessary to use their outside voices in the hallways, or who have long conversations at their doors...or, as we witnessed one predawn morning, a couple having a very heated argument, culminating with one of them being locked out of the room. The hotel provides ear plugs in the nightstand, underneath a sign that says "Put NYC on mute." I think they're targeting the wrong noise pollution.
The Ugly:
- Dirt. This certainly wasn't the cleanest hotel I've ever stayed at. You could tell that there wasn't a whole lot of time spent per room. Or maybe the vacuums didn't work as well as they hoped. Or maybe their dust rags were too full to be effective. But, the honor bar items had a thick layer of dust on them (even though there was no chance of me using them, it'd be nice to know that someone ran a Swiffer over the tops, just to chase the dust away...)
- Dirty. Yeah - it keeps going. The grout in the shower already had a growth of mildew on it, when we arrived. It never got scraped away. That truly skeeved me out, let me tell you.
- Nasty. There were stains on the wall, opposite the toilet, that I noticed but never really thought much about. Leave it to my husband to point out that they were likely pee stains, made by countless men over the years. I guess that's common to men, but still - nasty.
- Unsightly. I have no idea why this was necessary, but there were two housekeeping carts parked in our hallway, all day, every day. The only exception was when they were in use. Otherwise, we'd have to take the turn wide in order to avoid running in to the carts that apparently slept in the hallways. Seriously - there's no closet to stash these things in?
Overall, it wasn't a 100% terrible experience. I never felt like we were in danger around the hotel, and the lobby staff really was top-notch. But, there are just too many things that go against the hotel for me to feel good about giving it a positive review. I certainly would not stay there again, if that means anything.-
Mildew in the shower. It was everywhere. -
Rust on the shower curtain rod. It was noticeable from both… -
Dust on the toilet paper dispenser. There was dust elsewher…
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Review from Virginia M.
Jacksonville, FLVery comfortable hotel in Murray hill! Hotel staff was excellent. I would stay here again! They also have a wine happy hour which is nice. -
Review from Paul W.
Midlothian, VAHuge rooms, kinda bland decor but serviceable. We had a suite, and could have slept a dozen ... well, maybe if they brought sleeping bags. But v. nice little hotel in Murray Hill. -
Review from Julia F.
Melbourne, FLBig rooms & bathroom, comfy beds, excellent location, very friendly and quick service. I stayed here for a week with my kids for spring break & had a great experience! View of the Empire state building from our window, Beautiful view of the city from the rooftop, quick walk to Grand Central so it's super easy to get around anywhere. Loved it. -
Review from Sheryl M.
Minneapolis, MNWe reserved a "suite" for $400.00/night. The "suite" was actually a very small Holiday Inn Express-like room. Our $400.00/night did not include breakfast nor internet (in the room). The "free" internet in the lobby was very slow and unreliable. The positives were the friendly staff and complimentary wine from 5:00-6:00 PM. -
Review from Christine C.
Silver Spring, MDI stayed here from Thursday 8/29 - Sunday 9/1 and the stay was wonderful. We were greeted by very nice bellhops who took our bags out of the car and up to room. Check-in was quick! They provided us with a list of close restaurants and a map. The beds were comfy, very well kept rooms. The location of the hotel was a quick taxi ride to everywhere we wanted to go! Park Ave, 42nd St etc! Every time we walked back into the hotel we were greeted like "family" by the bellhops, and that's always a plus! I'd like to thank Andy, Raymond and the rest of the staff for an amazing stay!! I cant wait to come back later this fall!!!! I am sad i missed out on the rooftop bar.. maybe next time -
Review from Eric B.
Bethesda, MDThere's so many things I love about this hotel. The style, the location, the size, it's clean, it's a value. Rare downstairs has good burgers. The hot water.
The headboards, oh yes, the headboards. Perfectly curved and cushioned headboards - you can almost sit up in the bed without a pillow. The bed and headboard never separate (pet peeve). It's a beautiful thing.
Only downside is, routine service requests (some plates and silver ware for takeout, or an extra crib) can get lost in the shuffle - for a long time. But hey, keeps the rates very reasonable for what you get, and one strike ain't bad. -
Review from Josie M.
Aurora, ILThis was a pretty awesome hotel to stay in, the beds are unbelieveably comfortable, it was quiet. I didn't see anyone on my floor the entire time I was there. The location is great, it's really close to Grand Central and a couple blocks away from some great restaurants. If you don't mind walking, you can get to Times Square easily while passing Bryant Park, which is nice.
The drawbacks are - there's no ice machine, so if you want ice, you have to call the front desk and they'll bring it up to you. The "door" to the bathroom is actually a sliding door on rails, and offers zero privacy whatsoever. If you're staying with someone else in the room, they will hear every single thing you do in the bathroom. The temp in the room was very hard to control as well, it was very warm and wouldn't go below 70 no matter what I tried. I ended up with my window open most of the time. None of of this was really that big a deal, I'll definitely try to stay here again next time I'm in the city. -
Review from Lyn D.
Brooklyn, NYI would've given the Shelburne 4 stars but b/c they have NO anti-door slam system in place, they have to get a 3.
It was VERY disruptive hearing doors bang close as people I assume were checking out, especially early in the AM!!!
Otherwise, decent location and decent room. It was a package and I got cupcakes(crumbs too!) and wine as I entered the room. Initially when I booked, I thought it was going to be cheesy cupcakes, but i love me some crumbs!
I only stayed 1 night so I can't comment on housekeeping or any any other amenities.
I will not return based on the banging sounds of the doors alone. If they can resolve, I'll will return. -
Review from Brandon C.
New Haven, CTI'm going to keep this short... I stayed at the Affinia Shelburne for two nights this past weekend, and it was an amazing experience.
I was able to secure a room for $140 a night through http://priceline.com, which was very reasonable considering the quality as well as the location. Staff was friendly, efficient and helpful. Water pressure and temperature was good on both the sinks as well as the shower and bath. The bed was huge and the room was more than enough for the two of us. Oh yeah, and it was clean! If you don't demand much more out of a room than that, this is the place for you.
Also within just a few blocks there were some wonderful restaurants. Check my other reviews to see :) -
Review from Patricia P.
San Francisco, CAStayed here 3 nights and it was everything I expected plus some. The room was bigger than I expected. The bed, the pillows, the sheets, the blankets were all so soft and comfortable. The housekeeping was pretty impressive. It reminded me of Mary Poppins.
The hotel is on 37th and Lexington and is very close to 42nd street Grand Central Terminal (~four blocks). This terminal connects to a lot of lines. The 4, 5, and 6 lines can take you to a lot of touristy places (like Union Square, SoHo, Brooklyn Bridge, etc).
How to get to airport: There are a bunch of shuttles to both airports on Park Avenue between 41st and 42nd. It cost 15 dollars.
The walk to TImes Square is about 20 minutes. It's a great walk because on the way is Bryant Park. The rooftop of the hotel was pretty amazing. The bar was closed up there though because it was raining, but we were still able to go up there and see the views.
I would defintely stay here again.
Cons: no free wi-fi. you can pay for it, but it's very slow. -
Review from Char Y.
absolute surprise when we walked in with the clean modern decor and great location. clean modern spacious room with a mini kitchen and a HUGE bathroom. the maintenance person was unhelpful though, since our room was super hot without ac, and he informed us that all ac has been turned off because someone complainted. it was over 80 degrees inside the room! also the concierge was unhelpful as well, we asked several questions about how to get places and they couldn't answer. the internet charge per night was expensive and VERY SLOW. -
Review from Sandy L.
San Mateo, CAStayed here for 2 nights around Labor Day weekend. We weren't that familiar with the area and there are just too many options to choose from in NYC. The Affinia in Murray Hill turned out to be a great choice. The location was very convenient as it is within a few minutes walking distance to the Newark airport shuttle drop off/pickup point, Grand Central Terminal, Empire State Building and Time Square yet far enough that the area is not over crowded by swarms of tourists. The neighborhood felt safe enough to walk around at night but quiet enough to not be hectic. There were always taxis driving by so it was easy to find one if we didn't feel like walking. Food is easily accessible at Rare downstairs in the hotel or Scotty's Diner (opened 24 hours) and Fagiolini on the Lex is across the street.
The front desk let us check in at 1pm when the usual check in time is 3pm. This was a great start to our stay here as we had a hectic morning and arrived after a long ride from Newark. The concierge provided us with a map/guildbook, list of nearby restaurants and general directions when we asked for info. The hotel staff that we ran into throughout our stay in the halls or elevator was always very pleasant and made it a point to say hi to us. They also delivered a welcome card with a complimentary bottle of sparkling wine and a cupcake from Crumbs as we were settling in. The room itself was very modern and comfortable. Overall, very happy with our stay here! -
Review from Gabe R.
Stayed here for a week (7/15/12-7/21/12) and found the hotel to be everything I expected.
The location: It was perfect for me as I was just in town playing tourist. It seemed to me to be within walking distance of everything and if you don't like walking Grand Central Station is 4 blocks away so you can go anywhere from there. Tons of restaurants, bars, coffeehouses with in a block or 2.
The room: The room was larger than I expected since every place in Manhattan seems small. We had 2 beds and a decent sized bathroom. The only bad part about the room was the view. We had an interior room so our view looked like what Ralph Cramden saw when he yelled up to Ed Norton on the Honeymooners.
The Staff: Everyone was very friendly, easy check in, and the door man was very personable. He joked with my kids and talked football with me a few times.
The rooftop bar has great views of The Empire State building and The new World Trade Center. There is also a decent partial view of the Chrysler Building that is worth seeing. Overall a great experience and I would totally go here again. -
Review from Josephine L.
New York, NYHad an amazing stay here the first week of July! The location is perfect: quiet and safe but not too far from where all the NY fun is.
The rooms were modern but cozy and very well maintained. The bed and pillows were extremely comfortable. We had a view of the Empire state building from our window. We recieved a free complimentary bottle of wine.
Not to mention, there a fabulous rooftop bar with AMAZING views.The drinks are strong and were half off (Bottom shelf quality...but hey, a broke girl ain't gonna be picky). There was even a free burlesque show.
This hotel is as good as it gets for the price. Would stay here again and recommend to a friend 100x. -
Review from Heather H.
New York, NYGreat hotel, awesome location, quiet, room service was delivered fast from Rare and was very good. The 16th floor has amazing views and will definitely come back in the spring to have a cocktail or three up there. Room was clean, very large for NY, super comfortable bed and front desk staff was friendly. Can't ask for more and will return. -
Review from Biqi C.
My boyfriend and I loved our stay here. It's a great location just a few blocks from Grand Central and the rooms are huge, nice, and modern. I loved the philosophy bath products and the super comfy king sized bed. The people at the reception are super nice, and extremely helpful and knowledgeable too.
My few complaints: internet was $13/night (expensed though), but it was INCREDIBLY SLOW. so unless your company is paying for your internet, DO NOT pay for it.
-they took forever to get us toothpaste and shaving cream, and they actually couldn't fnid shaving cream but i felt so bad for the poor guy i just told him to stop looking and when we used the toothpaste it had collected dust and was kinda gross. -
Review from M W.
San Diego, CAI'm giving the Affinia Shelburne 5 stars not because I think it is the best hotel you can find in Manhattan, but because we had such a great experience that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it and I will stay here again.
Check-in was easy. They matched a better price that we found online. The room was spacious and quiet (king bed on floor 11). We are not TV watchers but the TV looked nice. The bed was super comfortable, there is a PILLOW MENU, and the water pressure almost knocked me down it was so good (if you have read my other hotel reviews you know that beds and water pressure are my two biggest considerations when rating a hotel). The location is walkable to Grand Central. We walked to Central Park and Times square from the hotel as well, but if you are not much for walking this might be far for you - be sure to check what sights you want to see before booking here if you aren't up for walking).
The front desk was very accommodating - we ended up having to book earlier flights than we originally thought so we called the hotel to add an extra night to the beginning of our stay and they arranged everything so that we could stay in the same room for both bookings even though they were very busy.
Also, we were charged half a dozen times for Internet because we didn't realize we were being charged per device (kindle, phone, laptop x 2 of us) but the minute we mentioned this the hotel took care of it so that we were only charged once per day.
Room service doesn't go all night because it is handled by the restaurant downstairs (Rare) but there were plenty of food places open so it didn't cause any issues.
What i liked most of all about this hotel (aside from comfy beds and water pressure) were the little extras - stationery, pillow menu, any bathroom supplies you need, good lighting, lots of outlets, kitchenette, and a good sized gym with modern equipment.
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