Get My Sunglasses! Manhattan Holiday Inn Copes With Stardom
The year-old, 132-room Holiday Inn NYC – Lower East Side hotel at the corner of Delancey and Suffolk streets in Manhattan is becoming something of a celebrity among its neighbors of upscale boutiques and trendy dining establishments. Happily, the adulation doesn't seem to have gone to its head.
NEW YORK, N.Y. (July 28, 2014) – The year-old, 132-room Holiday Inn NYC – Lower East Side hotel at the corner of Delancey and Suffolk streets in Manhattan is becoming something of a celebrity among its neighbors of upscale boutiques and trendy dining establishments. Happily, the adulation doesn't seem to have gone to its head.
The hotel recently received a 2014 Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor, one of the world's largest travel websites. It also was featured in the Neighborhood X Neighborhood promotion sponsored by NYC & Co., the city's tourism promotion arm, and soon will appear in a nationwide Holiday Inn advertising campaign.
"It's great to get all this attention, but we're not letting it distract us from our responsibilities," said Greg Riley, general manager. "We're blocking and tackling, keeping our eye on the basics to ensure our staff delivers outstanding service and delights our guests every day in every way."
TripAdvisor awarded the Holiday Inn NYC –Lower East Side 4.5 stars out of a possible 5 based on more than 250 consumer reviews. More than 90 percent of the reviews described the hotel as "excellent" or "very good." TripAdvisor ranked it 104 out of the 449 New York hotels it tracks.
Recent guest reviews published by TripAdvisor praise the hotel's "helpful and friendly staff," "comfortable accommodations," "good value for the money" and "convenient location to New York City sights."
"Most gratifying has been the number of reviews that cite the friendliness of our multilingual staff and the level of service staff members are able to provide to our guests," said Riley, a lodging veteran. "Starting at the front desk and encompassing every department in the hotel, they're one of the best staffs I've ever worked with."
Brian M. McSherry, chief operating officer of M&R Hotel Management, which owns and operates the hotel, said the TripAdvisor recognition represents "direct evidence of the quality experiences provided by the Holiday Inn NYC – Lower East Side."
The hotel features the Holiday Inn brand's newest prototype design with a mix of king and double guest rooms. Complimentary Wi-Fi is available throughout the building. The hotel's proprietary in-room Guest Link tool enables guests to access the Internet, connect their laptops to the in-room 32-inch, flat-screen television and charge their cellphones and tablets.
A complimentary, 24-hour fitness facility is equipped with treadmills, a stationary bicycle and free weights. The hotel's business center provides access to computers and the Internet. A 24-hour grab-and-go Corner Market Place enables guests to pick up light meals, snacks, beverages and toiletries. A guest laundry also is available.
Retro Bar & Grill, the hotel's 1950s-style diner, serves American classics with a twist. It is open for breakfast and dinner and welcomes guests, visitors to the vibrant Lower East Side neighborhood and members of the local community. Patrons can enter the restaurant through either the hotel lobby or a separate entrance on Delancey Street.
Known today for its hip vibe and alternate music and fashion scene, the Lower East Side has a storied past as a teeming immigrant neighborhood at the start of the last century. It is within walking distance of Chinatown, Little Italy and SoHo and a 10-minute ride away from Midtown on one of four subway lines.
Stays at the Holiday Inn NYC – Lower East Side qualify for points in the IHG Rewards Club loyalty program. Points can be redeemed for free stays, merchandise and a range of other benefits.
M&R Hotel Management operates two Manhattan hotels in addition to the Holiday Inn NYC – Lower East Side: the 177-room Holiday Inn Express Manhattan Midtown West and the 89-room Comfort Inn Midtown West, both located on West 48th Street. M&R's portfolio also includes five hotels in Queens, including four at John F. Kennedy International Airport, one near LaGuardia Airport and two in Staten Island. The company expects to open a third hotel in Staten Island, the 105-room Holiday Inn Staten Island, in September.
M&R's business plan calls for expansion of its portfolio in the New York metropolitan area and beyond though third-party management contracts. The company's more than decade of success as an owner-operator brings an ownership perspective to its third-party clients.
In addition to management, M&R provides consulting services in hotel site and contractor selection, feasibility analysis, permitting, financing, franchising, human resources support, sales and marketing, revenue management, food & beverage management, brand management, account and risk management audits, e-commerce, design, procurement, accounting and engineering.