Riverside Tower Hotel

We thought this hotel was a terrific bargain! We loved the location, the staff couldn't have been more pleasant, the view from our room was lovely, and the place was wonderfully clean! That being said, if you are looking for luxury, this hotel is not for you, as the furnishings and room size are most akin to the experience of staying in your old aunty's tiny spare bedroom. (But who comes to NY to hang out in their hotel room, anyway?) My only ""complaint"": I must recommend they invest in new doors! Anyone with a credit card could have jimmied their way in to our room with ease, as it practically hung off the hinges, with only a simple doornob lock. -kinda like a loose-hinged bathroom door. We had no problems with theft, but we were concerned enough to leave our valuables locked in the car. more

Just stayed there for perhaps the tenth or more time, always a couple of days. That should say enough. We really like that place and feel at home there. Sure, there is no restaurant, no exercise room, no pool and no bar, but hey, who cares?! There is Zabars at the corner, plenty of fine eateries nearby and if you want to exercise, go the couple of blocks to Central Patk and walk and enjoy that gem. - If you're lucky you get a room on the upper floors and can enjoy the breath taking view of the Hudson with all the barges and an occasional sail boat. Downtown is steps away, since the subway station is so close that you really need no cab. The vicinity of the hotel is so safe that we never hesitate to come home late. The folks at the front desk are friendly and knowledgeable, helping out if necessary. The price is right and is a bonus in itself. Sure, no luxury but clean and a hot shower feels wonderful after a day of taking in that spectacular town New York. One bite into the Big Apple and you're hooked. We'll be back at this fine hotel. more

I spent a few days this week at Riverside Tower and it was a great experience. It's a great neighbourhood, the room was so comfortable, and the hotel was really clean and all the staff super nice. The room had this really cool bathroom, a tv, and a microwave, as well as a chair and some drawers, and plenty of closet space. There was also a window unit air conditioner, which I appreciated as I'm not accustomed to the heat and humidity of a New York summer! It wasn't a huge room, but frankly I didn't come to New York to sit around in a fancy hotel, so it was perfect for me. It reminded me more of a small apartment than a hotel, which was nice. In fact, I was planning to check out after the first night and move to a different hotel where my friends were staying, but I decided to remain at the Riverside because it was so nice. It was my first time in New York and when I come back I would definitely stay here again, everything was super. more

Even tho the rooms were a little bit small, the hotel is situated in a very good location,easy to walk or take the transport to go around the city. quality/prize very acceptable to be in NY. nice views to the river, more

The Riverside Tower is a hotel with a specific purpose in life. If you're on a budget and want to spend time seeing Manhattan and now hanging around the hotel, then this is the place. The rates are almost unheard of in the City. You get basic accommodations (it was once a dorm for Columbia University), a comfortable bed and a clean room. Since you're on Riverside Drive, you get a great view of the Hudson and a walk of a few minutes will get you into Riverside Park. [Just a few blocks uptown is where the final scene of ""You've Got Mail"" was filmed. more

I felt some trepidation about booking two suites here for my family's weeklong visit to New York. There were seven of us, my wife, son, daughter-in-law, and three grandkids. But there was no way I could afford accommodations for this long hoped for trip to my old home town at any other establishment I could find on the internet. But from the first moment of telephone booking to the morning we left, every bit of the experience was terrific.\r \r The location, as stated in all the hotel's publicity, is unbeatable: adjacent to Riverside Park and the Hudson River in a tall building that stands by itself in a classy neighborhood, the block a special historic architectural district, the amazing restaurants on Broadway and subway stop a five minute walk. The building dates from the 1920's when it was constructed as a Columbia University dorm and thankfully has never been redesigned though it has been updated in essentials like windows, showers and elevator. The fact that it's old, the paint is thick, the pipes and radiators are visible, and the rooms are minimal size makes it not only an authentic New York antique, but serves as a model of modest, sustainable habitability in which every square inch of space is functional. The building's design seems to me unique and classic--it occupies a small horizontal footprint and gains its volume from vertical rise. That means that every room provides unobstructed and beautiful views. The tall graceful proportions of the structure are intensified by the eccentric angle of the southwest corner, apparently designed to accommodate the requirements of the lot-lines laid out by Frederick Law Olmstead when he designed Riverside Park.\r \r The rooms were very clean when we arrived and kept that way by first class maid service before we returned every night from our explorations of the City. The beds were comfortable, the microwave and fridge handy, the closet and sitting space small but sufficient. The lobby staff, on duty and friendly round the clock, represented a rich ethnic, national, and age cross section, as did the largely international clientele of guests. more

Very unexpensive, great location, Riverside park is great for relaxing and walking, subway 3 blocks away, nice people at the desk and room attendants, and great place to meet europeans traveling in new york. more

This hotel looks nice on the outside, nice neighborhood. But when you step inside it is small, I mean REALLY small and dark. It needs a really good cleaning, new carpets, and a general update. The website should warn people that the ""suites"" are acutally more like two hospital rooms connected by a tiny bathroom. When the trundle beds are pulled out you can't enter or exit the room. So hope there isn't a fire! Nice staff, crappy hotel... even on a budget. more

This is an amazing find. Great location in the Upper West Side. The kitchenette was very convenient. The best part was the staff. They helped set up are whole week. They were great at local restaurants and nightlife. Pros: location, views, staff more

As we entered our rooms my mouth dropped. The rooms were like walk in closets, extremly small, but clean. The views of the river and Riverside Park were great. The decor is basic but mix matched. My parents room had an old metal office desk as a dresser,and my single room decor wasn't as bad it almost matched. I had a tv, dorm fridge and my own bathroom. Once I got over the inital shock, I began to settle in. It wasn't bad after the first night. The hotel was not bad considering its a NYC budget hotel. Besides while your in NYC your not going to spend much time in a hotel room anyway. It's a good place to just lay your head. *Watch the on street parking, our car was towed the first night there the parking signs can be confusing. Pros: location, on street parking, clean Cons: extremly small rooms, bad or no decor, needs a little umph more

my daughter and I really liked our stay here. Old but clean. Friendly, helpful staff. Great price! Location, view of Hudson from our room just great. Pros: inexpensive, location Cons: old rooms more