For the older properties in New York, there’s a certain level of expectations. Rooms will likely be small, elevators will be slow and the room setup isn’t perfect. And if you can handle that, in exchange for location and points, the Marriott East Side will perfectly suit your needs. The property isn’t particularly luxurious, but it gets the job done. Located at 48th and Lex, the hotel is convenient to most of midtown.

Arrival/Check-In

I arrived at the hotel and was able to check in immediately. Service was friendly and, as a Marriott Silver, I wasn’t entitled to any welcome gifts. There was a separate line for elite members, but there were no other customers at the desk. So far, so good.

Rooms

Look, it’s New York City. Expecting a big room is unrealistic, although this one is clearly due for a makeover (not much I could do about my view of the brick wall outside). The HVAC unit was loud and the carpet is beginning to look a little shaggy. Yuck experience: There was a piece of chewed gum on the bathroom floor. Still, the bed was comfortable, lighting was decent and there were outlets everywhere.

Bathroom

If you’re curious about the size of the bathroom, the shower is behind the door. And that’s about it. Again, small but functional. Lots of towels, lots of bathroom amenities.

Facilities

In general, you could do anything you needed to at the hotel. The most up-to-date part of the hotel was the gym, which is located on the top floor. There is also a lounge on the second floor for Gold and Platinum elite members which, sadly, I did not get to experience. Like other Marriott properties, it offered Netflix access on the televisions.

One frustration: The Internet was lousy. Even the premium access was slow and the service dropped me if I put the device down for more than a minute or two. It’s particularly annoying for a hotel that caters to business traffic.

One “amenity” that I expect to become more (or less, as the case may be) common, particularly in cities: There’s no room service. I called down when I couldn’t find the menu and they told me that there is no traditional room service, but you could get food in the lobby restaurant or from Seamless. The advantages of the latter quickly became apparent: You have far more choices, the food is better and it’s certainly cheaper. When the delivery person arrives, the front desk will call you and send them up. No complaints here.

Service

Friendly and helpful. Everyone seemed eager to please and had a smile when I walked in, particularly the security staff (Having over-experienced the TSA, I have forgotten what it is like to interact with polite security employees.). They couldn’t help when I had issues with the internet, connecting me to that annoying central help station that AT&T runs, but someone came up immediately when Netflix was giving me issues.

Value

It’s New York City. Midweek, base rates are going to start at $300, even as capacity has grown in the city. You’re paying for location and it’s a good one. In Minneapolis, I would have been disappointed to get a room like this one. In New York, it’s about right. I found the value at the Marriott East Side to be pretty good.