Hotel Carter...thoughts?

[gfaustswa]

Posted: 5/11/12 at 1:35am

Looking to book a room in July. Other then Hotel Carter, best I can find is $52 a night more. Is it worth saving the money and staying there or worth it to pay the extra $52 a night and not stay there. Keep finding mixed reviews when I google. Off to bed for tonight, but will be checking back tomorrow! Thanks!

[thetinymagic2]

Posted: 5/11/12 at 1:51am

nm

Updated On: 5/11/12 at 01:51 AM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/11/12 at 3:55am

Do NOT EVER stay at the Carter. EVER. It is the most disgusting hotel you will ever see.

It's the true definition of you get what you pay for. STAY AWAY.

[JMPlayer6]

Posted: 5/11/12 at 4:40am

I have stayed there twice. The second time was booked prior to actually staying there the first time. The hotel is dreadful. Go elsewhere.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/11/12 at 5:13am

My room wasn't too bad back in 2005, but it really is a dump. I wouldn't stay there again. I would say that the extra $52 is well worth it. Hopefully your other choice is better than this place.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 5/11/12 at 5:25am

This place has such a horrific history and such a bad rep currently, I thought this question was a joke. I remember when this hotel was essentially a homeless shelter. I wonder where you were googling if all you found were "mixed reviews". Even the best reviews I could find were less than complimentary. Hell, check out wikipedia.

Or this old Daily News story:
Bedbugs and the body under the bed

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/11/12 at 6:46am

It's like one of those hotels you expect to see in the movies when they go to the bad part of town. In the lobby you will be sure that you have just witnessed hookers, drug deals and death. You will lay there wondering who died in your bed, and where the police found the evidence.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 5/11/12 at 7:14am

Be afraid be very afraid

Save the money & sleep on the sidewalk. You will have better accomodations .

[Smaxie]

Posted: 5/11/12 at 9:42am

Never been there, but know of its legend, of course. A shame, because it looks like it was once had a certain simple elegance when it opened as the Hotel Dixie.

Updated On: 5/11/12 at 09:42 AM

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 5/11/12 at 9:49am

Fantastic images, Smaxie. Thanks. Of course, back when it was Hotel Dixie, in addition to the American flag, it also flew the Confederate flag.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 5/11/12 at 11:49am

The Hotel Carter is the only thing left from Times Square's tawdry days. You know when Rudy Guiliani's even afraid to gentrify it, there has to be something horribly wrong with it.

Can you find a cheap rate at The Milford Plaza?

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/11/12 at 12:27pm

You have been warned.

[broadwayjim42]

Posted: 5/11/12 at 12:57pm

If money's an issue and you can bear with the idea of shared bathrooms and tight quarters, the Jane and The Larchmont might be options. Also, the Chelsea Lodge on W 20th is around $135 a night.

The Carter and the New York Inn on 46th and 8th are notoriously awful. I can vouch for the latter. In and out within a half hour.

If you're flexible, book something cancellable and keep your eyes on Hotwire or take a chance on Priceline as your trip gets closer. Last July, I got the Hilton Garden Inn in Tribeca for July 7-10 for $105 a night. It's a crapshoot, but if you don't mind blind bidding and there's not more than two of you, it might be worth a shot.

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 5/11/12 at 1:32pm

I stayed at the Hotel Carter for a weekend in March 2012. I like to stay in Times Sq because I like to spend the day running around the city, and then rush back to my hotel, drop off my belongings and then walk to the theaters. I stayed at the Jane last summer and I loved it, but it was annoying having to trudge back to the subway and all that between sightseeing/shopping and nightly shows.

I've stayed in some pretty yucky hostels all around the world, so I thought the Hotel Carter would be no big deal. When my friend and I walked into the lobby, we thought it had an awesome 60'/70's Vegas gaudy/ugly/fabulous vibe. And a hilarious vibe. That lobby would be a terrific place to have some sort of theme party.

We got off the elevator on the 16th floor and immediately burst out laughing when we say the graffiti on the hallway walls, the deeply soiled carpets, and general shabbiness of the hallway.

In our room, the fire evacuation diagram was bizarrely nailed to the wall inside of the closet. the glass enclosure had been shattered and shards of glass were jutting out of it.

We spent a while trying to figure out how to describe the smell of the room. It was moldy carpet kind of smell, an old-lady-with-too-much-cheap perfume smell, a medicine smell........it was fairly unpleasant.

The tv was thankfully nonfunctioning, because the cord snaked through the room to an outlet that was hanging out of the wall. We had to use the outlet to plug in the AC, but the wires quickly overheated and we turned it off.

We were there Friday-Sunday, and we had no hot showers. We discussed with other guests on the elevator one day, and they recommended taking showers as early as possible. We tried that, but still no hot water. Or even warm water.

Then, our last night in the hotel, I GOT BITTEN BY BEDBUGS!!! I wasn't sure that's what it was, but they were in lines of two and three up and down my legs and arms and on my neck. It was a pretty horrible feeling, made even worse by the fact that I didn't know if I was bringing the bugs back home with me or not. (I thankfully did not).

I am the world's most budgety budget traveler, but I will never stay at Hotel Carter again.

Updated On: 5/11/12 at 01:32 PM

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 5/11/12 at 2:48pm

It was rumored the only reason they didn't film exteriors for Rent at this building was that there was a danger the fire escape would rot right off while Mimi was gyrating to "Out Tonight."

[finebydesign]

Posted: 5/11/12 at 2:55pm

I say go for it! You only live once and you've got a story to tell.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 5/11/12 at 3:06pm

You know a hotel is bad when even the prostitutes avoid it.

They should use the lobby for an all star cast fundraiser of Hot l Baltimore. Raise money to tear the place down and put up a parking lot.

[gfaustswa]

Posted: 5/11/12 at 3:21pm

Very glad I asked!! Thank you for all of the info and horror stories. I think the Milford Plaza has won out! Had no idea how bad it was! Thank you!

[Eris0303]

Posted: 5/11/12 at 3:30pm

Does the Milford stil have bedbugs?

[gschuber]

Posted: 5/11/12 at 3:30pm

I stayed there in the mid-90's because there were three of us and they had a room with three single beds. It was awful. The highlight was when the toilet backed up at 3am. We called the front desk and they sent someone up with a plunger, handed it to us, then left!

I also remember that upon check-in, the front desk told us not to get off the elevator if it opened on one of the first 11 floors. Of course it did. We saw several very strange looking people carrying TV's and stereos back on forth. I had no idea what to make of it, then someone told me that the Carter rented out the first couple of floors to the city and the city sent homeless people there for the night.

Avoid at all costs!

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 5/11/12 at 3:33pm

The Milford Plaza is no great shakes either. It's been undergoing renovation for years, and people have been defenestrated there too. Go to the off-topic board and do a search for hotels. There's some good information there. Offhand I'd try the Mayfair or the Gershwin.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 5/11/12 at 4:01pm

The newly renovated Milford Plaza has just opened. I don't know how much was renovated though.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/11/12 at 4:38pm

I've actually read good reports of the Milford renovated rooms. the rooms have always been small, but they apparently are in much better shape now. Cleaner and more modern.

[gfaustswa]

Posted: 5/11/12 at 6:04pm

Thanks again for all the help. So glad I didn't opt to stay there!

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/11/12 at 6:22pm

I've stayed at the Milford 4 times since the renovation, and it's been good to great each time. The halls are still a little worn, but the rooms have been clean and comfy.