Hotel Lucerne

We had an excellent stay at this hotel. The restaurants nearby are excellent and offer great variety, and there are two subway lines within easy walking distance. The area is not too touristy, and really feels like a neighborhood you could live in. The staff were responsive and very friendly.

I recently traveled to New York City for a business trip with a team from various departments within our firm. Because our schedule was tight, our company’s travel department asked that we coordinate arrangements directly with the hotel. A colleague and I handled the planning and booking for the entire group, so we had fairly extensive communication with the hotel in advance of our stay.

On the positive side, the location is excellent. The property is within easy walking distance of Central Park and close to nearby subway stations, which made navigating the city very convenient for our group’s meetings and evening plans.

The historic building is beautiful, but the accommodations themselves felt dated. The rooms appear to have seen little recent updating, but that wasn't our main concern.

What stood out most, however, was our experience with the hotel’s group sales representative during the planning process. We were unaccustomed to handling travel details directly and were hoping to have a smooth experience with a professional who would respectfully guide us. Given that we were coordinating logistics for multiple guests, we anticipated clear and professional communication. Instead, many of the responses my associate received were unexpectedly curt, and sometimes outright impatient and rude. Emails were often extremely brief, sometimes just a single word, and frequently lacked punctuation or the kind of basic etiquette and detail that would help clarify next steps. The tone came across as dismissive rather than supportive, and wholly unprofessional. I didn't feel like our business was valued.

Coordinating travel for a group inevitably involves numerous questions and adjustments, and in that context a courteous and informative point of contact is essential. Even small gestures of professionalism and politeness can make a significant difference when guests are organizing a complex stay.

While the hotel’s location is undeniably convenient, our experience with the group booking process left a disappointing impression. We will not be returning for our next trip. A more responsive and professional approach from the group sales representative would greatly improve the overall experience for guests planning organized trips and garner more return business.

I found this hotel through a google search for fragrance free hotels (I get headaches from air fresheners) in NYC and this one popped up. There is no scent on the sheets or towels or in the room. I loved that you can open the windows and get fresh air in the room. The hotel is well appointed. We booked the hotel for a Spring Break trip with my 12 and 13 year old daughter and son to show them the city. Best location - Loved that I could wake up early while they slept in and go for walks in Central Park and Riverside Park which were just blocks away. Everything you need is literally a block away from the hotel, Walgreens, subway, grocery market, Bagel Shop, restaurants. The Nice Matin - the adjoining restaurant has great coffee and breakfast. It is an older building so there was no fan in the bathroom but we just opened the bathroom window to let steam out after a shower. Beds were very comfortable. We booked a Queen Suite with 2 queens and my son slept on the fold out couch in the other room. I feel like it was a great value for the amount of space we had. The hotel staff is courteous and helpful and they have doormen that open the doors for you when you come in and walk out; it felt so fancy! We stayed 5 nights and never had any issues. The housekeeping did a good job and the room and hotel felt clean. I would definitely come back and stay at the Lucerne again!

We stayed here to visit a school in Morningside heights. It was a terrific location and everyone at the hotel very helpful and friendly. The restaurant downstairs is terrific. The hotel is a good value compared with other NYC hotels, although none of them are inexpensive. We were able to find street parking for the entire stay (weekdays). Would definitely come back.

We had a large room with a separate area with a little lounge

Wonderful location with great staff. Nice restaurant downstairs.

Nice old hotel in a great location for walks in Central Park. The hotel is comfortable, a great value, and staff were friendly and helpful.

A spacious room (for NYC!) with comfortable beds well located on the Upper West Side. Really close to the subway and ease of connectivity. Didn't try the hotel restaurant downstairs but there's lots of interesting places to eat nearby.

Nothing

Almost everything

Beyond dated rooms/hotel. Dingy. I cannot fathom how this hotel is considered a 4 star hotel. We had an HVAC drip noise that was constant and it kept me up all night long. I would never stay here again.