In fact, it was a hotel nightmare.
Right off the bat, this is going to be a different hotel review that is not going to follow my usual format and will be shorter than usual. My recent stay at Dream Midtown was so unpleasant, it prompted me to write this review. I pride myself on my brutal honesty and debunking how "celebrity influencers" (even celebrities in general!) portray hotels and restaurants that I find incredibly mediocre. I have no qualms about writing a review that may be uncomfortable to write for most luxury hotel bloggers. People want the truth, don't they?
So let's give it a whirl.
Check In
A very kind gentleman named Adrian insisted on taking our bags upon entering the hotel. Checking in at the front desk was nothing to write home about. There was hardly any human interaction. I felt like the people at the front desk were pretty lifeless with no interest in their customers, whatsoever. Like a new friend told me the other day, we were treated like meat... like "Cattle huddled together." Adrian proceeded to take us to our room. We were upgraded to the Gold Suite. Honestly, besides the space, it felt like staying in an upscale hospital room. It didn't really carry the vibe and personality that I experienced at Dream South Beach Miami.
You can decide for yourself as I post the pictures below.
I did love the location, however, because I'm a huge fan of Hell's Kitchen. It's steps away from Central Park and close to Time Square but far enough so you're not in tourist hell.
I was gravitated to the bed because it felt like the only spot in the room with a pop of color. Honestly, the bed was the highlight of the room because I slept very well that evening.
The usual whimsical decor...
Flower wall art
Bland furnishing. Thanks for the NYT and Washington Post --- nice touch.
Lots of natural light which was a plus!
Basic bathroom...
Huge fan of CO Bigelow bathroom products, though!
All in all, I appreciated how big the room was and it was comfortable and very quiet, despite feeling a tad clinical in decor.
Did I mention it took 30 minutes just to get a bucket of ice delivered? At Dream South Beach, intuitive service existed in the form of a bucket of ice already filled before check in and after housekeeping service.
Here's a video room tour before all the shit hit the fan. :D
Restaurant
I was invited to dine at Serafina, which is connected to the hotel. Naturally, I was most excited by this invitation because I'm a major foodie and love Northern Italian cuisine. Our waiter was nice but he nor the restaurant did not know I was there to review the restaurant. I'm not asking for special treatment, just acknowledgment like I did at my dining experience at Perrine. I don't believe a restaurant should be on their best behavior just because there's a Luxury Lifestyle influencer in the house. That's rubbish. A restaurant should always strive to be impeccable. But if this is how they treat their customers, well, they have some serious work to do. I never got why this place was so hyped up. I'm here to completely debunk the image of this place. They need to do a serious course in CRM 101. Don't let the yellow awnings fool you. This place bears no resemblance to the Mediterranean lifestyle but how could it? Like a typical American restaurant, dining was rushed. No dolce far niente here! (Sweet idleness)
Our calamari was bland and unappetizing. The marinara was a weird color.
Gregory ordered pizza to be on the safe side. It was like eating cardboard.
I made the mistake of ordering pasta (I can't help it, I'm a pasta freak) and it was incredibly underwhelming. I had to add red peppers throughout my consumption because it was just lacking the zing.
The worse part: when the bill came, they didn't knock off 50% off the bill, as offered by the PR of Serafina, Caroline McBride. When I got up to complain, there was absolutely no grace in handling the bill, let alone an apology from the manager on site and waiter. I was completely turned off by their ineptness in hospitality.
Rooftop Bar - PHD Terrace
So apparently this hotel has a happening bar scene. I'm not really into that (how non-millennial of me!). A place has to be really special for me to even take a peek and given how this blog post is looking, I hardly had an interest exploring the amenities. I was already looking forward to checking out. However, the moment I was ready to take a gander, the rooftop was closed. Fair enough but I wasn't willing to wait until 4 pm.
The Lobby
I was first attracted to the lobby because of the aquarium. But as you walk around, you start to feel that the lobby is cold and detached. I understand how this appears "cool" to some people but not for me. It's not very welcoming.
The aquarium is wonderful for Feng Shui purposes in regards to wealth. Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling that vibe upon check in and therefore throughout my stay. But thank God for it as it's the highlight of the whole lobby!
How would you even explain this design?
Conclusion
With the exception of Dream South Beach, I don't plan on visiting any other Dream Hotel properties. Let's be real, when you've read that the Founder of the whole company, Viktor Chatwal, was arrested for trying to light two dogs on fire, it makes you want to "check out" --- yes, pun intended.
