Stay: Dylan Hotel

Hello readers! After a week away, I am finally back in Beantown. I was in New York City for work and had the opportunity to live for the week at the Dylan Hotel.

The Dylan is located on 41st Street between Park and Madison. The location is absolutely incredible. The hotel is literally steps from Grand Central Station, two blocks from the New York Public Library, three blocks from Bryant Park and about five blocks from all the Murray Hill restaurants. 

You can spot the Dylan from a block away thanks to its blue flag above the front door.

The entrance to the hotel is flanked by four enormous white pots of beautiful, spring flowers. The lilacs smelled amazing! Very impressive for the concrete jungle.

The front door to the hotel is illuminated with blue colored lights.

The lobby is a potpourri of colors - blue, yellow, green, pink and white.


The lobby is a bit run down. The furniture is really worn and some pieces are noticeably stained.

I did love the color combination of these green velour chairs and these hot pink flowers. I'd like to replicate this color scheme in my apartment.

After checking in I rode the elevator up to my room. When the doors opened I noticed these handsome, leather, club chairs and another pot of the fun, hot pink flowers.

In between the two club chairs was a household item you barely see anymore - a rotary phone!

When I opened the door to my room I was underwhelmed. The room was just as worn as the lobby.

The room had a blue and green theme going on with the bedding and the accent chair.

The entertainment unit and the desk were hideous. The desk chair looked like it had come from an Elks Club in the 1970s.

The closet had knicks on the doors, knicks on the hangers and the mini fridge looked like Chuck Norris had round house kicked the front of it.

 Despite the general lack of frills, there was a sachet of lavender in the closet.

The one redeeming quality about my room was the bathroom.

Though the sink was just as run down as the closet and there was a legitimate hole in the shower floor, the bathroom was spacious, the glass shower was divine and the water pressure was a dream.

I loved the round sink and the small bathroom details like these glass beakers.

On another positive note, I was surprised to return from work after the first day to see the cleaning lady had left a small bag of chocolates on my bed. Don't mind if I do!

On our third night in the city we wrapped with work late and as such, decided to eat in the hotel's restaurant, the Benjamin Steakhouse. I was so tired I didn't take any pictures. I must admit, the food was excellent and I would highly recommend the restaurant.

Despite the positives, the hotel had two major negatives that would keep me from every staying there again. First, the heat in the hotel was on full blast at all times. Several of my co-workers couldn't sleep because it was so hot and when they approached the front desk in the middle of the night they received three different responses:

  • "We're sorry, it's too early in the season for air conditioning. You can open your windows."
  • "The air conditioning should come on in the next two hours."
  • "There is nothing we can do for you."

This staff needs a lesson in customer service.

Second on the major gripe list is the elevators. Every time you wanted to go up or down in one of the hotel's two elevators you would wait a full five to ten minutes. When you are rushing around during a packed work week, the last thing you want to do it stand, tapping your foot, waiting for an elevator to come for ten minutes. That is just absurd. 

I have been traveling back and forth to New York City for about a year now for work and of all the hotels I have stayed in, the Dylan was by far the most disappointing. After nearly a year, my number one is still the Gramercy Park Hotel.

 

Molly Galler

Welcome to Pop.Bop.Shop. My name is Molly. I’m a foodie, fashionista, pop culture addict and serious travel junkie. I’m a lifelong Bostonian obsessed with frozen confections, outdoor patios, Mindy Kaling, reality television, awards shows, tropical vacations, snail mail and my birthday.

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