My wife and I visit Manhattan about 3-4 times each year, each time for 2-4 days, to catch a show or two, shop, and generally just walk around enjoying the sites, sounds, smells and people of New York. For each visit, we generally stay in a different neighborhood to better get to know The City.

This trip (Dec. 8-10) was intended to be all about the Meatpacking District, so we selected the Hotel Gansevoort based on the hotel's website and the mostly-positive reviews here on TripAdvisor.

Unfortunately, our visit wasn't nearly as special as others have experienced. In fact, in my response to the guest comment survey from the hotel, I indicated, well, as follows... ("While nice, the hotel was not particularly special in appearance. The front desk staff and concierge met only the most basic expectations of completing the simple process of checking us in/out, and making a dinner reservation. For the rate paid (over $1,000/night incl. taxes), I expect excellence, and received only the mediocrity I would have expected from a routine business-class hotel such as a Hampton Inn or similar type property. For these reasons, we will not be returning to the Gansevoort.")

All due apologies to Hampton Inns all over the country, as they continue to be consistent, comfortable and cost-effective for my business travel.

Back to the Gansevoort...

We were staying in a Junior Suite (#912), which admittedly provided a decent view of the just-opened Apple Store at 9th Ave and 14th Street (see my photo). I'm an Apple fan, so that was a nice treat. :-)

The room was nicely sized, especially for Manhattan, though corner rooms often are. We arrived at the hotel at about 11:15 AM, knowing fully that check-in was 3:00 PM. We dropped our bags with the bellman (Orlando), and headed out on a nice Saturday to enjoy the area. We ate at Pastis (right across the street from the hotel) and enjoyed a wonderful brunch. At 2:28 PM, just as we were settling our check at Pastis, the front desk called to let us know a room was available, so we headed across the street to get settled in. Orlando was again gracious in bringing our bags to the suite, and in giving some local tips for dining (Buddakan instead of Buddha Bar, for example; both are very close walks from the hotel). One odd touch: there was a small stuffed duck/goose on the bed, which we learned was complimentary and is supposedly the icon for the hotel even though I didn't see this anywhere else during our stay.

Contrary to comments from some reviewers, we weren't bothered by the street noise. Maybe we were too tired from a long day of wandering the streets, seeing a show (Spamalot on Saturday, Wicked on Sunday; both were terrific). When we returned to the hotel, there was quite a line of 20-somethings waiting to get into the G Lounge (the spa in the basement converts to a lounge at night). As hotel suite guests, we were "on the guest list" and able to bypass the waiting line, so we went directly downstairs to check it out. The lounge was very small, okay music, not lit as seductively as it could be (more candles and less halogen-type lights would help). The crowd was typical, what my wife and I call "New York attractive" (young, thin, darkly dressed). I think we stayed about 10 minutes before deciding it just wasn't for us. BTW, we visit trendy clubs regularly, and don't mind loud music. We're 30-40-somethings :-) and feel quite comfortable in the midst of younger crowds, so that wasn't the situation here. The G Lounge simply lacked something that we couldn't identify, but knew immediately was missing.

Sunday evening, when we walked to Buddakan (about 2 1/2 blocks north on 9th (at 16th), it was raining, and the hotel provided umbrellas for guest use. The food at Buddakan was terrific (the steak in particular, but also the lobster/shrimp/noodle concoction), and the service was impeccable.

Our check-out process Monday was simple at the front desk... again, nothing special at all. No "thank you for staying with us", "come back soon", or the typical and expected salutations.

In summary, if you want a decent location in the meatpacking district, and don't care if the hotel staff pays any real attention to you or not, the Gansevoort is not a bad choice. However, the cost is significant, and my wife and I were not impressed enough to consider or recommend the Hotel Gansevoort.