I recently stayed at the Inn at Irving Place and had a great experience. I have stayed at most of the nicer hotels in NYC (Waldorf, Ritz, Sofitel) and the Inn at Irving Place is by far my favorite.

When you walk in the hotel you feel like you're walking into the living room of an 19th century mansion. Once inside, the staff immediately brought us a glass of champagne and took our bags to our room. We stayed in a junior suite which is easily twice the size of normal hotel rooms in the city (with sitting area and fire place).

Travelers must understand that the Inn is like a getaway within NYC. If you're on business and looking for a place to sleep for the evening or if you're in NYC simply to sightsee, I would not suggest this hotel. However, if you know the city well and you're searching for a unique and unbelievable escape within the city -- or the most romantic night(s) you can imagine -- stay at the Inn at Irving Place.

The noise level brought up by previous reviews is not a problem. In NYC, the streets are generally noisy and the Inn is no different. Again, some tourists or first-time travelers to New York may not understand that. But for a purist seeking excellent service and a fantastic retreat within New York, the Inn cannot be beat.

My wife and I stayed at the hotel, and found it to be very special. The staff was excellent and the hotel was wonderful. The Christmas decorations were outstanding, and breakfast was good. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit, and will return on our next trip. Our room was large and very nicely finished. It felt more like being at home than in a faceless hotel.

The only bad point in our stay was a holiday party one night was very loud, but it finished at a reasonable time. If you are looking for a hotel with very quite rooms this may not be the place for you. With the wood floors and open stairs you do hear the noise in the halls.

This Inn is a quiet oasis of calm in Manhattan. Well furnished, comfortable, and with very attentive and helpful staff. Highly recommended.

The atmospheric decor was fine but was not matched by really gracious service. Constant noise above our room kept us awake until past 2 am and again at 7am but the manager would not adjust the room rate because I had failed to call downstairs in the middle of the night to complain. Breakfast was dry pastry and pre-fab fruit, but with a nice pot of tea or coffee. The cockroach on our bedtable was a minor distraction but for $415 plus 18% tax the Inn needs
more class.