254 East Vacation

A New York apt. hotel

If you like the thought of staying in a place that almost feels like a N.Y. home away from home, this could be the place for you. It reminded me of the N.Y apt. I don’t have....with a small kichenette, living area and bedroom. My son stayed in the apt. above us and it was slightly better condition than the one we stayed in. Not the best insulation sound wise, but an interesting place to stay. Former New Yorker

Great place

We had a very good experience staying for nearly a week at 254. The management gave us clear directions for the check in and departure and everything went well. The rental unit was a small apartment which was ideal for our family visit. It has been well kept and reflects a decent rental in New York. Everything worked well and was clean. The location was excellent for visiting the museums along 5th Ave.--we could walk everywhere, and when we returned to 254, we could make our own meals and have a bit of space to relax and read and plan the next day. We’ll definitely return.

excellent for one person

why spend a fortune in midtown? rates and location better when i stayed there!

A nice quirky little room

We stayed in 254 #1 (the narrow room with the loft). We found the room to be clean and comfortable. There is no direct contact with the hotel staff, but we liked that. It made it feel as though we had our own apartment in the city. However, I did contact the hotel staff several times prior to our trip with questions and they always returned my call promptly and provided the information I needed. I would definitely recommend this hotel to experienced travelers to New York!

Traveler's tip

I would NOT recommend this particular room for people over 6’. My husband is 6’ 2" and he had to duck in the shower. He didn’t mind, but some may. I also don’t think this is a good type of hotel for first time visitors to New York City. You are on your own, and if you need help getting around and with things to do, I think a hotel in the more touristy districts would better suit such needs.

very accomodating apt. hotel

If you understand NYC apartment living you will enjoy this place. Great location, safe, minutes by foot to central park.

254 East Vacation

I am a native New Yorker, and have recently moved out of the city. Had to come in for a very early morning appointment. Decided to stay overnight, and found this place on expedia. It was very similar to being in my old apartment, and was so clean and well kept that I was thrilled. Very nostalgic for me, too. Don’t hesitate. Get your own apartment in Manhattan for a night or two!

Traveler's tip on local attractions

Great Turkish restaurant right around the corner on Second Avenue. Walk over to the Whitney Museum of American Art at Madison and 75th. Or over to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on 5th (take the crosstown bus at 79th Street).

Convenient , Private, Quiet

Convenient location--restaurants, groceries, fruit/veg stand, easy to get a taxi It was private and quiet, like your own apt. If you want a hotel-type of environment (concierge,room service), this is not for you, but if you want a place to be on your own that is private and quiet, then this would work very well. We wanted a place where we could eat our own breakfact, sleep comfortably, easily get a sandwich to go for lunch, and easy and quickly hail a taxi. It could have been more clean. Be prepared that bedding & towels are not changed each day. The shower itself was good, but no counter space in the bathroom to place things. Kitchenette had minimal flatware/dishes, but refrig. was fine for fruit,water,breakfast items. WiFi(in 1st flr hallway only) okay for checking email, but not for long periods of work; no place to sit. I would stay again.

Experience NY like a resident

254 East Vacation’s location provides the flavor of living in NY with excellent dining, laundry, and transport nearby. We stayed in 2 different rooms over 4 nights (due to changes in our travel plans). Both were quiet,comfortable, clean, and satisfactory. The only point to consider is that the hotel is a walkup, so a room on the upper floors if you have heavy luggage requires some muscle. We’ve already recommended it to friends, and would definitely stay again on our next trip.

Traveler's tip on dining

Loved the Burmese restaurant around the corner, and the Chinese take away.

Great option for accomodations!

This little apartment was great! It was comfortable and convenient. It was a little away from the major sites but that was nothing a cab or subway couldn’t take care of. It was very quiet and safe. We would definately stay there again. The management was very helpful and courteous.

excellent

WONDERFULL

Will definately stay here again on next trip to N.Y.C.!!!!

Our stay at 254 East was fabulous! It was far more economical than any of the other hotels that we looked into. You will not find the amenities that you would find in a luxury hotel, but it gives you a nice taste for what its like to live in NYC as it is set in a quaint residential area, located in a convenient part of town that is not nearly as busy or crowded as other parts of the city. We booked our room for only one night and were disappointed(but not surprised) that they were sold out for subsequent nights as we would have loved to extend our stay. We ended up paying double the price at the next hotel we stayed at. I highly recommend 254 East, the value for the price is excellent!!!!

Traveler's tip on dining

Theres an outstanding Turkish restaurant right down the street.

Felt deceived

When I rented the room I was under the impression that it would have two beds instead of just one. My friend and I had to sleep in the same bed which was uncomfortable. Also, the room was supposed to have a kitchen but the stove did not work, so we had to buy all our meals out which increased our expenses.

Nice hotel building experience

We stayed at the studio in the 4th floor. All was very well maintained, centralized location, great stores around..and a perfect French coffee place 1 block away. This was better than any hotel big hotel I had stayed in before. This was more independent, as if i was staying in a friend’s studio for the wkend.

Great, absolutely great..

I knew just the things that I read from other reviews and that is why I knew what to expect. The one thing is that there is no elevator, I had to carry 3 baggages to 5th floor, and I was almost dying :) Very safe neighboorhood, very clean, very cute room. I recommemend you this place if you know what to expect.

Review

No airconditioning in the room so I had to open the window, which allowed all the road noise of NYC in the room. Not a bad place to stay..but if you are planning to stay in hot weather, bring a fan.

For UES Manhattan, a great deal

This is a walk-up with no on site services, such as a front desk or a manager. But the communication to get in was efficient, the studio room very clean and appearing to be have been recently remodeled, and the location on the Upper East Side just right for what I needed. For the price, I will certainly plan to return.

Already Planning Return Visits and Recommending the Place to Others

254 East Vacation is a gem of a hotel in a very convenient location for any traveler looking for a quiet stay within a reasonable New York walking distance of Central Park and the Museum Mile. If you are looking for hotel service (baggage handlers, room service, maids, and restaurants), this is NOT the right place to book a hotel; it IS an amply appointed NYC efficiency style apartment in a quiet safe neighborhood with comfortable beds and adequate rooms. Parking in the local garages is approximately $40 per day; the Met and Central Park Zoo are roughly a mile walk; grocery on 2nd Ave and drug store on 3rd Ave are 24hr(the hotel is situated between on East 74th Street). You can feel safe heading out at night with restaurants around either corner open during the week until at least 10 o’clock. The owners appear to live on site, and are very personable (if you see them). Checking in and out is a breeze if you are sure to have both the door code and the access code to a lock box that will contain your room key. Our only less than perfect reports about the overall room condition was that while sheets and such were clean, the shower wall needs a quick spray of bleach to handle old grout mildew troubles. We plan to stay at this hotel from now on regularly when we visit the city and have already given the web link to multiple people as a great boutique hotel alternative. [First Visit during April 2009--and yes, we’ll be back to report on future stays and improvements.]

Traveler's tip

Nervous Nellies about germs and cooties, we brought our own little container of Lysol wipes we keep in our car and wiped down table tops, fixtures, and the sink and tub areas the best we could--leaving the unit cleaner than we found it and hopefully a bit nicer for the next people. Otherwise, this is a chic little rental flat in the city--and honestly, the 20 minutes of simple cleaning we had to do just made the stay feel even more homey.

What a treat!

We loved our NY apartment and can’t wait to return. Thanks for helping us find such a gem.

Really enjoyed my stay

I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at 254 East Vacation. I wanted the experience of feeling like I had my own place in NYC and that is exactly what this location offers. If you go for the 4th or 5th floors, be prepared to feel your quad muscles! For future trips I will opt for a lower floor, but the studio itself was very comfortable. Two minor issues were that the sink in the 5th floor studio drained very slowly, and the shower curtain did have some mold on it. I didn’t call the manager over this because it wasn’t a big problem, but I want to give readers an accurate representation. I will certainly return to this wonderful establishment. The neighborhood is very nice; as a woman on my own I felt really safe there in the evenings. I am currently looking to book another stay there in April.

Traveler's tip on dining

J.G. Mellon’s -Great Burgers and just down the street from 254 East Vacation Slice- Organic pizza, very unique and tasty E.J.’s Luncheonette awesome food

NYC Getaway

It’s a great place to hang your hat for overnight or weekend trip. If you don’t need all creature comforts of a full service hotel, this is the place. I found it to be clean, modern and very private. Well situated on the East side on a quite block...

loved that i wasnt in a hotel kinda like home

my mom was in the hospital and i think i made the right move by going to 254 east vacation.it was clean and we where able to cook in the rooms in a nice homey kithen.i would love to go back under different conditions.i would stay there again.

lots of small stores for all your needs in easy walking distance

A hostel

No room service, no 24 front desk,plus,front desk lady neither speak nor understand English, you have to call the manager all the time. After 10PM, you are on your own!

You get what you pay for...............

We usually stay at another very good hotel on the east side but it was far more expensive this time around because of the holiday. Rates usually double for Xmas. So we found 254 online and understood the following: you are getting a convenient NYC apartment w/ no amenities for the duration of your stay. What’s bad?: #1) not attractive at all. So many layers of paint on everything (literally everything) I imagine at this point the paint is holding the building up. #2) No view whatsoever. #3) wireless internet: the "Welcome" flyer says it all, "Wireless internet works only in the first floor hallway." Might be the funniest thing I ever read. p.s. the building is a walk-up!! What’s Good: with the exception of the internet, they don’t lie about what they are and the excellent location for the price. You get what you pay for.

Plenty of Room

The two bedroom suite had plenty of room. I was there for 5 nights and I never got any clean towels. Other than that I am very pleased with the hotel.

Will stay there again on my next trip

The location, price, and accommodations were perfectly suited to my needs, but I grew up in apartments in NY so I knew what to expect. A traveler expecting a boutique hotel with a front desk and services will be dissatisfied. Someone wanting to experience an old but well-kept city apt. will find it to be a real bargain. I’ll definitely try to book there again when I next go back.