After reading about The Lowell, and its high ranking in luxury travel magazine readers polls, I finally had the opportunity to stay here. My expectations were high. Unfortunately, my experience fell well short of expectations. Suffice it to say that the staff try hard here. But the reality is, the property itself is dated. Sure, it has that old world charm. However, it really is in need of upgrading both décor and building infrastructure (like properly insulated windows. My biggest issue was the room size. We requested a junior suite, which was stated as 600 sq ft. Being a seasoned traveler and having stayed in hotel room ranging from 200 -2000 sq ft, , I immediately knew upon entering our suite that there was an error. I measure junior suite 12C at about 300 sq ft. Add the bathroom, maybe a total of 330-350 sq ft. It's very disingenuous for a hotel which considers itself five star to misstate the size of its rooms, as that plays a major role in the room price. In any event, lesson learned. With so many great hotels in the city, I won't likely stay at The Lowell again. By the way, the wood burning fireplaces are a nice touch. But at the price charged per night, one would think the hotel did not need to levy a charge of $35 for lighting the fire.
There are a lot of five star hotels that have perfect rooms. What sets the Lowell apart are the employees. All of the staff make us feel like family. They always go above and beyond to make our stay relaxing and perfect. It is the little things that matter and this is where they shine. New York City is crazy this time of year. The Lowell provides an oasis of quiet luxury