I was finally able to come to New York City for the
first time in 2003. I knew instantly that my fifty (
! ) years of anticipation had not been in vain and
that I would be back as often as I could fill up the
savings envelope marked NYC. Anco Studios on the Upper
East Side has made those subsequent trips possible.
We stayed in midtown that first visit, looking out
onto an air shaft for $250 a night, but shortly after
we returned to our home in Southern California, I saw
a tiny ad in the Los Angeles times. ';Best value in
Manhattan,'; it proclaimed, and it has certainly been
that. We stayed at Anco Studios in 2004 and 2005
for $99.00 a night, all taxes included, and we could
never get over our amazement that this reasonable
price made us neighbors with the Metropolitan Museum
of Art and gave us Central Park for a backyard. On
our visit this month the price had gone up to $155
(still including taxes), but so had the service. Our
room, #1A, was quite large, with both a queen and a
twin bed in addition to a full-size kitchen. We
already have reservations for us and four friends for
a return visit in September.
This isn%26#39;t a hotel in the traditional sense of the
word, and there is no sign on the front. It%26#39;s a old
townhouse, most probably built in the late 1800s, that
has been divided into several small studios on four
floors. There%26#39;s no elevator, but each room has its
own bath and some form of a kitchen. Dishes and
utensils are provided. The accommodations are quite
varied with corresponding rates. We have been happy
with the less expensive rooms.
We feel secure in this building. Members of the staff
have been trustworthy and helpful and the neighborhood
in general is very pleasant. Go out the locked double
doors and turn right and you are in the middle of
Museum Mile; go left and you are soon on Lexington
with its restaurants and little shops. The subway stop
is nearby, at 77th. and Lexington.
The building looks its age. For me that%26#39;s a big plus
and makes for an interesting stay, but if you like a
squeaky-clean modern style, Anco is not for you.
There is nothing ';fancy'; about these accommodations,
but if you are interested in friendly service and a
fantastic location you might want to give it a try.
It%26#39;s located at 59 E. 80th Street between Park and
Madison. This means that when you stand in front of it
and face west, the Met and Central Park fill your
view. What! You wanted to look out on Times Square??
So, there you are, folks, the decision is yours!
Anco Studio Review - by someone who recently stayed there!
Thank you for the report on Anco Studio. Sounds like just the kind of place for us. Hotel rooms that come from cookie cutters are a dime a dozen, as far as I%26#39;m concerned. Would you happen to have any photos to share? Where do you go for breakfast nearby? How do you get there from the airport? Thanks again for a great report.
Anco Studio Review - by someone who recently stayed there!
My sister, mom, and I recently stayed in the 80th St. E. Anco Studio, and it was not a good experience. The staff was friendly and helpful, but the accommodations were disappointing. The bathroom tile around the sink and in the shower was covered in mold. The room%26#39;s floor was dirty and paint was peeling off the walls. Our room was on the ground floor and our window looked out into an air shaft, so it felt like we were in a hole in the ground. I wish we had spent the extra $ and stuck with a chain hotel. Despite its convenient location, Anco will not be a part of my future travel plans.
Thanks for that NYCgirl.
I was interested in Anco after seeing it mentioned on TA. I checked the website, was satisfied with what I saw and sent an email asking for details of rates. Got a reply to say ';between $145-$245 per night.'; inclusive of all taxes, charges and fees. Sent another email and was told that a studio apartment is $215.00 per night! Don%26#39;t know what happened to the $145.00 (thought studio was smallest you could get) and don%26#39;t know how the reviewer got $155.00 for, seemingly, more than one visitor.
I think I%26#39;ll send another email and try to clarify the situation.
Thanks again
After reading the bad reviews of Anco Studios, I e-mailed them about their cancellation policy. Since my deposit is non-refundable, I told them to leave the reservation as is. In the meantime, BAG%26#39;s were checking on us for a possible tour and the AS%26#39;s (no pun intended) told BAG%26#39;s that we cancelled! So now we were turned down by BAG%26#39;s. So we are not having good luck at all and we still have more than three months before our trip.
So now I have this dilemma. Should we just stay there for all three nights, or stay the first night to use our deposit and then stay somewhere else for Friday and Saturday night. What a mess!! Please help!
No one can tell you what to do,all I know is that my friends who stay there have never had a problem, but it seems that you are having one, and if you are more comfortable, spend Friday %26amp; Saturday elsewhere. It may be a hassle but you have to do what you feel is right.
I would contact BAG and explain the situation, you still have plenty of time to apply for one, they require at least 2 weeks notice.
Just to reference what others always say, and to remind visitors going anywhere, check the cancellation policies prior to your bookings, because you never know.
Sorry about your trials %26amp; tribulations, but I am sure it will all work out in the end.
I%26#39;ll answer Helen first. My guess is they will either say the $145 is for the smallest room which is probably a studio for 1 (or that really claustrophic photo that worries me) OR they%26#39;ll say the $145 is for a different time of year.
Judy, I don%26#39;t know what to tell you. If you%26#39;re only here for 3 nights, it seems a shame to have to pack and unpack. At the same time it would also be a shame to have your stay ruined by a less than ideal room. I can only tell you I went into these rooms some years ago and while the location is fabulous, I was NOT happy with the look of the rooms, particularly the beds and bedding. But that was some 5 yrs ago I think.
Thank you both for your replys. I wrote back to BAG%26#39;s explaining the situation. Hopefully they will reconsider.
As for the hotel, since the last two nights are cancellable, I think I will wait until closer to travel time and go on travelzoo and see what is available. Maybe stay in a different part of town the next two nights. I dont know how I get myself into these messes, but I guess it%26#39;s better to think of it as an opportunity. Glass half full and all that. How soon should I start shopping travelzoo for a trip the middle of October? Thanks again, you guys are great. I realize that you can%26#39;t fix my problem, but it%26#39;s nice to vent and get ideas.
FYI - BAG does require a legit hotel reservation, which they obviously verify, to even put you in the system, so if you don%26#39;t have one for the entire stay, they will not honor your request.
I was thinking, if it would make you feel better, I can email my friend and ask her if it ok for you to get in contact with her directly, maybe she can clear up some of your concerns.
Wow, NYCGirl. That would be great of you! I just re-confirmed with Anco and we are definitely in for three nights unless we change the last two days later, which I am still debating about. I won%26#39;t switch hotels if it puts me out of the running for a BAG! Thanks so much!
I asked Anco to tell me more about the room and supposedly we are on the third floor in the back of the building, with one queen bed, a full kitchen and full bathroom. Sounds good, I%26#39;m hoping it%26#39;s better than the ground floor studio that someone wrote about and scared the heck out of me! After our stay I will definitely post a trip report and give a comment on a hopefully larger, cleaner room. Maybe I should take my own sheets? I did that when we went to Mexico, but we stayed in a very remote area. I shouldn%26#39;t think you would have to in NY.
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