Dreamy
My experience at the Rivington was exceptional. The guy who took us up to our room was unbelievably friendly and showed us a couple of other rooms that were different stlyes than ours. We got a corner room with the chartreuse theme and a view all the way around from floor to ceiling windows/balcony. We could see all the way up to the Chrysler Building and across to Brooklyn, and on the other side down to the Financial District (the view of the trade center would have been sensational). The room had everything the website described and more...a king Tempurpedic bed (heaven!), overstuffed down pillows, luxury grade terrycloth robes, flat screen tv, heated floor tiles in BR, oversized walk-in shower and of course the super fancy minibar & bath goodies. Also, upon request you can borrow a DVD player from the front desk - no charge. So you bought those old questionable quality concert discs in the village today? Go back to your room and check them out - you can return them tomorrow instead of discovering they're not up to snuff when you've gotten home...
The neighborhood - if you're sick of staying in mid-town - you've seen it all, and are ready for a more native approach to the city - this is the place. A trip to Katz Deli just around the corner is a trip back in time - it is the quintessential New York experience. After that, your feet can take you to all parts of the Village, Tribeca, Chelsea, Soho, Little Italy, Chinatown, the Financial District and ground zero, and of course the LES. The immediate location of the hotel is interesting - a mix of the old school discount stores and newer clubs and eateries. It is not a seedy neighborhood as some people have said - but I can see why some visitors might think so if they are used to the touristy mid-town area...
Finally, our stay was August 2005 and the restaurant was not open yet, so I can't make comments there. Because of this we also got a reduced rate for their "soft opening". I'm not sure at full price we'll be back for a while, but trust me - I think of going back to the Rivington all the time.
