Hotel Gansevoort - New York: The meatpacking district of Manhattan is home to the small, boutique hotel, Hotel Gansevoort. Their website reads, 'The First Full-Service Luxury Hotel in Manhattan's Meatpacking District and 187 spacious guest rooms including 20 corner suites and after one visit there, I think they and I have different definitions of full-service luxury and spacious guest rooms. From all I had heard about Hotel Gansevoort I was expecting a bombastic stay, sadly, that is not what I experienced.

First Impression/Lobby: Where is the service was my first thought when I arrived at Hotel Gansevoort. I must have gotten used to the bombastic service at the Four Seasons, because the service here sure seemed to be lacking.

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As I walked into the lobby I was impressed that it was as chic and trendy as I had heard however, the vibe was not welcoming, but more who are you and do you belong here vibe.

Reception: Apparently the ladies at the front desk had read somewhere that to be rude, is to be trendy. I do not recall ever getting so much attitude at check-in as I received at Hotel Gansevoort. I found it hard to believe I was checking into a small, boutique hotel. It felt as if I was trying to get into some hot New York club when I wasn't wearing black. Here I was, about to give them $1000.00+ a day and they treated me with such disregard. It was truly disappointing.

The Suite: Small, cramped and busting at the seams. With barely enough room for a couch, chair, stool, coffee table (which was excessively tall) and TV, the living room of the junior suite felt like my college dorm room, just decorated better. The bedroom had barely enough room to walk around to both sides of the bed and it had the tiniest closet I have ever seen in any hotel room. Was this the 'spacious guest room' that was referred to on the website?

The décor was trendy, but with the room being so small, I was too busy feeling claustrophobic to appreciate it. The temperature controls kept the room, 'oven warm', or 'refrigerator cool'. The balcony door that blew open when we were out a few times did nothing to help.

Keeping in theme, the bathroom was small (as if you did not expect that) and the counter was covered with soaps, gels and lotions that were for sale. For a few minutes, I thought I was at Bed Bath and Beyond and it did not end there. I seemed like every flat surface, in every room had something you could buy: CD's water, robes, towels, pillows, the items for sale just went on and on and on.

Room Service: Not fast and not efficient but at least they were accurate. Of course, this being New York, prices were far above high and the hand was always out for a tip, but spend a few days in New York and you become accustomed to it.

Housekeeping: Housekeeping was fine, no complaints, no compliments. The room was serviced when it should have been and how it should have been. Sometimes, you just cannot ask for anything more.

Restaurant: I only tried the restaurant for the complimentary breakfast. I was there about thirty minutes before they stopped serving breakfast only to find they were already clearing the buffet. There was not much to choose from, so I ordered eggs, only to later find out they were not included, there went another $15.00+.

Overall Impression: Unfortunately my visit to Hotel Gansevoort was not at all what I was hoping for. I had heard so many good things about it but the service lacked, the rooms were too small and the prices too large. If you are willing to spend what it costs to stay at Hotel Gansevoort and want great accommodations and service then I highly recommend the Four Seasons. If you want to throw your money away just so you can say you stayed at a trendy place in the meatpacking district, then book a room at Hotel Gansevoort, just do not come with high expectations or you will be sorely disappointed.

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