new york

Tag Archives for new york.

Review: Hyatt Grand Central, The Hotel Hyatt Didn’t Want To Re-Open

Apr 24 2022

The hotel is well-located. It is quiet, as they seem not to have the entire property open. My room was clean and comfortable. It used to be one of the best for elite treatment, but with the club closed no restaurant for breakfast it no longer is. Still, when this is where you need to be in the city and the price is right – it was less than 1/3 the cost of the nearby Andaz 5th Avenue for instance – it can be the right choice.

Continue Reading »

Grand Hyatt And Hilton New York Are Re-Opening. Can You Guess Why?

Sep 30 2021

The New York Hilton and Grand Hyatt New York are both re-opening, the former on October 4 and the latter November 1.

While there was a logic in providing services to travelers during the summer, preparing to do so as a hotel heads into Northeast winter – traditionally a down time for business to begin with – may seem odd. The decision to do so now has nothing to do with anticipated return of business travel. Instead, there’s a simple reason to re-open now.

Continue Reading »

New York Police Seize Several Vans Being Sold As Lodging on Airbnb

Sep 27 2021

On Thursday and Friday New York City executed an operation to seize vehicles being rented out as lodging on Airbnb. The vans were often advertised for around $100, lacked bathroom or shower facilities, and racked up tickets for being illegally parked. Guests would receive keys to get into the vans for sleeping, but those keys didn’t start the engines. The law enforcement operation was dubbed “Operation Room Service.”

Continue Reading »

Uber Was Once The Underdog, Now They Use Regulators To Quash Competition

person holding phone near steering wheel
Jul 01 2021

New Yorkers thought that when the city capped the number of licenses for for-hire vehicles ‘to prevent traffic congestion’ they were regulating Uber. The truth is they were doing Uber’s bidding by handing the ridesharing giant a tool to keep out competitors.

In New York there are a limited number of licenses, and those are busy working for Uber. New competitors have a hard time entering the market. Startup Revel thought they found a loophole that would allow them to compete against Uber in New York. But they were shut down by regulators in a bizarre process.

Continue Reading »