Lake Smertnoye

Good location for sightseeing!

We decided to stay at Hotel St. James out of convenience more than anything. Its location near Times Square and all the Broadway theaters was great. The Public House restaurant next door was also a nice bonus. As far as the hotel goes, it’s NOT a 3 star hotel that Expedia currently has it listed as. It’s a 2 Star hotel with dated and small rooms. There are no amenities to speak of. There’s a bar, but it’s closed because they lost their liquor license. Unfortunately, there are no mini fridges in the rooms as well. Although the rooms are small, they are quaint and clean, but that’s about all. The window AC unit did keep the room cool. However, the beds are inconsistent, so it’s kind of the luck of the draw as far as what kind you get. Our first room had a bed about as comfortable as a piece of plywood. Fortunately, the staff was very helpful and accommodating. They let us move to a different room with a bed that was much softer. The housekeeper on our floor was also very nice and helpful. They do a great job of keeping the hotel rooms nice and clean. Overall, this is a hotel that has a great location at an affordable price. If you’re looking for those things, and don’t need anything fancy, this is a good place to stay. The staff will also let you store your luggage before check-in if you arrive early, or they will store it if you’re staying in the city later than the checkout time.

We stayed there with two small children, and it was fantastic. The room was very spacious, and the bed with the curtain served as a little fort for them. The building seemed designed as an office building, so the floor was solid (soundproof), and the ceiling was high. A fully equipped kitchen with a large fridge was perfect! They also have a huge laundry room and a decent gym. The laundry room has some games, so kids can enjoy that too, and having laundry on site is extremely helpful with children. The shower area was a bit tricky, but as long as your kids can shower, it's all good. Well-thought-out design. In addition to all of that, the staff were very nice and helpful. Thank you so much! Wall Street is a great location for kids — our kids particularly enjoyed the playground at Battery Park, a nice indoor playground near NYSE, ferries to see the Statue of Liberty, taking one subway stop to visit the Transit Museum, and the tour bus we could hop on from Trinity Church, etc. Anyway, we highly recommend this hotel 👍