« Video: Green Reno of a Prospect Heights B'stone Photo Contest Results: Mill Basin Mess »
July 24, 2007
Hotel Le Bleu: Will the High Prices Fly?
With the Hotel Le Bleu's grand opening just around the corner, someone from the Brooklyn Eagle was able to duck inside the 4th Avenue boutique hotel for a peek. The verdict? "A finished room was on par with some of the boutique hotels in Manhattan--thinking Hudson and Gansevoort, and the Blue went one better: big views looking west to the harbor and north to Manhattan." So what price luxury hipness? According to the hotel website (screen shot on the jump), rooms run from $349 to $399 a night. It'll be interesting to see whether folks are willing to drop that kinda coin for a stay on the decidely un-upscale 4th Avenue. What do you think?
Inside Brooklyn’s Soon-to-Open Hotel le Bleu [Brooklyn Eagle] GMAP
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.brownstoner.com/mte/mt-tb.cgi/1680
Comments
I don't think it really comes down to 4th Ave - it comes down to the Hotel, its restaurant and its bar - and whether it becomes a destination in its own right.
If the hotel is beautiful, offers amazing service, 5 zillion thread count sheets, has a great restaurant and hip bar - people may flock to it and then the grittiness of 4th Ave will become almost a feature - but if it fails in any of these areas and has to compete simply based on being a hotel - then the prices will kill it b/c you can get a more convenient hotel room for less in Manhattan.
Posted by: David at July 24, 2007 10:37 AM
I'm sure more than a few grandparents of Park Slope tots will be happy to stay here.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 10:55 AM
do they have a pool?
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 10:55 AM
It looks like a cheap immitation of a boutique hotel but I would partake in rooftop drinking even if it were Motel 6. The view must be great!
Posted by: anonymous at July 24, 2007 10:59 AM
Why would I pay this price to stay in Gowanus when I could pay that or less and stay in a very chic hotel in manhattan? In other words what would be the overriding advantage?
Posted by: anon at July 24, 2007 11:05 AM
You can get rates 10% cheaper if use the web site promotional rate.
I've never sprung that much for hotel...I'm the type to do the Comfort Inn on Butler for $99.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 11:08 AM
my mother and father have NO WHERE to stay in Park slope when they come visit...unless they stay at the stuffy B and B on Prospect Park. This is a HUGE relief to us...and we are PSYCHED! THERE GOES 4TH AVENUE, FOLKS...
Posted by: momisvisiting at July 24, 2007 11:17 AM
Great views of a Staples, taxi stand, uhaul and massive ugly construction across the street. I'd call this much needed hotel space a glorified holiday inn. They'll get away with the prices cause so many grandparents need a close place to stay. PS - no pool but they were advertising a roof restaurant?
Posted by: kickstand at July 24, 2007 11:41 AM
I will gladly pay for my in-laws to stay here instead of with us!!!
Posted by: Miguel at July 24, 2007 11:55 AM
If it's as good-looking and comfortable as the Gansevoort, then my feeling is this will actually be a bargain to many of the increasing number of tourists (many european) who are discovering brooklyn.
Overall, I'd say that brooklyn's reputation as a destination for foreign tourists has been suspect until quite recently. Now look at the scene, especially with Prospect Park so close and with the burgeoning bar & restauarant scene near this new hotel.
I think the prices will fly, especially with the Euro's strength right now...
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 11:58 AM
i couldn't agree more, 11:58.
i've noted before, but i think it was primarily due to the lonely planet (very popular with europeans) designation of brooklyn being one of its top destinations in 2007, but i've noticed a TON of european tourists in park slope this spring/summer.
a TON.
i mean i love manhattan, but once you've hit a few dozen h&m's, the empire state and central park, europeans want to see what nyc is REALLY like.
Posted by: anon at July 24, 2007 12:03 PM
Thank you to the owners of the hotel for all their comments.
Yes, hotels are very much needed in this area of Brooklyn. But these room prices are absurd. Parents and grandparents alone are not going to keep this hotel in business. My parents would never stay in a hotel like this; they're too conservative. I don't know if these hoteliers are amateurs or what, but surely they know the Gansevoort and Hudson make money from young hip singles and childless couples who drink and eat a lot at the hotel, in addition to staying there. And if young hip singles visiting NYC can pay the same to stay in Manhattan - they will. Unless they are on a budget. Cheaper rates would be the appeal of Brooklyn hotels. This hotel would have succeeded if the owners didn't take so long building it that they got to where they needed to charge twice as much as they should, for rooms here.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 12:13 PM
"Nestling in the heart of Brooklyn’s restaurant and nightlife scene, hotel le bleu is ideally situated near Prospect Park, M, R, F, 9th Street & 4th Ave subway lines, Grand Army Plaza, and the Brooklyn Bridge. Within easy reach of the best of Brooklyn’s cultural treasures, shopping and an array of vibrant ethnic cuisines. And just minutes away from Manhattan’s exciting sights, shopping, theatres and nightlife." - http://www.hotellebleu.com/html/reach.htm
I can see european tourists booking this hotel since the price seems reasonable to them and then feeling hoodwinked when they get there.
Posted by: trudy at July 24, 2007 12:14 PM
hey 12:13...the fact that your parents would not stay there does not bode well for your "hipness" either so i'll give you a little tip.
the gansevoort and hudson attract a lot of "hip" people who LIVE in nyc to hang out there and drink, etc.
not sure if you've noticed, but there are more than enough "hip" folks within spitting distance of this hotel.
just because you aren't one of them, doesn't mean they don't exist.
and your assumption that these comments are by the hotel owner are pretty ignorant, to say the least. Someone doesn't agree with me...yup...must be the owner. asinine conclusion.
Posted by: anon at July 24, 2007 12:20 PM
I think these prices are crazy (even if grandparents are willing to pay them - mine never would). 4th ave is a dump, park slope is lame. prospect park a poor man's version of central park. To the person who says Park slope is the "real new york" you must be from san francisco are some other similarly crunchy dull place. Maybe a hotel could charge this in williamsburg where there are actually restaurants and bars that are exceptional and unique and that you wouldn't be able to find in Manhattan. But in this part of brooklyn, most restaurants and bars are not as fun or good as their counterparts in manhattan.
Posted by: anon at July 24, 2007 12:23 PM
12:03 Park Slope is what NYC is REALLY like? What a stupid comment.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 12:29 PM
"prospect park a poor man's version of central park"
i won't even comment on your other comments because anyone who prefers williamsburg over other parts of brooklyn is usually not someone i tend to get along with. talk about the most yuppified part of brooklyn, and THAT'S what you base your conclusion on. interesting...
even the designers of prospect park were quoted as saying that prospect park was their masterpiece. NOT central park.
sounds like i'm not the only one not from around these parts...
Posted by: anon at July 24, 2007 12:32 PM
If you don't want to be seen by trendites, seems like the place. I don't think anyone who is anyone will stay there, except as a secret rendezvous. Is there a deli on fourth
ave you wouldn't get food poisioning.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 12:35 PM
If you don't want to be seen by trendites, seems like the place. I don't think anyone who is anyone will stay there, except as a secret rendezvous. Is there a deli on fourth
ave you wouldn't get food poisioning.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 12:35 PM
12:20, even if you aren't the owner you sound like it by being so nasty, judgemental, mean and bitchy. There are plenty ways to make your point without being a horrible person in the process. You're proving there's more afoot here than just some objective locals commenting on a new hotel. As usual on Brownstoner! Everyone has an agenda. Sadly, that's why the information is so seldom any good here.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 12:36 PM
believe it or not, many europeans value great architecture, small scale living, "green" living, good eating, having greenspace etc.
these are all things park slope encompass.
i have a few friends in the real estate game and all say that park slope is where their european clients end up living, 8 times out of 10. hmmmm.
my friend from berlin just came to nyc for the first time a couple months ago, and he said park slope was by far his favorite neighborhood. and he hated williamsburg. go figure.
Posted by: anonymous at July 24, 2007 12:37 PM
First of all, I live in this part of Brooklyn - and I prefer it for living. And why is it a problem that williamsburg (or any neighborhood) has yuppies? that's not my point, the point is that there are better restaurants and bars there. Second of all, I'm not talking about design of the parks, I'm talking about the things that go on in the park. Central park has extraordinary energy and things to watch and do that prospect park simply does not (there are things going on of course, but not on the same level and you really can't deny that). And third of all, I grew up in this city. Fourth of all, I am obviously procrastinating from work and half to cure my horrible addiction to this site.
Posted by: Anon at July 24, 2007 12:40 PM
"I don't know if these hoteliers are amateurs or what"
"This hotel would have succeeded if the owners didn't take so long building it that they got to where they needed to charge twice as much as they should, for rooms here."
yes, these comments weren't judgemental at all.
hipocrasy is also a brownstoner, favorite, don't ya think 12:36?
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 12:41 PM
"I don't know if these hoteliers are amateurs or what"
"This hotel would have succeeded if the owners didn't take so long building it that they got to where they needed to charge twice as much as they should, for rooms here."
yes, these comments weren't judgemental at all.
hipocrasy is also a brownstoner, favorite, don't ya think 12:36?
Posted by: anonymous at July 24, 2007 12:42 PM
Most parents and grandparents will be spending their time with their children and grandchildren, not hanging around the rooftop restuarant sipping mojitos and taking in the coolness that is Park Slope, Brooklyn. I'm skeptical they can maintain these prices -- but I've been surprised before.
Posted by: Anon at July 24, 2007 12:42 PM
I agree that everyone gets nasty on this site. But isnt' that what makes blogs fun? people get to express free floating hostility (and extreme real estate opinions) in a vacuum where no one gets hurt?
Posted by: anon at July 24, 2007 12:44 PM
the only thing i'll admit is that i'd rather go to prospect park over central park anyday. and do, in fact.
if i wanted to go to central park, i'd sooner sit home and watch reruns of america's next top model.
Posted by: anonymous at July 24, 2007 12:45 PM
Another statement of yours that's completely retarded, 12:20, is that only hip parents can have hip children! And hip people never have conservative parents. So dumb. Can you even believe you said that? Oh yes you can, because you are a typical smug and judgemental Park Sloper.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 12:45 PM
first of all, calm down 12:45. it's all in good fun.
secondly, why is someone who loves williamsburg so much reading a blog about brownstones, of which park slope is pretty much the defining neighborhood for?
hmmmmm.....
it's not called burnedoutbuildingsandkidsintightjeans.com
Posted by: anon at July 24, 2007 12:48 PM
These comments remind me of when Florent opened on Gansevoort Street in the '80's.
Posted by: west at July 24, 2007 12:54 PM
Actually, 12:42, those comments of mine did pertain to real estate. One, that the developers took a really really long time to complete the hotel. Which if we're looking at that, means they had carrying costs the whole time on their loans that they're now going to be hitting the ground running trying to pay off.
Secondly, speculating on the level of experience of the hoteliers - why wouldn't we? When the whole topic of the thread is asking us if we think they know what they're doing, by setting those prices. When one analyzes a business, what you're doing is analyzing the good or bad judgement of the owners.
What's judgemental is you declaring someone must not be hip because their parents are conservative, in your post at 12:20. That's personal, judgemental and smug. So is calling someone "ignorant" and "asinine" simply because that person made very logical analysis of a place and - GASP - had an individual opinion that differed from yours.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 12:54 PM
because 12:48 - I live in this part of brooklyn and own a brownstone! Why is it that there has to be this crazy divide between neighborhoods? why can't people admit that "brownstone brooklyn" is good for some things (i.e., beautiful architecture, raising children) and not for others (i.e., great bars and restaurants). Of course there are much better bars and restaurants here than many parts of Manhattan (UWS and UES for example) but you must admit they are inferior to Wburg.
Posted by: anon at July 24, 2007 12:55 PM
Hey 12:40, what you really "half" to cure is your poor grammar.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 1:00 PM
i don't agree that the restaurants in williamsburg are better than park slope. i think both have some nice places, sure, but williamsburg is not somewhere that i choose to hang out. i just don't "feel it" as they say.
while park slope may not have what you consider to be the best restaurants in the city, some are quite good and it's also nice to be just a hop away from the really great ones on smith street and increasingly on vanderbilt.
we like different things. let's let it go. thank god we don't all like living in the same neighborhoods.
Posted by: anon at July 24, 2007 1:03 PM
I don't live in Williamsburg, 12:48. I think someone else's comments seem like mine maybe, somewhere in there. I actually live in Park Slope.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 1:05 PM
Well there's this term called "typo", 1pm. And the fact that your only response is to point mine out, seems to say I won the argument! And to prove my point you're judgemental.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 1:07 PM
so by your conclusion 12:54, since this hotel has taken too long for your liking even though you apparently have no intention of staying there or recommending it to anyone you know that you deem it logical to state that the hoteliers must be amateurs?
how logical of you. and non-judemental.
since you claim to know so much about hotel construction, perhaps you can enlighten me as to how long exactly this should have taken and what price the hotel should charge. you know...since i'm sure you've toured the rooms and all.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 1:09 PM
Oh sorry, that wasn't me at 12:40. See, even I'm confusing my posts with someone else. Alrighty, leaving this thread that's focused on a topic I hardly care about anyway. Sorry to stir things up too much needlessly.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 1:11 PM
uhhh. that wasn't me pointing out the typo, 1:07.
i realize it's difficult to tell with all of us anons, but i wouldn't waste my breath pointing out a simple typo.
and i still think you're judgemental.
;-)
Posted by: anon at July 24, 2007 1:12 PM
1:07, there was nothing else to respond to in your post. I actually agree with you that comparing Prospect Park to Central Park is like comparing the Brooklyn Cyclones to the Yankees. Let's get real. Who in their right mind would rather visit Prospect Park??
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 1:15 PM
Who in their right mind would rather visit Prospect Park??
people who enjoy a more natural greenspace more than they do planned out trails and walking paths that look more like busch gardens.
Posted by: anon at July 24, 2007 1:19 PM
toepick.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 1:19 PM
1:19, how about park visitors who have a clue? Last summer I asked approximately 25 individuals in Prospect Park (who looked like they had a clue but obviously didn't) where the zoo was and none were able to tell me. I would have had better luck in Central Park asking Japanese tourists where the Obelisk is. Then again, who needs a zoo when it's far more entertaining to watch the lemmings (aka Park Slope parents) interact with their young?
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 1:34 PM
I just don't see how these prices will fly. Europeans (or any other tourist with bucks) can spend that much and be right in Manhattan. The Holiday Inn Express on Union seems to be doing relatively well but they aren't charging nearly that much per night. I do wish them well and hope they find their niche, but it's pretty nervy to charge that much for that location.
Posted by: Bookistan at July 24, 2007 1:38 PM
I just don't see how these prices will fly. Europeans (or any other tourist with bucks) can spend that much and be right in Manhattan. The Holiday Inn Express on Union seems to be doing relatively well but they aren't charging nearly that much per night. I do wish them well and hope they find their niche, but it's pretty nervy to charge that much for that location.
Posted by: Bookistan at July 24, 2007 1:38 PM
I just don't see how these prices will fly. Europeans (or any other tourist with bucks) can spend that much and be right in Manhattan. The Holiday Inn Express on Union seems to be doing relatively well but they aren't charging nearly that much per night. I do wish them well and hope they find their niche, but it's pretty nervy to charge that much for that location.
Posted by: Bookistan at July 24, 2007 1:38 PM
perhaps because people in prospect park know that if you want to go to a zoo, you get on a plane and go to san diego.
or how about this...? maybe some of us in prospect park aren't really fans of animals being caged against their will to live a life being gawked at by guys like you!
yeah, i like both those answers.
Posted by: anon at July 24, 2007 1:38 PM
oh yeah...and it's a helluva lot easier to smoke the herb in prospect park!
three good reasons for ya.
Posted by: anon at July 24, 2007 1:40 PM
o-kay, instead of pissing on each other, let's talk about the hotel.... but first, a little bit about me: i've worked in the cheapest hotel in (not this) town as well as the most expensive and lived in both park slope and williamsburg. frankly, i think trudy (12:14) has it right. management can probably market this thing but most of the guests are going hate themselves when they see the location. if you're going to pay these prices, you're going to want to be in manhattan or at least dumbo or williamsburg. or, if you're going to be behind the taxi garage and five blocks down fourth avenue from the subway, then you want to be saving some money. but as much as the prices, boutique hotels are all about that lifestyle-thang. as others have pointed out, you want to walk out the door and be on bedford avenue (either one) not the gowanus. based on my experience, i ain't feeling it.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 1:42 PM
1:38, and if you want to go to a park, you get on a subway and go to central park. and which of the animals told you they're being held against their will? do dogs on leashes all over brooklyn tell you the same thing? you should bottle this talent of yours dr. doolittle.
and why do you assume i'm a guy? perhaps you should stop congratulating yourself on your responses and try to be less sexist.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 1:44 PM
Okay, now this is getting really funny.
Exactly how was 1:34pm responding to 1:19pm's bizarre comment?
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 1:44 PM
1:44, i believe 1:34 was responding to the first comment at 1:19. i need a process map!
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 1:47 PM
Ah, I scrolled up. There was another 1:19p.
Okay. Still funny, as if people here really will argue just about anything.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 1:48 PM
1:38/1:40, thanks for confirming it. i suspected that you must be smoking something!
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 1:48 PM
Just to stir the pot a little bit...I think that Dekalb Avenue in Ft. Green has the best restaurants in BK!
With regards to the Hotel, I hope it does well. I am young (under 30) homeowner in BK, and I do chilling and "trendy" places from time to time. If the hotel is able to pull of a nice bar/lounge scene, then I am there!
BTW - Not even sure why people are legitimizing comments about Williamsburg with response. C'mon, Williamsburg!?!?!
Posted by: BedStuyHoya at July 24, 2007 1:50 PM
yet people are willing to pay astronomical prices to live above an oil slick (greenpoint) or on a landfill (battery park city) or in the midst of the worst terrorist attack in u.s. history (downtown) or, or, or
i mean, prices in nyc don't make sense, period. i really don't see the big fuss.
i COMPLETELY agree with the poster who said this is what everyone said when florent opened on gansevoort.
the people who denounce 4th avenue and this hotel are closed-minded. period. they are not the leaders of this world, they are the followers. we need both, i suppose, but these same people apparently do not realize that every neighborhood from the uws to soho to hells kitchen to the lower east side used to be a hellhole and now there are apartments on avenue d that sell north of a million dollars.
Posted by: anon at July 24, 2007 1:50 PM
"Toepick" at 1:19. I loved it. I laughed and didn't know why.
Maybe that should be the "safe word" around here when things get heated! And we want to lighten things up.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 1:53 PM
1:38/1:40, thanks for confirming it. i suspected that you must be smoking something!
yup. you know it! you want some, i'm in park slope livin the good life! stop by sometime if you are man, i mean WOMAN enough to wade through all those pesky strollers!
it's like alice in wonderland!
Posted by: anon at July 24, 2007 1:56 PM
I enjoyed toepick too, but have no idea to what it refers. Can anyone enlighten?
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 1:57 PM
the prices are not crazy if you think of any currency but the dollar. It is cheap for just about anyone to come to the U.S. today. If you were going to stay in the equivalent anywhere in Europe it would cost you 350 euro a night or $500.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 1:57 PM
you are talking to a crowd that doesn't venture beyond the state border too often, i'm afraid 1:57.
from my experience, people on here seem to view europeans like their mothers in law.
Posted by: anon at July 24, 2007 2:01 PM
See here:
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d118/pi_icons/icons/kate_toepick1.png
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mrnd-rO456Q
Once we hit the typos conversation, it was only appropriate.
Posted by: toepick at July 24, 2007 2:02 PM
2:02 I would just like to say that it was me who made the original typo, and someone else pretending to be me responding snarkily to the person who pointed out my typo! So things are even more pathetic than you imagine on this thread (but somehow I'm still reading it.)
Posted by: anon at July 24, 2007 2:09 PM
Oooh, toepicks occur on ice. That's actually quite appropriate to the conversation after all, since they're building that new ice rink in Prospect Park.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 2:11 PM
As a none Brooklyn resident and European. I would love to weight in on this, since apparently Europeans will be the target group of the hotel.
I have visited Brooklyn a few times and love it but I'm not sure I would spend that much for a hotel there. There are some cool design hotels in the LES that are very hip and attractable (Hotel Rivington for instance).
It may just end up being a resident hang out for single Park Slopers?
As for Prospect Park it's absolutely no comparing it Central Park. It's all about energy, Prospect has a somewhat suburban feel to it, whereas Central Park is a destination-which changes the vibe and that vibe is a good thing.
Sorry for any grammar mistakes in advance :)
Posted by: Randon European at July 24, 2007 2:16 PM
1:56, I would love some. Just give me the directions to the rock you're living under.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 2:23 PM
i think these comments are too often coming from people who want other people to be unhappy.
it's a sick ny thing where you take pleasure in other people's misfortunes.
i think it needs to stop.
Posted by: anon at July 24, 2007 2:26 PM
Hey 2:26, I'm the one being abusive to typos, PS moms, stoned Prospect Parkers, etc. I don't take pleasure in other people's misfortunes; I just enjoy engaging in New York-style banter. I dare say, if it wasn't for me (and a few others) injecting some spice into this thread, you would be stuck reading posts by people delusional enough to actually believe a sane person would prefer spending $400 a night to stay at this overpriced Best Western versus a truly trendy place in Manhattan.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 2:35 PM
truly "trendy" to me means something off the beaten path. something new and different.
the lower east side is not off the beaten path.
some people who actually know what the word "trendy" means, like to try DIFFERENT things.
those are the people that i hope this hotel attracts.
those that conform to thinking that everything in manhattan is better are the opposite of trendy in my book.
Posted by: anon at July 24, 2007 2:42 PM
I guess not being trendy is trendy these days as there isn't one thread that started after this one that has more than 5 comments associated with it.
Posted by: Sperling Sliver at July 24, 2007 2:44 PM
It's okay, 2:26.
They may start out all nasty and petty, but they do make up in the end:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPFBeyIHsPw&NR=1
And I dare say that this behavior is hardly just a NY thing.
See political blogs and talk radio, populated by folks dialing in from the sticks.
Happy Tuesday
Posted by: toepick at July 24, 2007 2:52 PM
i guarantee you one thing. all this attention on here, curbed, slew of other blogs, etc. ain't gonna hurt business at hotel le bleu one bit...
Posted by: anon at July 24, 2007 2:52 PM
Good point 2:52. Too bad the witty repartee didn't take place in another thread that would have benefitted something more deserving (than an overpriced wannabe Gansevoort).
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 24, 2007 3:05 PM
2:16 (Random European) 1st off, don't worry about your command of English - it's definitely good enough for brooklyn! (probably better, actually ;)
I'm a 30 something condo owner in south slope - and have no affiliation with this hotel or any other place of business anywhere near this site.
I posted at 11:58 and I really believe that this will work, and it will be excellent for bringing new nightlife and better stores and shops down 4th and 5th avenues. I can see why people who might have iffy rent situations could see this as threatening, but for those who own or who have good rental situations I can't see how anyone wouldn't welcome this place. Once these businesses come in, there will be little reason for tourists to be "disappointed" with the hotel's location. (Man, look at the effing pre-Gansevoort location. Perfect for copping heroin and trannies all through the 90's...)
I know many Europeans who absolutely prefer Prospect Park to Central. And many of my non-native friends say that back home, Brooklyn has a very dangerous reputation. But as that myth gets debunked, more tourism will be headed our way. I personally look forward to that infusion in the Slope and elsewhere. It makes it feel more like NYC to me; and like it or not, NYC needs tourism dollars!
If they price this place too low it could become a hot-sheet, which is obviously the last thing they want here. Plus, the earlier comment about this place taking forever to build is absolute nonsense and bs. This place went up FAST - I saw it with my own eyes. I don't think it was even started until last fall! Summer of '06 at the earliest.
The point isn't whether or not we want to pay $300+ a night or if we think it's worth it; The point is: Will the market bear it? I think it will.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 3:09 PM
lets' be honest, with the taxes and fees its more like 400 a night. isnt it? or was that included?
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 3:19 PM
thank you for your comment, 3:09. i couldn't agree more.
and with taxes and "fees"...most manhattan boutique hotels are more like 500 plus a night.
so yeah, 100 or 200 bucks a night is a lot over a week-long stay. especially considering that for 2 dollars, you can be at the doorstep of said "trendier" spots in about 30 mins or less.
since some of you say 99 dollars is what you'd pay for a hotel, why do you think the difference by such an amount wouldn't be enough to attract people to this place if it's cheaper over anything similar in manhattan.
Posted by: anon at July 24, 2007 3:25 PM
3:09, I agree the hotel may bring better stores and additional nightlife, but reality check please. How many is "many Europeans" who prefer Prospect Park to Central Park? I bet 9.9 out of 10 Americans have never heard of Prospect Park. On the other hand, 9.9 out of 10 Americans couldn't find Canada on a map, but that's beside the point. I have a hard time believing many tourists are currently, or ever will, prefer to visit Brooklyn over Manhattan.
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 24, 2007 3:25 PM
9.9 out of 10 americans don't know what prada is either, but i happen to think their clothing is nicer than that which sells in walmart.
so what was your point?
Posted by: anon at July 24, 2007 3:32 PM
My point 3:32 is that this hotel will fail miserably. And your statement supports my point. The 9.9 out of 10 Americans who go to Walmart because they've never heard of Prada and/or cannot afford to shop there are the same ones that wouldn't pay $300+ to stay in the middle of Brooklyn when they could stay in a decent place in Manhattan for that same price or less.
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 24, 2007 3:39 PM
Comment on "prospect park a poor man's version of central park" -
Well it is obvious you can not afford to live in Park Slope or Manhattan! So you live in Williamsburg and try to justify it by saying their restaurant's are better. Let's be serious, Sea is a good looking restaurant, but the food is mediocre and compares to Beet or any other Thai restaurant in Park Slope. It's just the real estate prices for a monstrous restaurant in Park Slope would be too high for most investors.
Posted by: Park Sloper at July 24, 2007 3:40 PM
I can't believe this comments from all of you. Do you own Brooklyn NY ? This is a free country right? So what is the problem will all of you, I love the hotel and wish them lot's of success and by the way I am from Europe and will recommend this hotel to all my cooooooooooooool friends who would like to stay in Brooklyn !
Posted by: 20/20 at July 24, 2007 3:48 PM
The more I read the comments on Brownstoner, The more I want to get the hell out of NYC.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 3:50 PM
This hotel is not in Park Slope. It is Gowanus.
Posted by: Jim at July 24, 2007 3:52 PM
3:40, and who exactly is stopping you?
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 24, 2007 3:52 PM
3:50, and who exactly is stopping you?
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 24, 2007 3:52 PM
20/20, no, I don't own Brooklyn NY, but I can get you a good deal on the Bridge if you're interested.
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 24, 2007 3:54 PM
Please. How many families live in cramped floor throughs in the PS 321 zone.... Lots, I can tell you. Grandparents and parents alike will be delighted to have somewhere to stay that's in walking distance. And while the rooftop bars might be empty, there will be plenty of silver haired folk standing in line for a room. Forget about the Europeans. This hotel is practically situated for a neighborhood that DESPERATELY needs a clean, fairly upscale hotel for extended family visits.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 3:56 PM
3:40 - you are absurd. I personally cannot abide Park Slope - it is a pet peeve I acknowledge and many people feel differently. And, you are right, I cannot afford to live in Manhattan, although I grew up there. I happen to own a house in Carroll Gardens (and have lived there for 8 years), but believe or not, I am able to acknowledge (instead of being blindly defensive about my neighborhood like so many people on this site) that the restaurants in Wburg are MUCH BETTER than the ones on Smith Street, which aside from a very few, are uniformly mediocre.
Posted by: anon at July 24, 2007 4:16 PM
If you own a house in Carroll Gardens for 8 years you can certainly afford to live in Manhattan. Especially since it sounds like you can afford to eat out so much and compare restaurants around town. Maybe not in a townhouse or Park Ave coop but you plenty there you could afford especially if you include north of 96th st as part of Manhattan which I realize people of a certain background don't.
Or maybe if didn't eat out so much and learned how to cook - you could afford Park Avenue.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 4:37 PM
Ah haters haters haters. Fact is, lower Slope is on the rise, like it or not. Gentrification, upscaleification, de-sleazification. Lots of people with income moving into the new condos. Lots of demand and space for retail. Yes, the Gowanus side of 4th Avenue will be zoned commercial, but it won't be dialysis businesses and auto body shops for long. All those people walking to the subway would like a Starbucks maybe? Park Slope could support another Barnes and Noble maybe?
Kaching! Kaching! Kaching! And time for the rest of you to move along...
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 4:43 PM
this hotel is going to be right around the corner from the new whole foods, come next year.
and it's also currently around the corner from blue ribbon sushi.
slummy enough for all you haters??
Posted by: anon at July 24, 2007 4:56 PM
The last comment really captures what is so depressing about the "new" Brooklyn. "Kaching kaching". Charming.
Posted by: SPer at July 24, 2007 4:59 PM
Barnes and Noble, Starbucks, Whole Foods, Blue Ribbon Sushi...now THAT'S what I call trendy and cutting edge. How about a Disney store to top it off?
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 24, 2007 5:05 PM
and the last comments is what is so depressing about the "old" brooklyn.
this ain't 1950 anymore, sugarpie.
Posted by: anon at July 24, 2007 5:05 PM
I hope there are some sweet hookers hangin at the bar so my grandpa can get him some.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 5:10 PM
believe it or not an entire relatively large neighborhood is not made up of a handful of chain stores. park slope has more mom and pop stores and restaurants than most gentrified neighborhoods in new york. i believe it won a nationwide award a few years ago for being a cutting edge neighborhood of sorts. and it just recently this past year was named one of the most eco friendly hoods in the country.
oh and guess which neighborhood recycles most in all of the 5 boroughs. yup. park slope.
why didn't you mention moim biff? or al di la, or commonwealth, or diane kane or zuzu's petals, or the knitting factory?
maybe cause you don't know one damn thing about park slope?
yeah, thought so.
Posted by: anon at July 24, 2007 5:10 PM
sugarpie? sure sounds like 1950 to me!
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 24, 2007 5:12 PM
it's called sarcasm, biff.
Posted by: anon at July 24, 2007 5:15 PM
5:10, do you always have conversations with yourself?
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 24, 2007 5:16 PM
5:15, sorry I missed that. I must be used to much wittier sarcasm.
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 24, 2007 5:20 PM
if that was the only thing you had to comment on from my post, it's clear i have my answer.
Posted by: anon at July 24, 2007 5:21 PM
Good point 5:21. Why didn't I also mention the world famous Park Slope stepford wives/moms? That's one damn thing I know about Park Slope. Talk about cutting edge...
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 24, 2007 5:24 PM
perhaps because i don't find park slope mothers nor their offspring as fascinating as other people seem to.
they are human beings trying to live their lives just like everyone else.
sorry one of them ran over your foot with their stroller that one time.
next time, they'll kiss it, wipe your ass and send you on your way...
Posted by: anon at July 24, 2007 5:27 PM
"Why didn't I also mention the world famous Park Slope stepford wives/moms? That's one damn thing I know about Park Slope."
You have yet to say one thing to convince me you aren't sitting in Iowa, reading about Park Slope in New York Magazine online.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 5:27 PM
I am skeptical. Although I like Park Slope very much, I agree that even European tourists will prefer an equally "cool" hotel in Manhattan to this place. Visiting grandparents are not gonna fill it up. And I really don't get the comparison to Florent, either. Sure, the meatpacking district was kinda smelly and weird when Florent opened, but the restaurant was actually pretty cheap! And small, so you didn't need an army to fill it up. If M. Morellet tried to charge 30 bucks for an omelette back in the late 80s THEN people would have laughed at him.
Posted by: Carol Gardens at July 24, 2007 6:14 PM
I personally would send Shatner to negotiate on my behalf.
I've seen him, he's smooove.
They may get these rates, but not from everybody.
(hah hah hah)
Posted by: webster at July 24, 2007 8:46 PM
5:27 #2, I don't need or care to convince you of anything. But for the record, I live in Brooklyn Heights and I've been to Park Slope enough times to be able to form an opinion. So shut your piehole and stop assuming.
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 24, 2007 8:55 PM
I should also add, however, that I don't think they'll have any issues filling the place.
But as I suggested above, hotels are all about rack rates...and discounts.
Posted by: webster at July 24, 2007 8:58 PM
5:27 #1, you don't find Park Slope mothers and their offspring interesting? That's the first thing you've said that makes sense. Thanks for restating the obvious.
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 24, 2007 8:58 PM
Thanks Carol Gardens 6:14. Nice to have another voice of reason in here. I can't wait to see just exactly how trendy an overpriced hotel filled with Park Slope Grandparents will be. Sounds like a major party to me!
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 24, 2007 9:01 PM
For what it's worth, despite the doubters (along similar "high price for utter crap bldg/location" lines)...
Holiday Inn Express is not only nice (stayed there for fun little getaway with the wife while work was done at home), but it's also been booked solid since it opened.
Brooklyn Hilton prices are regularly $400-$500 per night, and it's usually booked to capacity as well, so it seems to me (especially since there are very few available places to stay near the huge PS/Carroll Gardens and other surrounding, densely-populated communities with hotel needs) that until the supply side of this increases dramatically, things will still tend to be tightly booked around the neighborhood.
Sorry, actual local hotel business environment data trumps mere speculation every day of the week.
Posted by: webster at July 24, 2007 9:13 PM
Brooklyn Marriott, that is.
Swimmin' pools, legal stars.
Posted by: webster at July 24, 2007 9:27 PM
There is no Brooklyn Hilton - maybe Marriot.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 24, 2007 9:45 PM
and herein lies the problem of brownstoner.
the last poster commented a full 18 minutes after the one previous, where the person corrected that it was the marriot.
this leads me to believe that people don't actually READ what other people say, they simply spew out whatever it is that's on their own agenda or try to find the fault in any little thing they read.
it's really unhealthy. very bush-like. open your minds folks. it's what's wrong with where the country is headed right now. and i'm not just talkin politics. LISTEN TO PEOPLE.
Posted by: anonymous at July 24, 2007 10:45 PM
Everyone on this board is misinformed. You cannot get a "boutique" hotel room in manhattan for $400 or $500. Hotel rates in manhattan are astronomical right now. That's why $400 is a discount. You are all ignorant.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 25, 2007 6:43 AM
Anon 6:43am,
Tablethotels.com, the very best place to go to book the very best boutique hotels in Manhattan, routinely has rooms from $200 up per night.
Look right now for dates a month + out, and you will find $240 per night etc. at many of the nicest boutiques.
Heck, I booked $119 per night at the Hudson hotel on 3 weeks advance notice for a relative coming in to town (although that was a special deal on the schrager hotels web site). But honestly, I don't expect to find that deal ever again.
$300 is probably the best deal one can find in Manhattan via Tablethotels for one of the very best boutique hotels in Manhattan, and $400-$600 more the average for those when things are booked.
Now, on to Hotel Le Bleu. As I said above, it will be packed.
Many will pay the rack rates of $300-$400, and many will get discounts (which will be offered to keep the place packed...just a fact of life of hotel and airline inventory sales optimization).
But Hotel Le Bleu, like its mid-tier (Holiday Inn Express) and lower-tier (Comfort Inn) new neighbors, will be utterly packed given heavy demand in neighborhood (even if just serving neighborhood, before tourists factored in).
And if the resto/bar is any good (or even if just the views are good) it will be frequented by locals too, if only for the view (but it would be nice if food was good and drinks good and reasonably priced, too). So long as they don't utterly mess that up (unlikely).
So, like in many NY hotels, resto/bar (especially given the view) won't be just hotel guests.
I would go to check it out. Why not?
Posted by: webster at July 25, 2007 8:36 AM
6:43, I believe you're the ignorant one. The Soho Grand Hotel has a rate of $421 per night on their website as of 30 seconds ago. And that's without trying to get any discount. So where would most tourists prefer to stay, do you think - The Soho Grand or Hotel Le Bleu?
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 25, 2007 8:40 AM
webster, very well written and informative post. thanks for the tips re: getting discounts for visitors and thoughts on Hotel Le Bleu.
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 25, 2007 8:45 AM
Dude, what is up with me and parentheticals.
(sorry, hah..)
Posted by: webster at July 25, 2007 8:46 AM
Don't be so hard on yourself (I use them all the time too).
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 25, 2007 8:48 AM
http://tablethotels.com rocks, have been using it for the past 4-5 years solid, not just for deals for friends and clients in town, but also especially for us great getaways elsewhere (Paris, London, SF, Montreal, Greece, Caribbean, Far East, wherever...)
It's a miracle I've still saved enough to be an owner in Brooklyn at all, in retrospect. (doh!)
Posted by: webster at July 25, 2007 8:54 AM
I'm still getting over the $119 per night at the Hudson. That was a score and a half. I also doubt we'll see that again anytime soon, but it's a bargain at twice that price.
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 25, 2007 9:04 AM
Yeah, definitely still a great deal at twice that.
They must have had a sudden block cancellation or something (maybe an event or group was moved), and had to lock them down fast, throwing them on their specials list at various discounts (only mentioned on the schrager site itself).
No idea. All I know is that I was lucky enough to have looked at just the right time because those disappeared quickly.
Posted by: webster at July 25, 2007 9:20 AM
Speaking of getting boutique hotels in Manhattan for under $400-500/night etc, here are the current end-of-summer specials at the Hudson for example, with rooms starting at $260/night:
http://www.hudsonhotel.com/hudson_hotel_specials.asp
Anonymous 6:43am, you might want to reconsider your your post.
Posted by: webster at July 25, 2007 9:30 AM
thanks webster. but really, we should leave 6:43 alone. clearly he prefers to pay the rack rate.
Posted by: Biff Champion at July 25, 2007 9:39 AM
Post a comment
Please be patient while your comment is published. It may take a moment.