Hotel Le Bleu Opening Still Stalled
Guests are going to have to wait a little longer to check into Hotel Le Bleu, the first boutique hotel to grace the banks of the Gowanus Canal. A booking agent told us they’re not accepting reservations until October 1st, but when we swung by yesterday, Le Bleu’s manager said there was a possibility it…
Guests are going to have to wait a little longer to check into Hotel Le Bleu, the first boutique hotel to grace the banks of the Gowanus Canal. A booking agent told us they’re not accepting reservations until October 1st, but when we swung by yesterday, Le Bleu’s manager said there was a possibility it would open within the next couple of weeks. (The city still has to do final inspections on the property.) The delay is the latest in a series for the hotel, which was originally scheduled to open on July 9th. According to Newyorkology, rates were starting at $280 back when it was scheduled to open in early summer; Le Bleu’s website now shows them beginning at $365. Le Bleu’s manager told us the original rates reflected the summer season, and that fall prices were always going to be in the $350-$400-a-night ballpark. While we’re really excited about a luxe hotel opening in Gowanus (check out the photo on the jump—the Andres Escobar-designed interiors are, dare we say, kinda sexy), the rates seem increasingly detached from reality. Think there’s a possibility Le Bleu’s going to end up in the red?
Hotel Le Bleu Website GMAP
Hotel le Bleu Delays Opening Again [Newyorkology]
I have just returned to the UK after spending 6 nights at Hotel Le Bleu. I was duped not only by the website and the promises made at the time of booking but throughout my stay. Comments about the Euro trash staying in the US (bear in mind the US’s current economical status before biting the hand that feeds you).
In relation to the hotel or brothel as it appeared to be, due to the comings and goings, cool and chic are not words that I would consider to describe this place. It has unprofessional, discourteous, inexperienced and unscrupulous staff, the local industrial area are okay if that is what you are expecting, the promised views of Manhattan’s skyline were in fact of U-Haul’s depot, the taxi rank, the hotel’s trash or the hotel’s car park, the weird bathrooms (you have to be in a secure relationship to use it not ideal for honeymooners or those of a squeamish nature), no guest facilities (no room service, concierge, no breakfast, the adequately stocked mini bar etc.. consisted of two bottles of water), the promised fancy restaurant which is only just starting to be built and will not open for at least another 6 months according to the contractors, doors that are broken (one to our tiny balcony the handle was loose and shook when it was windy and the door couldn’t be opened and the wardrobe door did not close) paying through the nose for a room and not then getting the room you paid for, This hotel is horrendous, the manager is an incompetent liar and a bully, he does not like to be challenged. Ensure you pay by cash for the security deposit otherwise he tells you that you can’t have your money back (a public discussion and refusal to take no for an answer, taking photos of the things that you are not happy with, resolved this), no room rates are displayed in the lobby, sadly I could continue about this bad experience. I was not able to find another hotel for the length of my stay as everywhere else was booked. I also had paid up front for this hotel as I did not book with the hotel directly; this is the nightmare and reality for overseas travellers.
I love Brooklyn having lived in Garfield Place and 7th Ave, 10 yrs ago. I have come away from the US still loving Brooklyn, and the character of the borough. Manhattan with all it new builds seems to have lost the soul that Brooklyn and Park Slope have maintained. Development is required for future success but it needs to be done in a thoughtful and responsible manner to reflect what currently exists in a neighbourhood. Hotel Le Bleu not only has got it wrong, but also the way in which it deals with its guests will have a truly negative impact not only on the hotel but also the surrounding area as bad experiences inevitably do. It would be a real shame if guests come away from Brooklyn and Park Slope with only opinions of Hotel Le Bleu and not that of the vibrant community from 5th Avenue and beyond.
Don’t get your panties all in a bunch, 9/20/07 10:30. And dude, you’re speaking Spanish, not Swahili; I don’t think anybody’s gonna be tearing their hair out, unable to figure out what “idiotas” and “imbeciles” could possibly mean.
I can’t wait to take my girl here. With a bathroom like the one shown above I’ll be like, “hey honey look over here, you can watch me taking a dump”.
Hello? This hotel is not for your stupid Parents it is for all the Euro trash coming here and SLUMMING it in Brooklyn, Duh.
NOW THAT I CAN UNDERSTAND!
No entiendo como puede haber idiotas que dedican su tiempo a criticar proyectos, gente o neiborhoods.
Gente que probabolemente lo unico que hace de su vida culpar al mundo por su propio fracaso.
Que carajo si Andres escobar es gay, homofobico de mierda # 13. Y lo peor de todo es que hacen comentarios sin tener nocion de lo uqe estan hablanda. Simplemente ignorantes.
PD el mensaje es en espanol para que se jodan y se rompan las apelotas tratando de desifrar que carajo dije….
Imbeciles
If 11:01 is correct, then I’m gonna buy a 4th Ave-facing unit in Novo with a terrace. The webcasts will pay for my mortgage, woohoo!
“Hipster Brooklyn” marketing in Europe or no, this piece of trash is a dead duck. It’ll be a crack house by the time AY is built, which would have made it worthless btw.
The only thing that can save it now is to turn it into an Asian hand job parlor. Happy Endings all around!!!
That place is more “Dumpster” than “Hipster”.
While I agree that the design of this hotel is absurd, one thing we fail to consider is how “hipster brooklyn” is being marketed or at least ‘hyped’ in Europe. I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if this succeeded given how pricey brooklyn B&B’s are in comparison. If the dollar continues to tank against the euro, it is still a good deal for visiting foreign tourists. And, nicer than staying in either the Marriott or the Holiday Inn Express without even considering service (which is extremely lacking in both).