Arrival/Check-in: We arrived at the newly opened Cassa Hotel and Residences on a cold, windy day in January. It was shortly after a snowstorm, so we were happy to use the valet parking service to avoid trudging through mountains of snow with our luggage. We were a little surprised that although three people were working at the front desk, none of them offered to help as we struggled to get our bags through the revolving door. The lobby was striking, with a large, red, boomerang-shaped desk and brightly colored artwork on the walls. The hotel was still a work in progress, so some of the walls were hidden by large, white curtains. A friendly woman greeted us and quickly checked us in, pointing the way to the elevators. Again, no one offered to help with our bags. (25/30)

Guest Quarters: We stayed in an executive room with a king-sized bed. The room was stylish but small, not quite what the photos on the website showed. As we walked around searching for a closet to hang our garment bags, we were surprised to find none. There was a small cabinet that housed a safe, but the area with hangers was only deep enough to hang shirts and not our winter coats or the dress and suit we had packed for the GT awards event the next day. We resorted to hanging them on the bathroom door, which meant the door couldn’t be closed.

The room had a 42-inch flat-screen TV, Geneva docking station for an MP3 player and WiFi available for a $15 fee. The bathroom was well lit, with a large limestone shower and Italian bath products by Angelo Caroli. (25/30)

Services/Amenities: The hotel, once completed, will have a vertical garden and a restaurant accessible from the lobby. But at the time of our visit, there was only a small cafeteria-like breakfast room on the 44th floor where we had some coffee and fruit. I was told that a lounge on the 10th floor with beautiful terraces on the north and south sides would open within the next couple of weeks and that breakfasts would be served there. (30/40)

The Experience: The Cassa Hotel and Residences has the potential to be a great place to stay while in New York City. The location is ideal, in the heart of Midtown Manhattan and only a block from Times Square and Fifth Avenue. I do think they need to work through some growing pains, but I’d love to see the hotel when it is completed.

Total Score: 80/100

Cassa Hotel and Residences

70 W. 45th St.
New York, NY 10036
tel 212 302 8700
Cassa Hotel and Residences