Stephen D.

First off, I booked a 2 day stay in NYC through Priceline - NEVER, EVER AGAIN!
I made the reservation to stay at The Gem via PL approx 3 weeks ago, and also took out the extra insurance to cover rescheduling/cancelations, and as fate would have it, I did have to add another night to my trip, so, I called The Gem (3 days prior to leaving), but was told the only room available was a penthouse and the price was going to be $500. I stated I didn't have my card with me as I'd forgotten it, but assumed they'd be able to add a day on as they already had my reservation - they needed my card, and my fault!
Shortly after, I managed to get a room at another hotel downtown, and they also informed me they had rooms for my entire trip.
I got very excited at the prospect of a hotel closer to Times Square and proceeded to call The Gem back to cancel my original itinerary.
They told me I had to contact Priceline as they had the original booking - I immediately did!
PL then told me that ultimately it was The Gem's final decision as to cancelling and refunding; I proposed very nicely, ARE YOU KIDDING, to which they assured me The Gem had the final say.
On my behalf, they then called TG, all of a sudden, TG stated they were not cancelling and I would not be refunded - even though, if we stand by their own cancellation policy of 24 hours for cancellation, they still refused my request; bear in mind that this all happened THREE DAYS BEFORE MY ORIGINAL DEPARTURE DATE!

I blew my top!

I demanded to speak with a supervisor who had problems speaking English, and we argued back and fourth while accomplishing absolutely nothing.

I proceeded to arrive in NYC and my new hotel (even though a lot more expensive than TG immediately upgraded me to an Executive Suite - lovely room.

Sadly though, the next day, I headed off to TG to seal my fate, and boy, was it bad!
The only reason I gave TG 2 stars was for the lovely girl at the front desk, who's customer service was second to none, and I made sure I told her myself too.

The room was absolutely tiny - no more than 10x10 (I'm not kidding); the room smelled of something stale; the bed (I use the term very loosely) was just over a foot off the ground and its mattress had seen better days 5 years ago; there was bedbugs, and I can verify this as I have a photograph, and started feeling itchy shortly after my arrival to the bed; the TV reception was fuzzy, and only 10 Chanel's available with no option to upgrade; the WIFI was a joke and my iPhone on AT&T left me wondering why they had even considered including this as a facility; in my second day, the housekeeper had not refilled my bathroom complimentary shampoo and soaps.

I had been calling TG prior to my departure in the hope they would have a cancellation, and subsequently enable me to not have to change hotels on my second day, and throughout this entire ordeal, I had been in verbal correspondence with a lady whom I won't relay her name here, but she knew exactly who I was upon my arrival, I can only hope she gave me the worst room in TG out of sheer spite, as if not, I seriously cannot fathom why people leave anything but dismal reviews.

Priceline are absolute cowboys who don't give a crap about service and their customers, and The Gem hotel is nothing more than a dreadful experience I pray I will someday erase from my memory.

An absolute shame!