Frommer's Review
High-energy music dances out onto the sidewalk. A red awning extends from the entrance. A guest with sleepy eyes and brilliant blue hair sits diffidently upon the white tufted leather sofa in the small lobby. Attractive, casually dressed patrons come and go, while couples roost at tables inside the adjoining Bar Rouge sipping martinis. Shades of red are everywhere: in the staff's funky shiny shirts, in the accent pillows on the retro furniture, and in the artwork. This used to be a Quality Hotel: It's come a long way, baby.
Rouge guest rooms have deep crimson drapes at the window; a floor-to-ceiling red "pleather" headboard for your comfortable, white-with-red-piping duvet-covered bed; and, in the dressing room, an Orange Crush-colored dresser, whose built-in minibar holds all sorts of red items, such as Hot Tamales candies, red wax lips, and Red Bull. Though typical boutique hotel guest rooms are notoriously cramped, that's not true here; the rooms are spacious enough to easily accommodate several armchairs and a large ottoman (in shades of red and gold), a number of funky little lamps, a huge mahogany-framed mirror leaning against a wall, and a 10-foot-long mahogany desk. The Rouge has no suites but does offer 15 specialty guest rooms, including "Chill Rooms," which have a chaise longue and a little sitting room area, DVD player, and PlayStation; "Chat Rooms," which have computer/printers; and "Chow Rooms," which have a microwave and refrigerator.
The hotel embraces the theme of adventure, inviting guests to partake of a complimentary Bloody Mary and cool pizza in the lobby on weekends, 10 to 11am. Weeknights, 5 to 6pm, the hotel serves complimentary red wine, Red Stripe Jamaican beer, and Izze Raspberry soda. The only problem with this setup is that the lobby is too tiny to accommodate more than a handful of guests. Bar Rouge to the rescue: Carry your red drink and cold pizza to the lounge, settle into one of the thronelike armchairs there, and enjoy. (Bar Rouge is open daily 7-10:30am and reopens in the evening at 5pm.) The hotel is now nonsmoking.
Facilities:
Bar/restaurant (American, w/a French twist); modest-size fitness center; business center; room service (7am-11pm); same-day laundry service; dry cleaning; 6 rooms for those w/limited mobility, 1 w/roll-in shower
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
