Recently, my partner and I stayed at the BORO Hotel in Queens at pretty much the going rate of close to $500 a night. The room could charitably be described as a bunker with amenities, including an unsecured sliding glass door to an unsecured balcony which provided the only possibility of fresh air. For almost the entirety of our stay that night, there was a loud all-night party being held. The cinder-block wall not only did not muffle the voices of screeching partyers, it seemed to magnify the noise. Our attempts to ask the front desk to have security restore enough quiet for a decent night's sleep were about as effective as the walls.
The following morning, we sought out a manager in order to file a complaint and ask for a refund for the room because the hotel had failed in its duty to "provide the conditions for a decent night's sleep." There was no manager on the premises, and the assistant positioned behind the picnic table cum front desk informed us that we had a valid complaint and would be contacted by a manager later that day. 2 months later, we've yet to hear back from BORO Hotel.
BORO was quite happy to take my money and run away from their responsibility!