New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [249]
DoubleTree Guest Suites Times Square.
$$ | A June 2009 renovation of the public spaces in this Fodorite favorite has transformed it into a sleek, modern contender for Times Square top dog. Space is a big draw. Rooms are twice the size of New York City’s average, with the one-bedroom suites about 400 square feet; they have double vanities, mini-refrigerators, microwaves, and iPod docks. Downstairs, the Wi-Fi is free in the lobby, and guests can sip coffee or martinis in the adjacent lounge, which has gray leather and blue-fringed chandeliers. Pros: free 24-hour gym and Wi-Fi in public areas; extremely helpful, informed concierge; convenient to the Theater District. Cons: paid Wi-Fi in guest rooms; pricey for a DoubleTree. TripAdvisor: “convenient location,” “very clean and safe,” “amazing view of Times Square.” | 1568 Broadway, at 47th St., Midtown West | 10036 | 212/719–1600 | doubletree1.hilton.com | 460 rooms | In-room: a/c, safe, refrigerator, DVD, Wi-Fi. In-hotel: restaurant, room service, bar, laundry service, Internet terminal, Wi-Fi hotspot, parking (paid), some pets allowed | AE, D, DC, MC, V | Subway: B, D, F, M to 42nd St.
Dream New York.
$ | Part hotel, part Kafkaesque dream, this Midtown experience is brought to you by hotelier Vikram Chatwal, and it specializes in style over comfort. The lobby combines an enormous two-story cylindrical neon-lighted aquarium, an unsettling two-story photograph of a tattooed woman, and a copper sculpture of Catherine the Great. Step off the elevator onto your floor and you’ll be met with a jarring neon photograph. Rooms are almost as disquieting—stark white walls, black furniture, and light-box desks that glow from within. Stay here if you love things modern: plasma TVs, complimentary iPod use, a Deepak Chopra spa, and a velvet-rope rooftop bar scene at AVA Lounge. Despite the over-the-top qualities—and noise from the scenesters headed to the rooftop bar—it’s quite livable. Pros: Ava Lounge penthouse bar; big spa; up-to-the-minute electronics. Cons: small rooms; spotty service; trendier-than-thou atmosphere. TripAdvisor: “friendly and helpful concierge,” “turndown service nice touch,” “noisy.” | 210 W. 55th St., at Broadway, Midtown West | 10019 | 212/247–2000 or 866/437–3266 | www.dreamny.com | 208 rooms, 20 suites | In-room: a/c, safe, refrigerator, Internet, Wi-Fi. In-hotel: restaurant, room service, bars, spa, laundry service, Wi-Fi hotspot, parking (paid), some pets allowed | AE, D, DC, MC, V | Subway: N, Q, R to 57th St.
Hilton Times Square.
$$$ | A glass-and-steel skyscraper atop a 335,000-square-foot retail complex that includes a movie theater and Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, the Hilton reflects Times Square perfectly. That extends to the interior, which is as homogenous as the Times Square of today. The rooms are above average compared with other sleeps around Midtown at this price, with 37-inch flat-screen TVs, iPod hookups, and LaSource bath amenities. Rooms start on the 23rd floor to keep things quiet; the restaurant, confusingly called Above, is two floors below. Internet access does not, unfortunately, come cheap. Pros: immediate access to entertainment; convenient to public transportation; big rooms. Cons: impersonal feel; nickel-and-dime charges and overpriced food and drink, including a $26 buffet breakfast. TripAdvisor: “spotless