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The Westin New York at Times Square
Rating Details »
Neighborhoods: Theater District, Hell's Kitchen
270 W 43rd St
(between 7th Ave & Times Sq)
New York, NY 10036
(212) 201-2700
270 W 43rd St
(between 7th Ave & Times Sq)
New York, NY 10036
(212) 201-2700
- Nearest Transit:
-
8th Ave-42nd St (A, C, E, 1, 2, 3, S, 7, N, Q, R, W)
42nd St-5th Ave-6th Ave (7, B, D, F, V)
- Price Range:
-
$$$
80 reviews for The Westin New York at Times Square
The Westin Times Square is an amazing tourist and business hotel with huge rooms. You definitely get what you pay for and more.
The rooms are extremely clean and sterile. Even though our bed sheets were clean, they replaced them daily! If we wanted them to, they would've replaced them whenever we felt like it.
The management and staff go beyond and above to get you anything you need. My friend left his toiletries at home so they sent someone out to get him a basket free of charge. This is all with a standard room.
I would recommend this hotel for anyone spending a night or two in the city.
First Time In New York?
The Westin is the ideal place for a Virgin New Yorker. The rooms are contemporary in design and the rooms are considerably larger than most New York City hotels, with breathtaking views of this massive city. Located near Time Square and walking distance to all the Broadway shows, this hotel is centrally located to the buzz of the city. And just when the hustle and bustle of the city starts making you feel dizzy and your feet hurt from all the shopping and "experiencing"...you are just steps away from your "Heavenly" bed for a power nap, so you can recharge and do it all again. It's a perfect spot for a tourist who wants to experience the Big Apple.
I've stayed at many different hotels in NYC and this was by far one of the best. The hotel rooms are huge. I don't think you could get a room that size anywhere else in NYC. For 5 girls staying in a hotel room with 2 queen beds, we had plenty of room for us and all of our luggage. The rooms have the contemporary decor and the beds are really comfy!! And the hotel overall is extremely clean. The hotel is conveniently located in Time Square and everything is just about walking distance. SoHo and Canal Street are about a 15 minute drive from this location, not bad.
Awesome valet guys at this hotel and they are nice enough to flag down cabbies for you. Otherwise it is hard to get cabs to pull over at that location. I'd give staff at this hotel 5 stars because they are just THAT nice. And just a note, If its raining definitely ask the concierge for an umbrella and they will gladly let you borrow their pretty Westin umbrellas.
I'll agree with other reviewers that yes this hotel is sort of dark. It is dimly lit throughout. But the lobby where the check-in desks are has that lounge feel to it so I think it would be silly if it was brighter. But I do feel the hotel rooms should have a bit more lighting due to their size. Having another mirror in the room (besides the mirror closet doors) would be ideal when sharing a hotel room with more than one person. Yes the closet doors are mirrors but this is where the poor lighting comes into play. So either more mirrors and/or improve the lighting. But those are my only complaints about the room, other than that its great. Awesome view of the city, nice comfy beds, cool decor. I dig it.
If I can afford to go back, this is definitely a hotel I will return to. Haha.
This was the nicest room I've ever stayed in in New York.
I was on someone else's dime, otherwise I could never dreaming of crashing in a place like this.
Next time hopefully I get my own room, so I can show it off to someone classy, (and maybe get some!)
As a starwood platinum member, I try to stay at any starwood I can to keep up my points and I usually get free upgrades if available. The Westin Time Sq. was a great location, I loved the location by my company's offices , Theater district, Hells Kitchen, Bryant Park, etc.
Nice lobby, noisy elevators with loud tourist videos that was irritating. I did get upgraded to a corner room with a view of the city and the river, very nice! But the room felt like all windows and cold black marble floors, I was freezing in there constantly even wiht the heater on (which I think only blew air, not heat).
Now, I have been lectured by many New Yorkers that hotel rooms in NYC just are not the same as the voluminous rooms in CA, so its not good to compare. So I am getting used to older and smaller rooms when I visit NYC. But for $400 per night, I should have heat, a robe (which I had to call for) and the minimalist bathroom had just one plug next to the toilet which meant I had to blow dry my hear over the toilet standing akwardly to still see the mirrors.
I did not have time to work out, so didnt see the gym. The wifi signal was weak at best, I lost signal a few times. The flatscreen tv is off to the side, but it rotates so you can watch it in bed, but if you were with another person it would not be comfortable.
overall, just an average Starwood property at a price that didnt provide the ROI. Great location though, and I am sure there are much worse hotels.
Nice, clean, comfortable bed, but nothing special.
I was at the Westin for a conference. But I don't think I'll be back. It was modern, clean, and dark. The elevators are dark. The room was dark. The lobby was dark.
The room was super expensive. And then they wanted $10/day to use the health club. I've never encountered that in any hotel anywhere. And while the Westin website says Internet connection in the room is free for members of the "Starwood preferred guest" program, the pleasant young woman at the desk informed me "not at this property."
There are so many nice hotels in New York. The Westin is perfectly fine, but not a stand out either in amenities or value.
Note: one weird thing. My room had a clock radio/iHome contraption. You can play your iPod. but it can't charge it. Who do you think bought these for the hotel and why?
I booked my two night stay online on hotwire and was hoping for the best since the price was pretty low! It was an awesome stay! The room was beautiful, clean, spacious and had a spectacular view of the city. The man at the front desk was very customer oriented and we had a great time with recommendations on where to go. The bed was so COMFY and I slept like a log. Great location, friendly staff, and lots of eateries in the area.
Location...Location...Location.....Situated right on Times Square ....this hotel is an ideal place for tourist. Right in the heart of metropolis....from the numerous gourmet restaurants to Broadway's star-studded performances. Has great shopping stores and views of the city and very affordable rates.
The numerous times I was here...was to pick up visiting friends
from overseas ...mostly old friends from high school or their families...and tour them around the city. Yesterday, an old high school friend called from Hawaii....her daughter is coming over and will be stayin in this hotel...she'll be sending me some stuff....so can I go and pick it up........Sure!!!! so after work today I went and took them out to have dinner in Chinatown. Their accommodations are excellent large room, very spacious with a large flat screen HDTV...and the view was scenic...I also find the staff very friendly.
I always recommend this place to my friends....only because of the location..the proximity to numerous nice spots in the city...and also very convenient for me as I take just one subway ride straight to the hotel...and I am there in 20 minutes..pick them up and show them around like a tourist guide.......they were at onetime joking around asking me if I was on the hotel payroll on commission basis.......
When I travel abroad I do the same ...stay in the hotel right in the middle of the action.......accessible and convenient to everything you need.....so if you are thinking of visiting New York...don't forget the Westin in Times Square......
I usually stay at this Westin on my trips to New York. Compared to the other hotels I've stayed at in Manhattan this is definitely the nicest! Most other Starwood properties (i,e, the Sheraton Manhattan or Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers) are on the older side and you can tell by everything from front desk to room furnishing. The Westin has a more contemporary touch and has nice rooms that don't feel like you're stuck in a 60 year old closet!
Stayed here on business recently and it was pretty dern meh. As usual, I'll start with the positives and work my way up to the negs.
Good stuff: The bed was comfy, I had a reasonably decent city view out of my room (the building next door was under major construction, but I got to see a pretty neat clock), the room was decently clean, and the appliances in the room worked. The room had both a tub and a fancy shower, which was nice because a lot of times in NYC you get rooms with just the shower stall and no tub. When I called room service, the phone had to ring about 35 times before anybody picked it up, but they did get my order up to the room within 10 minutes so I'll call that a wash. I also noticed that this hotel caters mostly to business travelers, as there were two conventions there and some air flight crews, and I only saw a couple of tourists, which was a huge relief because when I saw that this place was located almost directly on Times Square I got a case of the horrors thinking about what sort of T-shirted provincial dummkopfs might be staying here. The concierge was helpful, giving me a map and directing me to the restaurant where my business dinner was going to be held.
Despite all these pluses, this was still a way less than stellar experience. Regarding Westins in general, I've noticed that they are on some sort of austerity kick where they don't put very many amenities in the room. I'm someone who likes to have a bathrobe to use, and more than just three little measly bottles of bath products, and may I say that the towels Westins are using these days are the kind of rough old rags that I'd use to clean my bathtub and sink with at home, not to dry my body. I'm sure the lack of robes and decent towels has the desired effect of discouraging theft, but if I were paying for the room myself instead of my company forking over for it, I'd be really ticked off as I've gotten better towels at the Comfort Inn. And I do think my company deserves better value for its money. I would also like to know whose idea it was to put the porcelain Kleenex dispenser on its side on a shelf over my head in the bathroom, because when I grabbed a tissue out, the whole dispenser almost flew right off the shelf and luckily I caught it before it smashed on the floor and severed an artery in my bare foot.
The cable TV seemed to have pretty limited selection and the best thing I could find to watch was History Channel which went off after a certain hour. I was also pissed off that the Wi-fi was not free, especially since it was advertised as so being, and then when you got there, it was not.
The reception area of this hotel is extremely dark and unwelcoming. You don't even enter into the hotel lobby - instead, you come in downstairs on a sidewalk (no driveway, no place for your taxi to pull over, just a sidewalk, that is jammed with people - and forget trying to hail a cab from this melee) and you enter this awful little security desk area. I asked the guard guys, "Where is the hotel"? and two of them didn't know. Fortunately one knew and directed me up the escalator to the lobby which was also VERY dark. Then I got to my room and that was similarly all dark browns and institutional green. The bathroom had a scratched chrome sink - unbreakable, but looked like the fixtures in a prison, especially when coupled with the awful low quality towels - and brown tile interspersed with actual stone tiles. I kept glancing around nervously for Linda Blair and the plumber's helper. The rest of the room was helped along lightwise by the huge windows, but overall my impression of the place was dark, dark, dark.
Finally, can I say something about the location of this place? Besides the fact that getting a cab outside is sort of like negotiating the crowd scenes in Hunchback of Notre Dame due to the lack of a driveway, the hotel is located right next to a "gentleman's club" and a much more downscale tourist hotel. I didn't fear for my life walking down the block or anything, but it wasn't a pleasant experience either. I suppose there are people who think the location is great because it's right on Times Square, but as someone who goes to NYC on a regular basis, I avoid that crowd crush as much as I can.
Overall I'd rate the value of this joint as being in the 150-200 dollar a night range. Since it's NYC and therefore expensive, heck, maybe even 250. Then I saw the bill. 350 bucks a night?! For that money I'd much prefer to be up a few streets at the Hilton or a nice boutique hotel. Don't stay here unless you're getting a Priceline bargain or you have some aching need to be super duper close to tourist crud.
This place is OK.
I booked a room on points with an upgrade to Westin Executive Club. The fact that I had to pay extra for Internet and the exercise room made me think what the hell I spent the upgrade on (OK so the room is a little bigger from what I understand), plus it has an iMac (which didn't work anyway because the wireless keyboard was out of battery juice. Sure we did get a $50 credit per day credit for room service, but that was a joke. Any non-dessert item was over $20. One order that I put in was for an omelette ($21) and a cheesecake ($12) ... after the $4 service charge, 18% gratuity and taxes it came out to over $46. What a joke.
OK so if you don't care about room service, the room itself was good. Bed is Heavenly so it's good as expected. The room was clean, and it was nice to have a 32" LCD TV in the room.
The bathroom had almost no counter space, and the shower head was great but drainage was HORRIBLE. Overall the service was not outwardly helpful or friendly. Two things that I've heard mentioned by others who have stayed at this place.
Also watch the fridge. It is sensor driven, so if you take stuff out of the fridge it will charge you. We just took all the drinks out to put our own in (from Walgreens). So you might get charged. The front desk will take them off for you though.
Overall a great location, and a good place to stay. If I was paying I would have other preferences.
Great hotel to book your stay in, especially if you want to be smack dab in the center of the tourist action but without sacrificing a lot of comfort to be in a 'cheapie' hotel. The rates here are very affordable, and the rooms are very clean, modern, spacious, and some have very very good views.
My friends and I had a room on the 22nd floor, and we had a great view of the river and parts of Times Square. The two full sized beds were enough for three girls, the minibar was well stocked, and the bathroom was clean and good to look at. No bed bugs, and lots of thick/warm blankets and cushy pillows.
My only complaint is that it's hard to easily access the hotel's services - the TV menus aren't easy to navigate, and there are no spa services listed anywhere (you need to call). And when you do call, it's almost impossible to book anything at any time unless you're willing to go without a friend or at some random hour.
The front counter staff are amiable, and the Bar 10 downstairs is a great place to lounge and chat with friends.
Clean, new, well located Westin. Which is both good and bad. The Westin brand provides clean modern large comfortable rooms that won't surprise you in either a good or bad way.
A small island of civility in the neighborhood.
I loved this amazing hotel, I also stayed here for four nights during Christmas on a spectacular deal where I only had to pay $199 a night! Yes folks, this is DURING CHRISTMAS! Amazing isn't it. :)
The hotel itself is definitely unassuming and not extravagant at all from the outside, but the inside is absolutely gorgeous with dark wood accents and modern lines. The service was quick and extremely polite and all the staff were friendly and I felt very well received despite looking like I could lose a few layers of clothes (it was winter after all).
Our room was a reasonable size (read normally small for the kind of room I've seen at a Westin hotel) but nevertheless beautiful and very cozy / comfortable. I would definitely stay here again :)
I rarely stay at really nice hotels so I'm not sure how to size this one up to other but i'm giving it five stars!
First off, when you take a shower be prepared to feel soooo good. They have these shower heads called "heavenly shower heads" and it feels like rain clouds are showering you with warm tiny little soft droplets of water. Soo good.
The size of the rooms are standard & come with the regular amenities.
I'm still staying here so I guess I'll update about my overrall experience.
Location- Times Square, great for tourists, but if youre looking for a unique experience, you might want something a little bit further downtown.
atmosphere- trendy, modern and upscale. The hotel is absolutely a haven in the midst of times square.
the best part is that you can go to the movies, star-bucks, bar 10, a steakhouse, or a mexican eatery without even leaving the hotel. the westin is fabulous and is a genuine rejuvenation in such a busy city.
the price can be a little steep but for the heavenly beds its totally worth it. not to mention the very helpful staff.
Just a flood of glowing reviews for this place. Everyone seems to love this hotel. I know I don't.
The location at 43rd and 8th puts you just off of Times Square. As such, this is or has become a hotel largely for tourists visiting the "Big Apple"; the business set stay elsewhere. I can appreciate tourists, but at least try to be presentable when staying at a major hotel. I resent sharing an elevator with someone wearing jogging pants and eating pizza out of a box when I could be staying at the Sofitel for the same price and all the gentlemen are wearing sport coats. Personal preference I suppose.
The check-in was a little confusing. Apparently the very large line at the entrance is for baggage. Though there are no signs or hotel staff indicating this. Check-in is actually up on the second floor available by escalator. There I was provided a key and went to my room only to find that the key did not work. So that was a small hassle, knowing where to check in and making sure that I received a key that would work.
The room is spacious which is uncommon in New York. My view was of Hell's Kitchen and the Hudson river. The bathroom was functional, but I was dismayed to see a free standing stainless steel sink. Because of this design, there was very little room to put anything. The provided toiletries were sub-par. Also it was nice to see an iHome in the room, but apparently it is not compatible with iPhones, oh well.
With no doorman or taxi stand, it really seemed like a budget hotel. So the $280/night rack rates were unjustifiable. For $5 more a night you can stay at the UN Millennium Plaza hotel or the Sofitel and have much better accommodations and a taste of luxury. Of course, if you are just in the city for a few days to see Times Square, you probably won't have the time to know any better.
I've never stayed here, but i must admit, it's a great place to kill time when you've got to be somewhere in the area and you have like 20 min to kill:
Acting on a hunch* me and my gf decided to walk inside the Westin and head upstairs to their very nice lobby, which, is very nice! We sat there and realized that other people who weren't staying at the hotel were just hanging out in the lobby too, so that's when we knew we were good...The couches/seats were really comfy and the staff just let's you sit around and never disturbs you, we stayed for a minute (more like 20) and then were on our way, but i would recommend that lobby as a great place to sit around, there's also a (expensive) bar on the second floor too, we decided against that....
The bathroom on the 2nd floor lobby was also reallllly nice, you need a nice bathroom facility to really get the whole bumming around experience, and the westin bathroom was nothing short of immaculate, mostly because when i went in there the custodian had just finished cleanin it up, either way...i'm sure it's always that nice...
We DID NOT stay at the hotel, this review is about the lobby, but if the rooms are as nice as the lobby is, then it's only a matter of time before i rob a bank so i can afford to stay there for a nite...
* = Hunch in this review means my girlfriend read an article in TimeOut NY that listed the top places in the city to just sit around and do nothing (and kill time, or take a nap even) where you won't get disturbed, and she thought the Westin in Timesquare was on there, but it turns out it wasn't! so essentially they coulda thrown us out, but they didnt, so try it out till they close it down completely to outsiders!
Stayed for 4 days. Location - WONDERFUL!! You're at Time Square but out of the way. Easily walk to any play or location in Time Square - plus the surrounding Mid-Town attractions.
The place doesn't have a GRAND Street Entrance, so no "royal" feeling as you arrive. At night, the security checks for room-keys before you enter - nice. Lobby and Reception is very modern and clean. Staff very friendly.
The Room:
OK, I am use to staying at the Westin in Seoul, Korea - so in comparison to that, a two star. *However* this is New York...
The room didn't feel NEW or SUPER clean. It wasn't a bad room, a bit small compared to Seoul but not bad for New York. Overall, a pleasant stay in the room - but not GRAND. Service at the room was wonderful, the cleaning lady was very very nice.
Overall, if you get a good deal on this hotel - take it! Can't beat the location and unless you're looking for top-of-the-line luxury, this is a good hotel (especially if you get a good deal).
I enjoyed my stay here. The entire staff was very friendly and helpful. The rooms were pretty nice, and the location is great if you're spending time in Times Square.
Westin NYC is as good as it gets.
Transporting one from the loud hustle of NYC, I stayed on their SPG floors because of status. Upgraded to a room with an iMac computer and new furnishings, the hotel also has an amazing Executive Club Lounge with a breakfast buffet filled with fresh fruit (pineapples, etc.), hot entrees, and plenty of newspapers to go around.
The only caveat is a short alleyway walk from Times Square into the Westin NYC, which is tucked away into the side.
Another pro is the convenience of AMC / Loews and Regal's Cinemas only two blocks away.
Highly recommended.
Amazing location. Great service. We were upgraded to Executive Club and allowed to check in early (around noon instead of 3pm), so what's not to like?
The room we had was on a corner, so we had 2 very large sets of windows. And the room was HUGE! And not just by Manhattan standards!
Will definitely stay here again.
As most of you know, I love staying at Westin Hotels, so my choice in NYC would be none other than this property.
I did my research so knew what to expect both good and bad. Most of the bad stuff did not really apply to me like the sink and mirror situation.
When I first arrived at the hotel via Super Shuttle, I was dropped off at the corner. I had one bag and my back pack. I entered the ground floor lobby area through a turnstile doorway which was kind of tricky with luggage. I proceeded to the reception desk and checked in. I was offered a room upgrade on the top floor with an outstanding view of downtown and the Empire State Building. I could not ask for more.
The room had all the usual Westin things like Starbucks Coffee, water bottles, glassware and fully stocked minibar. The only thing that was missing was the shampoo and conditioner so I called the Service Express number and three sets were sent up within ten minutes.
There are two elevator banks. Elevator bank "A" is from floor 2-23 and elevator bank "B" is from 2-45. Since my room was on the 45th floor, I had to use the second bank. The Westin Club was located on the 8th floor were they provided breakfast and evening snacks daily. This was free due to my Starwood Status. You could gain access via the Club Level category rooms which are about $100 more than the other rooms.
There is only one restaurant in the hotel. I did not eat here but did have a couple of drinks at their bar. the bar tendered, Brian, was very helpful and kind.
There is also another bar next to the lobby, Bar 10, that is basically an extension to the lobby. It is closed off prior to noon which only leaves the small area in front of reception for people to sit. I personally did not like this option and think that both areas should be opened to the guests at all times. I have seen this in most Westin Hotels.
The people working the Bell Desk did not seem overly friendly. But than again, I am in New York where friendliness is not a norm.
If you had to choose a hotel in the Times Square area, this hotel would be a very good choice. It is close to everything and yet far enough away from all the noise that you would find closer to Broadway and 7th Avenue.
The immediate area around the hotel is kind of tacky, but there are some good deli's, fast food and even a nice Jazz Bar around the corner.
I would definitely stay here again and recommend it for singles or families. I guess on my next trip to the city, I will have to decide between the W Times Square and this hotel.
Location was good, room was pretty decent, view was nice.
I can't say much more as I was only there because my firm relocated near here and we were at work all weekend. So I only spent about 6 hours in the room.
It was a nice 6 hours though... I think... I was sleeping.
While I hate staying in mid-town around the Times Square craziness I always enjoy my stay here. Maybe I am somewhat biased due to the fact that my Starwood AmEx likes me staying here too.
A heavenly bed is always a good place to lay your head at night and certainly like being a few blocks away from a plethora a restaurants and bars in hells kitchen is never a bad thang
I have stayed here a few times and find it pretty nice. The room is always clean and you can actually walk around the room which isnt always easy in a NY hotel. Though I hate being in Times Square the location is fine because its on 8th and there is a subway entrance right across the street.
What drives me crazy about this place is the toilets! They make so much noise when you flush, you usually have to flush twice and the water goes nuts. I have stayed here 3 different times and every room, crazy toilet noise.
It also can be a bit loud so make sure your room is not near the elevator and the higher the better.
Excellent location. Its close to everything. The subway is right there, its attached to restaurants and the movie theatre. All the plays and musicals are within walking distance. time's square is a 2 min walk away. there's even a pharmacy right across the street.
The room is clean and spacious. the heavenly bed is quite comfortable and the dual showerhead was a nice touch.
Only negative- its very expensive. $350 seems to be the going rate for the average tourist, unless your company is paying for it, or if you have starwood points.
for the second half of our trip, we decided to stay here at the Westin. First off, loved the location. Things that matter to me most in a hotel are location, nice views, quality service, beds that feel like heaven, a strong shower pressure and good mirrors. (Not a fan of places with waist-up only mirrors and bad lighting. The worst!)
The Westin covered all my wants and then some..... Let's start with the positives: its elegant and swanky. The service is impeccable, the staff totally accommodating and friendly.
Our room was lovely, all clean lines and very modern. Our room had a large flat screen TV, large mirrors and the most inviting comfortable bed I have ever slept in..... seriously, their bed was the best part of my stay here.
Other amenities I liked about the Westin.... their great little bar downstairs called Bar 10. Not only is it fun (see my review for it) but they leave it open after hours. You know, just in case you want to lounge around down there and make out for hours on one of their couches in the dark with a guy you just met at another bar.
Plus, the staff at the Westin is so unbelievably cool, they will quickly duck back out of the darkened empty bar without saying a word when they catch you in here making out with that guy.
Based on that alone, I would definitely recommend the Westin.
The negatives? That I don't live in this hotel.
The Westin Hotel chain is one of my favorites and I got booked at this one since it was the official conference hotel and I was pretty pumped. For starters, you are right in the middle of everything! Times Square is right around the corner along with any food, trinket shop, or anything else you could ever dream up you would need/find in Times Square.
My hotel room came equipped with a flat screen LCD TV and even some channels are pumped into your room in HD. The desk also has an old iMac on it which seemed very cool but I couldn't really get it to work that well so I went back to my laptop. My view out the window was amazing looking out onto 42nd Street. The room was clean and comfortable and I really enjoyed opening my window and just going to sleep to the sounds of the busy city of New York.
As for the exercise room I loved it except for the fact that you get billed for it? That was a little crazy, even for me. Luckily it's on the 23rd floor and you can peak an amazing view of the city from up here while working out as they have wrap around windows on the exterior side of the gym. This gym has a Wii Fit which is truly amazing and cool for a hotel. I did something amazing and forgot toothpaste and the hotel even provided me some Colgate instead of some odd no name brand toothpaste which blew me away. All and all a great experience and your right by the subway which makes this hotel a complete package if you don't mind the price.
Yes, the hotel is gorgeous and clean, and have decent rooms with a nice view of Manhattan. That is probably expected from a Westin.
But- that's probably all this Westin has to offer.
A housekeeper stole a $700 ring from my room, claiming that she didn't enter my room and the hotel took no action, you have housekeepers throwing towels at you when you request for a few, the front desk manager, Mark, puts his face an inch in front of your face and brags about what he does for the hotel- and damn, his breath smells like shit- thank god he got fired... The manager says that he'll help you out personally and NEVER responds to you.
Really, I'm disgusted with this hotel.
I would've give it a "one star," but because there are really nice people working at the front desk and the room was nice, I'd give them two stars instead.
Let me start by saying that for New York, we got a good sized room at an amazing rate ($155). Also, the location can't be beaten, but it is not quite in Times Square as the name suggests. It is near Times Square, and if you are lucky you might get to see part of it from your room.
The lobby and hallways were pristine, and there is no smoking so the air was great to breathe compared to the smelliness of NYC. Our room however, had some cleanliness issues. They leave two plastic coffee cups in the room, and one of ours had gross brown stains inside. Also, while a bottle-opener is supposed to be in each room, there wasn't one in ours, and it took the guy at least a half hour to bring one up. They also didn't give us a wake-up call that we asked for. The hotel is beautiful, and a quiet sanctuary in NYC. The beds are amazing, and the rooms are nice. But the problems with service make it hard for me to recommend.
I don't love the location--but it's just far enough west of Times Square to not actually be in Times Square. Convenient to the port authority subway station so you can avoid the dreaded Times Square (as if Port. Auth. is a step up).
Everything was very nice and pleasant and my room had a window that OPENED.
Stayed here when my company was exhibiting at New York Comic Con. The location was central and convenient. The rooms were plush and nice without being overly foofy. The bed and shower were great. The food from room service was very good, but the drinks were WAY overpriced. Stop at the bodega across the street on your way up to your room. I would stay here again and recommend it to others.
Plusses
- newer hotel and well maintained
- good breafasst/coffee setup in the platinum lounge
Minuses
- location (I don't like Times Square or 8th Avenue)
- slower chec-in than some others
- can be a bit pricey
- there are 2 TVs in the suites (which aren't really sustes, but rather a large rom with a giant armire in the midle) both on the same remote control frequency. Therefore if you're watching in bed and use the remote to turn on off, the other one turns on!
Rooms just as nice as the W without the accompanying circus in the lobby.
Good work space with comfortable chair. Internet access is kind of a rip @ $14.95 on top of a $400 room, though.
Morning room service is friendly and on time.
Also, as some have noted, the ability to open the window at least a little bit is very nice.
Star scoring scale:
5 = Spectacular
4 = Better than average, really enjoyed it
3 = Average, don't regret it
2 = Disappointing
1 = Abysmal
It's only night one of my stay here at the Westin and can I just say that this bed may very well be the most comfortable bed I have EVER slept in. Couple that with a sirloin cheeseburger with fries and a bottle of Penfold's Shiraz-Cab at 2am after a 9 hour flight to get to New York, and you have a hefty amount of the awesome right here!
Only gripe is that there isn't wireless internet in the room and so as I type this, there is a chord stretched across the room, but other than that, the plasma TV screen ain't bad, the view of Madame Tusso doesn't suck either and so far so good. If anything changes, I will update :)
Okay, so I'm writing this review as a New Yorker who has never actually stayed at this hotel. Now, why would I bother reviewing a hotel that I've never stayed at? Because I often find myself in the theater district, either attending a show/rehearsal or killing time waiting for people, and sometimes a girl just needs to take care of...business. Trust me, I've been in and out of a lot of hotels in this area, and this is the best place to go if you really need to...well, go.
The lobby is on the second floor (accessible via escalator by the 43rd st & 8th ave entrance or thru the Loews Theater entrance on 42nd st) and no one bothers you if you just want to sit and chill on their comfy chairs and couches. It's a good spot if you're in need of some respite from the bustling streets, or if you need to kill time and don't want to go into any of the crowded restaurants/starbucks/pizza joints. But more importantly, if you're in this area and desperate for a toilet, this is the place to go. The bathrooms are clean and spacious, with nice wooden, slatted doors so you really feel like you have some privacy. And it's never crowded either, so you don't have to worry about having an audience, so to speak (it is the theater district, after all).
Sorry if this is TMI for people, but I'm sort of on a quest to find the best "public" bathrooms in the city, and so far, this is one of them.
3.5 stars?
All stars are for the good sized room that this Westin has, hence, I round up to four stars. It's as good of a size as any CA hotel room, which is practically unheard of in NYC. (Well, except the Hilton - NY: http://www.yelp.com/bi... which I personally love.) You don't get any more central to Times Sq, if you actually want to be in Times Sq. for whatever reason, so I round up.
I was on the Executive Level - and perhaps that is why the rooms were larger.
- Kudos for the iMac they have available for use (with a fee, of course....)
- $15 for internet connection, 24 hours, WIRED. That desk holds you HOSTAGE with that wire.
- Free appetizers and non-alcoholic drinks at the Executive Lounge from 6-8 pm daily, only for Exec Level rooms or Club Members. Decent baked ziti was available as well as fresh artichoke hearts and the saltiest olives I have ever had in my whole life. Pellegrino water was available (good, good) as was regular water.
- Um.... water from the mini-bar in the room was $7. At 8 pm, I gawked at the cost. Come 4 AM and on the verge of one nasty hangover, I drank it and thought to myself I'd have paid triple that price. FYI - Duane Reade is right across the street, stock up on day one if you need water, juice, soda, or what have you.
- Starbucks is right across the street. This is great news for anyone who knows my morning habits - - - you do NOT want to be the one to wake me up unless you have a cup of Joe in your hands, made to order - venti, 4 Equals and lots'a cream. Life is better that way - - trust me on this. My friends stand by and I hear whispering, "No, you wake her..."
- "No, you... I'm scared. We don't have coffee."
- "She'll kill me, she likes you more, you wake her."
- "No.... she doesn't like ANYONE that much...."
- "Let's flip for it."
** The loser doesn't end up being the one to wake me but the one that ends up running down to get coffee. Or, you're my boyfriend and it's one of those rare times when you wish you weren't. Hahaha... I know this, but I can't help how I am!! **
Everything else about this hotel is just so-so.
Now, I love Westin Hotels in general - - - their Heavenly bed literally makes me feel like I'm at home, as I own the same bed. :-) The showerheads are cool, and service is usually exemplary, I have found, but not so at this one. Were they awful? No.
Up to par for a $350/night Westin Hotel? TOTALLY NO.
I don't really like the fact that the lobby is on the second floor and that after an elevator ride down, I have to go down the escalators to get to the ground floor to leave the hotel.
Now, the worst of all is this:
200: the number of ambulances that passed by, with sirens on, during my 3 night stay.
423: the number of fire engines that passed by, with sirens on, during my 3 night stay.
1015: the number of police cars that passed by, with sirens on, during my 3 night stay.
4,304,455,663,003: the number of honks I heard during my 3 night stay.
ALL OF IT, heard all day and all night, through the window of my 16th floor hotel room, with great street view with partial water view of the Hudson.
It's a good thing I can sleep through anything.
If you are a light sleeper, go somewhere else. If you are a person who actually needs to sleep, go somewhere else. This is my bad, though, given I am the one who opted to stay smack dab in the middle of Times Sq for some unknown reason, but hey - - I don't expect to hear people talking from 16 floors below!!
Oh, and it could have just been the rooms above and below me, but the toilets, while they were the kind to whoosh down your firstborn if not careful, really strange noises while flushing, like they were in pain or somethin'..... "owwwwwwwwwwwwwww".......... very weird.
Speaking of bathrooms - - what the hell does this hotel have against COUNTERSPACE? I appreciated the stainless idea in the bathrooms, but an inch or two more than the 6 inch counterspace you give the rooms would have been useful.... my blowdryer fell off every time anyone exhaled heavy!
I have ALWAYS loved the beds at Westin/ W Hotels. You can buy them too..if you are so inclined. I enjoy at least one musical, whilst staying in NYC and this is most convenient. And if you are inclined to really be that wild child.... Chef Frank Tujague of The Westin New York hotel at Times Square has also unveiled ...the $1,000 bagel, topped with white truffle cream cheese and goji berry infused Riesling jelly with golden leaves. Sales will help raise funds for culinary school scholarships.
Sounds yum...truffleed cream cheese and goji berry...but I can experiment on my own, thank you very much
I am a sucker for anything free. A free hotel room on the company's bill (I was a stowaway), free bottles of water as you go in and out of the hotel, and free D'Anjou pears to balance out your diet which probably does not include fruit on a daily basis. I would have taken more water than I needed if it were not for my friend who held me back.
The location of the hotel is fantastic. It's right around the corner from the Port Authority Station excellent off the A, C, E if you are coming from the JFK airport. It's one block from the rest of main subway lines, Broadway at your fingertips, and a hilarious gentlemen's club no more than 500 feet away that also offers sushi and steak.
The room dcor was reminiscent of the drab grey W down the street (modern minimalism is in?) but the Westin does have more of a cozy feel to it. The beds were soooooo comfy. You can lie down and feel as if the bed is hugging you. Plus there are no nasty stains here (cheap stab at the W). The TV is a huge 32-inch flat screen HD TV. They will even flash hotel info on the TV (kinda scary but on the day we left, the hotel was going to shut off the water from 9 pm to 5 am and you could only use the bathroom on certain floors. Thank goodness we were outtie.). As for a clock radio, there was an Ipod docking station and the shower was dual head to make it an amazing rain bath experience. We got a free newspaper every day. Sometimes it was USA Today and when they felt we deserved a little more meat, they gave us The Wall Street Journal.
The reason why this is not a 5 star hotel is because the stupid bathroom door was a sliding closet one again. It doesn't really lock/close and it has this semi transparent middle to it that makes for friendly shadows. Woo hoo free show. You just feel the lack of privacy. Also, they feel the need to over crowd the bed with 4 fluffy pillows that are so uncomfortable. I gave up the second night and slept pillow less. It's not worth the hunch back. The Westin is a very tall interesting looking building (kinda ugly in my opinion) and the view from the 27th floor was decent (I stared right into two big ad campaigns). The walls are not exactly sound proof. You will hear the elevator ding every time and the sounds of sirens echo from the street. Welcome to the City.
