Holiday Inn New York City - Times Square by IHG — Hotel in New York

I recently stayed 19 consecutive nights in this hotel. I got a group rate, so I can't comment on the typical cost to say whether it is "worth it." But, for the group rate, the answer is yes.

The room is a decent size for a NYC hotel room. I had two double beds. In my "ability to relax" section, I deducted points because the bed is smaller than I am accustomed to, so it was harder for me to sleep. That's not the fault of the hotel, so if you are fine with a double or are getting a King room, this won't be an issue. They had a "soft" and "firm" pillow, so there were options for pillow types.

With Covid, the restaurant is closed. So while there is no food or beverage on site, there is a fridge in the room and plenty of eateries close by. There is a microwave on the lower level, but getting to it is a chore (more on that below).

The front desk staff was top tier. Rocky was my favorite. They also were friendly every time I entered or exited. When I had an issue, they quickly resolved it. They made my stay more enjoyable.

Downside of the hotel: THE ELEVATORS. As previous reviews have indicated, there are only 2 elevators in a 35 floor hotel. There is even a sign of "peak elevator hours" and when it is best to use it (for reference, they state you should use it 11pm-8am for it to be shortest wait time). The hotel was sold out my first week there. I did not wait 15 minutes, but I did wait 5-10 minutes frequently (multiple times a day). Also, a large number of people would squeeze on. When you thought no more could possibly fit, more would squeeze. We exceeded the weight limit, but it was not possible to ride otherwise. If you are on a lower floor, the elevator will always be full when going down, so many people would have to take the stairs. Also, cleaning staff have to take their cleaning supplies between floors, so they also occupy the elevator. They have the ability to turn a key and skip floors, so sometimes you could hear the elevator pass your floor and never stop. As long as you plan accordingly that the elevator process will take a long time, you can get around this inconvenience. It did make using the microwave a bit of an impossibility because it took forever to get to the lower level and even longer to get back to your room.

Another downside of the hotel is that there is a "public park" outside the hotel doors. This is inhabited 24/7 with houseless people. While I was not bothered by this, it is something to consider. You will get asked for money or spoken to many times throughout your stay. I also saw someone shoot heroin right around the corner of the hotel (38th and 8th avenue) one morning.

As far as housekeeping, the housekeepers are inconsistent. They would not provide the same things every day. For example, we wouldn't get cups or coffee or wash cloths or toilet paper. This could be rectified by reaching out to the front desk, but it was a bit of a hassle.

If you want a hotel that is a convenient location to Times Square, this hotel provides it. It is clean and has friendly staff. If you do not mind houseless people sleeping outside your hotel or waiting extended times for the elevator, you will be fine here.

Would I stay again? I would, provided the rate was good. While there were things that I wish were different, I still had an...

Updated for fourth visit in last 2 years- elevators still slow, staff still friendly, rooms reasonably updated and clean, and still the best bargain anywhere near Times Square as this is still one of the only hotels with no bogus "resort/ amenity fee". What a view of the Empire State Building from the higher floors! New pics added. PREVIOUS REVIEW: We stay here often for an affordable, simple room at a great location. Typically pay about $175 per night for a King Room With Manhattan View on non-peak weekends. They do not charge any "amenity/ resort" fees at all which is GREATLY appreciated. 5/10 minute easy walk from Penn station later, arrived at 11:15AM. Front desk ladies (who were EXCELLENT and super helpful the whole stay) quickly got us checked in early on the 33rd floor. Room was small / typical NYC size but we are only sleeping there so not a problem. This hotel is like a tiny skinny toothpick, each floor very tight and small with about 8-10 rooms around a single 2-car elevator shaft in the middle. We had wonderful views of the river and city lights and the window even cracked open a little. There is in-room Keurig and refrigerator. Large containers of Dove push button hand soap, lotion, body wash, shampoo, and conditioner in the bathroom. The bed cover was a summer weight duvet about the texture of a sheet and had a little staining on it - basically February in NYC and you have 2 sheets to cover with. Luckily the heat and AC works good. All the rooms are pretty close to the elevator shaft which does make some banging noise as it goes up and down. They only have 2 elevators so definitely factor 15 minutes to get up and down . Overall room was quiet at night once you got used to the elevator sound (more a dull background noise not too obtrusive). Lower floors definitely get a decent amount of street noise from cars and sirens. Shower was nice and renovated and pretty hot every day. This hotel is completely safe and secure, the comments about loiters outside is complete nonsense, those reviewers must have never been in a big city before. Upon checkout, they stored our bags for us at no charge (do tip $1-2 per bag though) until the end of the day. Never had to wait more than 2-3 minutes for the elevators or to get help at the front desk. No free coffee/ water in lobby, but they will provide extra Keurig pods for your room if needed Overall in NYC it is all LOCATION and this place has it - near to Penn, Theaters, and Times Square, we would gladly stay...

This is a bit of a hard review for me. As you can see above, my rating for individual items doesn't add up to the overall rating.

This hotel is very close to times square, Penn station and port authority. It's close to touristy things and is equally convenient for business. It's location is amazing.

As I walked into the hotel lobby, it did not feel like a holiday inn property. This is perhaps more New York and less the property. The lobby is tiny and seems shabby. The check-in desks are too cramped and lots of boxes all around. It doesn't give the impression of a holiday inn property. I in fact even checked if this was a holiday inn express, only to get confirmation that this was not. And the express is just a few blocks away.

The biggest challenge with this hotel is the lift. The most time, I spent waiting for the lift was around 16 minutes. I was on the 28th floor. The lift was already full when I somehow squeezed in. Post that it was an incredibly slow journey down with the elevator stopping at each floor with no one able to get in.

The rooms are small but well designed. I don't really expect much more in NY. Everything worked. And no complaints about the rooms. Some maintenance work will help. The digital clock in my room was broken and the display could not be read. Don't know why it just can't be taken away.

The bedside plug points are too loose. Yes you heard me right, I did not know that American sockets could run loose.

And I would have liked for the house phone to be placed at the study table. The bedside table is too small to accommodate the large phone, my mobile phone and a bottle of water.

All of this was more than compensated by the views. My room had an amazing view of the empire state building.

The breakfast is fantastic. I was ushered in through an ugly glass door that had monochrome Paper stuck. But as you walk though the door, you reach a tastefully done bar that also serves breakfast. The wood all around makes this place nice, warm and inviting. This made for a great start to the day.

The breakfast spread is limited but is well balanced. No complaints here at all.

The staff is generally helpful. Except for one person who wasn't very helpful and perhaps needs training, my interactions with everyone else was above average. If it hadn't been for this one person, my rating for staff would have been a 5.

I would recommend this place without having to...