I go to New York often on business as well as on leisure as I have family there and I personally also spent 20 years living there in the past.
My favorite hotel to stay in when I go to New York is the Residence Inn New York Manhattan/Times Square. It’s actually not in Times Square rather in Bryant Park which is a very charming park and away from the touristy trap of Times Square. Personally, I would never stay in Times Square as it’s too many people and too crowded so if you are going to a meeting in rush rush hour or lunch during the afternoon you have to navigate through the crowded streets full of tourists, mickey mouse and Iron Man costume hustlers. pan handlers and the hoards of people selling hop on hop off tours to tourists.
Staying in Bryant Park you get a lot less of the madness of Times Square yet having a really charming Park right by to read a book or grab lunch and enjoy the park benches. If you are going in the Summer then there is free Cinema in the park playing old school black and white films.
Staying in the Residence inn by Bryant Park also means you are walking distance to Times Square, Broadway, Macys, Herald Square, Madison Square Park and the Flat Iron District and most of all you are 20 steps away from the 42nd Street Bryant Park B and D train Subway lines. You’re also a 5 min walk away from Grand Central Station on 42nd Street.
After the location, let’s talk about the hotel. The rooms are bigger for New York standards than other hotels because the concept is kitchenette. So, you’ll have your own sink and fridge for all those left over food at the thousands of restaurants nearby.
The hotel includes free breakfast although it gets quite crowded there. No matter though as there are famous New York City bagels near by and plenty of New York food carts. The hotel doesn’t have a pool or rooftop, but you don’t go to New York for a pool anyway. For a rooftop you can go to nearby 230 Fifth Rooftop bar which is one the best in the city with views of Empire State Building.
Contributor: Ahmed