For a hotel in Midtown Manhattan this is superb value. Even though this is the "poor cousin" of the Hilton family, it is still quite a good standard, a notch above what you would expect at this price point (I repeat: in Manhattan).
Some reviewers have said it's "off the beaten track"...well, Manhattan is huge so wherever you are, some things will be far away. Three or four blocks from the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, Macy's, and walking distance to Times Square does not sound "off the beaten track" to me!
I stayed three nights at the end of September 2009. I landed here because of the reviews on TripAdvisor and I don't regret it. I booked directly on HGI website. The price for a high-rise ("city view") room was initially somewhere around $160-180 I think, already great value. I was ready to book, suddenly I got an even better deal on my screen, I ended up paying little over $110 a night with an advance-purchase, no-refund deal ! Anyway, I think below $180 it would be hard to find something better in Manhattan.
Staff was very pleasant and helpful. Breakfast was good (Contrary to other reviewers, I had breakfast in the hotel and would recommend it, it's worth it). The room was a good size, air conditioning a bit noisy and sometimes chilly, so I switched it off. Fantastic Aeron-type chair, flat TV, cable service with HBO. Complimentary internet at reception, wireless in room. Tiny little gym (open 24h, unsupervised) with three or four cardio machines, some weights and Swiss balls. All this at no charge, which I found very pleasant.
Yes, you will need a cab or subway ride (key lines at the doorstep) to go to Central Park, Soho, Wall Street, Harlem, or wherever you are headed. But from these places you would need a ride to Times Square, the Empire State building, Macy's or Madison Square garden, which are all near this hotel !
Oh, about the elevators issue that other reviewers mention. It is true. One narrow and tall building, only two elevators: so in the morning at checkout time you may have to wait a good while.
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