The name says it all. The hotel is situated directly on Times Square, unlike many area hotels that make the same claim, but are actually located a few blocks away.
I usually stay at hotels in SoHo or other neighborhoods that aren't so busy, but my Midwestern friend wanted to be in the heart of the Big Apple. His wish was granted. <grin>
Overall, my stay was good. I requested a higher floor with nice views and my expectations were met. The size of the room was typical for Manhattan - no room for even a chair but enough space for our belongings. When I needed various items (silverware, extra towels, etc.), the housemen delivered them in a timely manner.
The positive and negative aspects of the hotel (IMHO) are the following:
Positive
1) I loved the decor (especially the ground floor waterfall) and high energy music. Stepping off the elevator Saturday night and hearing "No Diggity" (don't laugh!) blaring in the popular lobby bar got me ready for a night out on the town. If you're looking for Ritz-Carlton decor and Wilson Phillips/Enya/John Tesh songs playing softly in the lobby, this ain't the place for you.
2) The views, if you're in staying in certain rooms, are spectacular; especially if you're still a small-town boy/girl at heart and love seeing "big buildings".
3) If you want to see one of the countless Broadway shows in the surrounding area, you can't beat the location, natch.
4) The complimentary ride (minus gratuity) to Penn Station in the hotel's Acura was greatly appreciated.
5) The bellman who assisted us upon arrival was very friendly and didn't seem to pressure us for a tip. We still gave him one, of course.
Negative
1) Minus the aforementioned housemen and bellman, most staff I encountered were aloof and rarely made eye contact. (example: upon arrival, a doorman grabbed one of our bags from the taxi; my $5 tip didn't even result in a simple "thank you" or smile) Maybe it's the hipness factor of where they work, but still, your main responsibility is to make sure each guest feels welcomed.
2) If you're sharing a room, I hope you're comfortable with him or her seeing the blurred details of you stepping out of the shower or answering nature's call. The sliding door wasn't really an issue, but the blurred "glass" wall-like partition led to a bathroom lights-off policy when one of us needed some privacy.
3) This isn't the hotel's fault, mind you, but if you want access to nearby affordable restaurants and convenience stores, this is probably not the best place for you. (examples: a pack of cigarettes at a Times Square retailer is $4 more than a nearby store; the Times Square locations of Olive Garden and TGI Friday's, places I wouldn't frequent anyway, mark up their food by nearly 50%)
Despite the staff and exhibitionist-friendly bathroom, I recommend this hotel for first-time visitors to NYC or theatergoers. I'll probably choose the nearby Westin or Chatwal hotels on my next trip though.
Full disclosure: I'm a Starwood employee, but my stay was not business-related, I don't know any of the W New York - Times Square employees, and no one has asked me to write this review.
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