Although I'm not that familiar with New York prices, this hotel seemed very reasonable for a 4* in midtown Manhattan: we paid approx GBP125 (USD240) per room per night for a 'Superior' room (booked as a package via Expedia). Not sure if they're always that competitive but it seems so based on other reviews.
For the price you get a great location: obviously midtown Manhattan is convenient (the Villages and Soho to the South, Central Park to the North, Broadway theatres and Madisson/Park Avenue shops on the doorstep etc) but this hotel's biggest advantage is Bryant Park itself, one of New York's finest. Well manicured, cultured and calming, largely due to the spillover from the city's beautiful public library that occupies the eastern end - it's a great retreat at any time of the day.
Apart from the benefits of its location, the hotel also has a lot of style: an historic skyscraper (Art Deco) painted in black with gold highlights; a hip and young crowd in the cellar bar (maybe too young?); attentive and friendly staff.
The room we had was great too but partly because we got lucky - our window opened onto a terraced area with a table and chairs (only a few floors have these, ours was on the 14th). The room was in the 'Superior' category (the lowest) which was a good enough size (but may have felt small without the terrace) and had all the amenities you'd expect of a modern 4*: flatscreen TV, luxury toiletries (Molton Brown), bathrobes, minibar with ice bucket etc.
All in all, I rated this hotel very highly. The staff were great - very responsive to any request and almost always friendly (that's special for New York!). It has a great midtown location with a charming park immediately opposite (which reduces the noise levels, also special for New York). With all this, the room rate represented great value.
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