The location is decent and close to Broadway shows. It is a very crowded and loud area, also difficult to get cabs in front of hotel due to pedestrian traffic and road closings (random). Room was larger than a typical NYC hotel room but nothing special. Staff was way below average. Very long waits at check in, no follow ups on requests. The phones to guest services never worked and when calling the front desk, the phone must have rang about 50 times on each occasion. It was a very inconvenient stay and I would not go out of my way to stay here again. I used to live in NYC and travel there several times a year on business - this hotel falls into the way below average category on all marks.

We recently stayed at this hotel for a wedding that we attended at the Tavern on the Green in Central Park. I found this hotel to be very centrally located. Madame Tussauds Wax Museum was right outside about 2 doors down, there is an Applebees on the hotel ground level, Coldstones across the street and any type of food you could want on 42nd street a few doors away. Walking on 42nd street was very ineteresting and crowded. We wanted food one evening/morning at around 3 am and we were told that room service is not 24hrs at this hotel so we wandered out in a search for food. Times Square is only one block over so we went there to find food. There were so many people still out on the streets you would never have known that it was past midnight. The crown changes from day to evening from tourists and working people to club kids and some other unsavory type of people but if you walk with purpose and dont stare at people you will not be bothered. A few points about the hotel:

1. We are Hilton gold rewards members through AMEX so were upgraded to a 42nd floor corner roo with panaramic views from two sides. If you are a rewards memeber remember to rquest and upgrade because they do not have an executive level at this hotel, which is what they will normally give.

2. Also, we were given complimentary breakfast for two for all of the days we stayed, again because they did not have an exeutive level to put us on. This was good becasue the breakfast or two was $52....and it was edible but not great.

3. The bellman on the ground floor will ask to see your room key if you are trying to enter the hotel at night so make sure you have it to avoid an unneccesary hassle.

4. You have o valet your car on 41st street entrance if you are parking. They do not have self park for the hotel. Also, when you are leaving call the bellstand about 30-40 minutes prior to when you need the car or you will be waiting for your car. They park in a lot 5 blocks away. FYI, parking is $42 per day.

All in alll we enjoyed this hotel. Service was good, concierge was very helpful and all of the staff was friendly. I will be returning with my children to stay and sightsee.

Stayed for 5 nights in July 2008.

Good points:
1) spacious room which was well maintained and cleaned well each day. Great views from 25th floor (although 44th floor afforded much better obviously!) Very quiet (apart from occasional late night corridor noise (no double doors and door to room very ill fitting with big gap at the bottom of the door));
2) location is great as is very central and enabled walking to many places

Bad points:

1) breakfast charges were extortionate ($30 per head per adult!). Meant having the inconvenience of having to go out and get breakfast each day as simply not prepared to encourage such rip offs anywhere esp when paying for 4. To add insult to injury, one day as we were on our way out, the sales desk man by the elevators stated that he was "excited and proud about the breakfast on offer" in an attempt to persuade us to stay (clearly few do!). It is very simple Hilton Hotels: sell the breakfasts at a reasonable rate and people will buy them. Hardly rocket science;

2) Rooms advertised with internet access - it does not exist. You have to go to the conference centre and pay extra. Not so great on a business trip.

3) Too many sales pitches in the lobby - each day we were bombarded with something as we went to and fro including the chance to return to the hotel within 12 months for $149 per night. Having paid $429 per night this was somewhat irritating... but the offer turned out to be a timeshare sales pitch and we would have to have committed to go to a sales event to secure the rate offered. Hey ho! Luckily we are not that gullible...AND...next time we are in NYC, we'll be staying elsewhere away from the desperation of the Hilton group.

Convenience and service are two key words for this hotel. We checked in late Friday night and were treated respectfully by all staff. Check out was just as easy and again we were treated very well. Room was clean and cool considering the temperature on TImes Square was 100. Rooms were quiet, view was spectacular, service was excellent. Couldn't ask for a better location to Theater District.