I was definitely hoping for better, so here is my review of the Hilton Times Square New York

I admit, sometimes I like to play with fire, though. this time I was convinced I was going for a sure thing Choosing an iconic hotel one of the world's craziest locations and instead it was a resounding FAIL.. Sleeping in Times Square is a dream for everyone who wants to go to New York, but . this hotel is even worse than the W Hotel.

Reservation

Going to New York after the Christmas holidays Is the cheapest possible solution, companies know this and organize the famous "week" of restaurants, hotels and broadway between Jan. 6 and Valentine's Day. Discounts at top restaurants, hotels and at shows to counter a steep decline in tourist attendance.

This hotel, the last few times I had looked never cost less than 400$ plus tax, an insane amount, but how insane are the prices in NY. But January is low season and so when I saw that the price of a room during my stay was less than 100$ I decided to try it, just because it was reopened last year after a multimillion-dollar makeover of dollars.

The outrageous thing is that at the price of the room I had to add more than the 50% by junk fees and miscellaneous taxes. Certainly this is not the priod to waste points on rooms that cost so little.

Location

I have already explained other times to check 3 times when reading "Times Square" in a hotel address, it could be 20 blocks away and call itself that to fool the traveler.

Here, however, we are 3 minutes from the world's most famous square (or clearing). Far enough away not to hear the noise, but close enough to say I'm in downtown NY.

We are on 42nd, in front of the theater hosting the Harry Potter musical, two doors down from Madame Tussauds and above the theater that houses Alladin, in short we really are in Times Square.

Check-in

It was the first time I checked in 100% digital, without going through the front desk, and using only the digital key in the Hilton Honors app, also because right now there is a promo giving away 500 HHonors points If you use the digital version and do not require the physical key.

I chose the room, 44th floor, and completed everything well before arriving at the hotel, upon my arrival I went up to the lobby floor and headed for the room elevators, without stopping to show ID or anything else.

With the app I activated the elevator to go up to the 44th floor and to open the door to the room et voila I was in the room.

The room

Crazy disappointment, I expected to see a revamped modern product and instead it was a room from the 1980s with a giant screen, that's it.

The point is that had I not known about the renovations, the 478-room hotel reopened in time for Christmas 2022, I would never have gone there. Instead, I wanted to see the fruit of this multimillion-dollar renovation., but I have to say that I checked 3 times to see if by chance the work had been done in another hotel, because I honestly did NOT see anything new. On the contrary.

My room was one with a Times Square view, but the view is like when at the Pinuccia guesthouse in Rivabella they tell you the room is sea view, then you get to the room and you look out and see the sea in the distance between buildings.

The lights in Times Square are barely visible, the only thing is the New Year's ball is very clearly visible, but that's all.

The bathroom is still from the 1980s. Bathtub with curtain that not even Rag. Fantozzi Ugo had at home. Zero plastic (good) but empty bath foam jar (bad).

Bed not up to the Hilton brand, of the room I save only the size, which was generous.

The hotel

Dirty and half a construction site. Really a crazy disappointment, there is no lobby, there is a bar in the small central clearing and a few sofas, nothing more.

There is construction going on in the hall, and guests have to drink and chat amidst one carpenter screwing plywood and the other moving equipment, and there is virtually nothing else. Or rather there should be a gym, but not even seen the signs.

Breakfast

In 2021 Hilton Honors removed the free breakfast benefit for those with status in U.S. hotels. A novelty made in response to a demand for member freedom (according to Hilton) now those with status have a voucher to spend at the hotel to pay for breakfast (or rather part of the breakfast), or other services (when there are any).

My surprise, however, was in the morning when I went down to the main floor, the one that besides the bar houses the restaurant, I found that it was closed for construction and that if you wanted you could take a packed lunch, like at school on field trip day.

Automatic check-out

How I arrived, I left without talking to anyone from the hotel. Maybe better because I would have had a lot to complain about. except I had to change my mind when I received the invoice via email. Wrong bill because they had "forgotten" to deduct from the bar charges my credit as Diamond Hilton Honors.

In conclusion

Of course the location is top And the distant noise, but everything else is absolutely insufficient for the brand it represents. Of course I paid a little more than 100$, or rather that was the cost of the room to which I also had to add over 50$ in taxes, of which 35$ was destination charge a levy that the chains came up with to raise the final price of the stay.

Never again.

• Hilton Honors