Hilton Garden Inn Times Square Central in New York City, NY

We had a short but great stay! Michelle at the check-in desk was amazing! Give that girl a raise! We have stayed at many locations in Manhattan and we would go back to this one just because of Michelle. Friendly staff, clean hotel, great location!

When we arrived, they had a housekeeper or two leave for the day, sick. Therefore our room wasn't ready. They were so short-handed that it was after 6:00 pm before we were allowed in our room (& my partner is even a Hilton Diamond-For-Life Member.) Yes, we were tired and grumpy from a long day of traveling, however "Ibeth" behind the front desk couldn't have made our wait any more pleasant. We could tell she was really doing her best to make a bad situation better, as she knew we had theater tickets for a 7:00 show. Ibeth saw to it that we received complimentary drinks in the lounge, and even "upgraded" us to a larger room. Thank you Ibeth. You were amazing.

We’ve always stayed at the Holiday Inn Express closer to the Javitts Center but this trip was mostly going to be in the Times Square area. We were nervous switching it up but so glad we did. Check in was smooth. Ground level is just security and elevators. The lobby is the next level up. Check in was slow with only one worker at the desk at 2:50 PM on a Thursday. One of our two rooms was ready so we took all of our stuff to the one room and then went back to the lobby to wait on keys for the second. It was a 30 minute wait but they were polite and we were happy the second room was on the same floor as the first. They gave us 600 points for the wait. Not much but a nice gesture. Room 1204 King was at the end of the hallway, faced away from the street, was furthest from the elevators but the floor only has 10 rooms so it’s a small hallway, and a larger bathroom and open area around the far side of the bed than our second room did. There’s a small fridge and microwave in every room. The desk space is small but for a NYC hotel, the space and closet/drawers were pleasantly surprising. Our second room (1210 King) was right off the elevator. It faced 42nd street and was a little smaller both bathroom and floor space than 1204. Even with the street and elevators, our 20 year old kids said they slept great. They loved the view and couldn’t hear the elevators. Showers were warm and there was always a cart of clean towels in the hallway so we just got our own when we needed them. Because they don’t really empty garbage in the rooms or clean during a three night stay, we put some garbage in the hallway by the cart because it wouldn’t fit in our can. No one ever picked it up. That was a little strange when we know house keeping was on our floor. There was an ice machine on our floor and it worked great. Our pillows were so bad - totally flat with no support. My husband ended up balling up a hoodie and tucking it under his head. Even our 20 year olds said sleep could have been better with better pillows. If you have any neck issues, I’d consider dragging your own pillows along. The tv channels were weird - you have to go channel one to view the scrolling menu and then go the channel you want. We weren’t there to watch television but when we did, it was a process. There are three elevators and they’re typical NYC slow when it’s busy. We did the 12 story trip on the stairs twice because we got tired of waiting but the other times were fine. That’s no fault of the hotel - it’s just NYC. When we arrived our floor smelled very badly of marijuana smoke. People on the elevators even commented when the doors opened for us to get on. It was too overwhelming to ignore and was potent in both of our rooms in opposite ends of the hallway. We decided to stop in the lobby and ask if something could be done. The manager was at her desk and was on it immediately. When we returned a few hours later it smelled like a neutralizing spray but then dissipated. There was no trace of the marijuana smell or spray swell after that. We were very appreciative. They told us they went door to door on our floor. That was a big deal to us and the smell didn’t return. Security was at the entrance every time we came or went. Late at night you have to use your room key to even get inside. You also have to use your key to make the elevators go anywhere but the lobby. Security wasn’t really friendly or welcoming but they did their jobs. The location is really great. 5 minutes from Rockefeller Center, less than 5 to Lyric theater (Harry Potter), lots of restaurants and shops, around the corner from Joe’s pizza and a CVS, and 2 minutes from Bryant Park. Chicken Guy will be opening next door but wasn’t ready yet. Rosetta bakery is a few doors down - nice for pastries, sandwiches, and coffee drinks. There is a bar and restaurant at the hotel lobby level but we didn’t try anything out. We were disappointed the fitness center was closed with no mention of it online when we booked. At check out we always try to physically hand in our keys and get a printed copy of the bill. We’re glad we stood in line 20 minutes because our bill was wrong and they had to fix it. Hopefully it all works out when my credit card bill arrives. We parked at Icon parking on 40th. There’s also another garage on 43rd beside Tony’s. We highly recommend making reservations for Tony’s. Fantastic Italian - family style. It’s right through the tunnel/walkway across from the hotel. But you’ll need reservations. When we go back to the city - this will be our new go-to hotel. Nice job to Hilton and the staff there.

The hotel is excellent. I wanted to mention specially that Joanne Fouché , the manager on duty is a real hero. I did reach the hotel on January 1st, 2025 with my daughter after 9 hours of a road trip that started in Montreal Canada. I did book a room at this hotel on September 26th 2024 through super.com with a prepaid fare in full. When checking in , it turned out that super.com did cancel my booking in October 2024 ! Joanne was kind enough to rebook me at the hotel for 1 night with my daughter although this was not her problem and it was shortfall from the travel agent. Thank you very much Joanne, what you did is remarkable. You are a true asset for the Hilton hotels group. Your action is what it takes to build a customer loyalty.

Situated in the prime location, the hotel is a wise pick. The staff is polite and doesn't look disinterested as we have had a few in Hilton Garden Inn at South Midtown west, 54th st. There is goof coffee/tea / beverages option available at the lobby. Rooms are average.