Artel Hotel by The Red Collection Times Square

The afternoon snacks and drinks were a nice perk after a long day out, and breakfast was very good with plenty of choices to start the day. Joana deserves a special mention. She was sweeping the lobby and serving beers in the afternoon, always cheerful, kind, and helpful. She made our stay even more enjoyable. The hotel was spotless, with roomy, well equipped rooms that had everything we needed to feel comfortable. Its location was convenient for exploring the city, and the staff were incredibly friendly and welcoming. I had a wonderful stay at Element Times Square and highly recommend it.

The kitchenette was a useful extra, and the room itself was much like other hotels I’ve stayed in. But that bed was unbelievably uncomfortable. I only managed to sleep because I’d spent so much time walking around town, and I woke up with a lot of back pain every morning.

The studio was spacious, modern, and handy for a longer stay, with a full kitchenette and a comfortable bed. Breakfast was included and had a good range of fresh choices, which added to the value. The location also worked well: Times Square, Broadway, Penn Station, and Javits Center were close by on foot or by subway, while being a block or two away from the busiest stretch made nights quieter. Check-in was fine, though staff seemed stretched and took a while to respond to requests. I’d come back for the room and convenience. Four stars.

The one thing this hotel has going for it is the location. It’s near Times Square, subway lines, and the bus terminal, with many major areas in walking distance. The elevator problems mentioned in some reviews felt minor compared with everything else. Our room was in rough shape. The mattress and bed frame sagged badly, squeaked loudly, and left us with back pain. The bathroom flooded whenever we showered, and the heater was extremely noisy. We changed rooms because of the bed, but the original room was then given to another guest, which made me question how maintenance was handled. Getting help was a struggle throughout the stay. The front desk usually had only one or two people, even when the hotel was busy, so lines were long at all hours and the lobby felt chaotic. Housekeeping didn’t come daily. A towel request took about four hours, even after we followed up several times in the Bonvoy app and went to the desk in person. Staff apologized and mentioned understaffing, but didn’t offer a solution. Guests shouldn’t have to make up for poor operations. We also left a personal item in the first room when we moved. I reported it that same evening and explained where it was, but the hotel took far too long to check and kept saying they couldn’t find it. The way this was dealt with felt very unprofessional and left me concerned about housekeeping. Keep a close eye on your belongings, check the room carefully before leaving, and ask for anything you need well ahead of time. Don’t count on basic hotel service. It may work if all you need is somewhere to sleep and your expectations are very low.