New York Marriott Marquis

The location and property are excellent, with beautiful rooms and views. Staff were generally friendly and helpful. The elevators were a little frustrating, as others have said, but they didn't delay us much. It's an excellent location for Broadway shows and shopping. I am concerned about the hotel's technology and billing process, though. We started lining up to check out and make sure the daily $40 fee had been charged and offset by the promised credits, but a service agent wouldn't let us into the line. We're Marriott elite members, and I've never had that happen. He kept telling us it takes the hotel over 48 hours to process charges and there wouldn't be a receipt yet. When I said I'd just check the posted charges, he said there wouldn't be any yet. For a hotel this size, it's concerning that they can't post charges as they happen. It gave the impression they wanted us off the property so we couldn't easily deal with bill issues. Not a great look. They should upgrade technology so staff can see guests' current amounts due.

The rooms were in great shape and very comfortable, and some have great Times Square views. Housekeeping was kind, and the hotel was surprisingly clean for Times Square. The rooftop bar is really nice and definitely worth a visit if you're there. The elevator wait is a problem: at busy times, expect 5-10 minutes each way. I can't imagine the wait on a top floor. I've stayed at hundreds of Marriotts and never had my room downgraded. Double-check and maybe call ahead to make sure they have the room you booked. The staff managed to work it out, which I appreciated, but the tone was unnecessarily aggressive and made me feel like a nuisance. Maybe that's just a NY thing, but she was the only person who offended me on a four-day trip. The hotel is a solid choice, but after that customer service, I wouldn't return unless I had an event there.

My husband and I stayed four nights while attending a conference at the hotel. The staff were excellent, and the place was very clean. Our room faced Times Square, and being only steps from the Broadway shows I saw was nice. Times Square wouldn't be high on my list if choosing somewhere to stay in NYC, since there are much prettier parts of the city. But if you need to be in Times Square, this is a good choice.

Housekeeping was a bright spot throughout our stay, always attentive and helpful, and the room was average in size with a modern bathroom. But we won't come back, mainly because of the crowding and wait. It may be Times Square, but it's super crowded and not for us. The hotel is enormous, with nearly 2,000 rooms, yet only one main breakfast venue. We gave up after waiting about an hour to be seated the first morning. Check-in took more than four hours, and we saw many other guests sitting on the lobby benches with luggage, waiting for rooms. I had to find a manager and plead for our room assignment to be expedited before he finally sorted it out. Reception staff kept saying the hotel was so big that it wasn't easy to handle everything. They seemed overwhelmed, and their attitude toward guests showed it. If they can't handle the load, they should hire more people. Next time I'll choose somewhere else.