TownePlace Suites by Marriott New York Manhattan

We knew the room wouldn’t be large, and it was comfortable enough for the short time we spent there. The exercise room did the job after all the good food, and the complimentary breakfast was well done. Staff were welcoming and helpful, with cookies at the front desk in the evening. Our room was the one between the two flags in the photo.

If you just need somewhere clean and quiet to sleep for a couple of nights and are tired of sorting through endless choices, this is a reasonable option. It felt relatively safe, and the staff were kind. The location puts you near the subway lines and within an easy walk of a lot; Times Square is close but the hotel isn’t right in the noise. Our room had a kitchenette, a comfortable bed, decent storage, a fairly new bathroom, and good bathroom lighting. The room and bathroom were clean and surprisingly quiet. They’ll store your luggage around check-in and checkout, and there’s free breakfast and lobby coffee, though we skipped both for New York bagels. There were some things I’d want other guests to know. I noticed mold in less obvious spots, including the shower grout and the underside of the fabric lamp by the window. The windows weren’t sealed properly, and there was mold around the frame and spreading onto the curtains. It wasn’t enough to make me feel ill, but if you’re very sensitive to mold, this may not suit you. The room also smelled strongly of chemicals when we arrived. I called the front desk, and maintenance brought disinfectant spray, which didn’t seem like it would help much, though they did try. The elevator was slow and frustrating, especially from a high floor if you’d forgotten something. I asked for early check-in on the app and again when we arrived, but our room wasn’t ready until a little after the regular 4 PM time. When our bags came back from storage, my husband’s was unzipped all over. Thankfully nothing was missing, but that wasn’t how we’d left it.

Our suite suited our two-week stay really well, and we enjoyed the complimentary breakfast. The front desk was welcoming and helpful, while the breakfast and maintenance staff were pleasant too. Housekeeping was phenomenal, with such kind people that every interaction was a joy.

The location is fantastic, half a block from a subway entrance and three blocks from Times Square. It was also great being able to leave our luggage at the hotel before check-in and after checkout. The staff were super nice and helpful, and breakfast offered a good mix of food. A couple of things could be better: breakfast could run a little later, until 10 each day, since after long days we sometimes needed extra sleep. Also, the bathroom door didn’t close properly.