Loud, bright, brilliant for first-timers, exhausting after night three. Here's what we'd actually book in Times Square — what to avoid, and where the savvier travellers go a few blocks south for a better deal.
Quick verdict: Times Square is the best base for first-time New York visitors who want everything on the doorstep — Broadway shows, the subway hubs, the lights, the energy. It's also the worst value for money if you're staying more than three nights, the noisiest, and the most tourist-saturated patch of the city. Our advice: book the right hotel just on the edge of Times Square (between 7th and 8th Avenue, 47th-50th Street is the sweet spot) and you get all the buzz with significantly less of the chaos.
Modern, well-located on 45th Street and 7th Avenue, with a rooftop bar (Bar 54) that's actually one of the best skyline views in Midtown. Walking distance to all the Broadway theatres, two subway hubs, and the Empire State Building. Reliable Hyatt-standard rooms; rare in central Manhattan, you can usually get a king room with floor-to-ceiling windows. Mid-range pricing — typically £230–£340 per night. The pick we'd most often book ourselves.
Check Prices on Hotels.com →The big-brand reliability of Hilton with a 44th Street location that's right in the action without being on the main square itself. Larger rooms than most Times Square hotels, family suites available, and Hilton Honors points if you're a member. Decent on-site bar and restaurant, which matters when the kids are knackered after a Broadway matinee. Typically £270–£390.
Check Prices on Hotels.com →The Pod chain specialises in genuinely small but cleverly-designed rooms at honest prices — usually £140–£210 per night, which is rare in central Manhattan. Don't expect a suite; expect a tiny, clean, modern room with a queen bed and not much else. Perfectly fine for couples who'll be out exploring all day. The 42nd Street location is on the south edge of Times Square, which we actually prefer.
Check Prices on Hotels.com →A landmark 1906 building above the 42nd Street subway, recently overhauled into a properly luxurious hotel with a Charlie Palmer restaurant and a famous rooftop bar (St. Cloud) overlooking the New Year's Eve ball drop. If you want Times Square but feel like you're somewhere quietly elevated above it, this is your hotel. £380–£560.
Check Prices on Hotels.com →Honest answer: it depends on your trip type and how long you're staying.
It's your first NYC trip, you have 2–4 nights, you're seeing Broadway shows, you're travelling with first-time visitors who'd be disappointed by anywhere else, or you're nervous about navigating the city.
You're staying 5+ nights, you've been before, you'd find the constant noise wearing, or you'd rather your money went further. Try Midtown East, Hell's Kitchen, or the Garment District — all 10-minute walks from Times Square at noticeably lower prices.
Hotels brand themselves as "Times Square" if they're roughly between 40th and 53rd Street, between 6th and 9th Avenue. That's a generous definition — a hotel on 40th and 9th is a 12-minute walk from the actual square. We'd consider these the real tiers:
Real GBP prices, free cancellation on most rooms.
Search Times Square Hotels →Yes, on lower floors with a square-facing room. NYPD sirens are loud, drunk Broadway-goers leaving theatres are louder, and the LED billboards make some hotel rooms genuinely bright at night. Three things help: ask for a high floor (above 25th), ask for an interior or side-facing room (not a "Times Square view"), and pack earplugs. Most quality Times Square hotels now have proper double-glazing, but it's not universal.
Yes, just. Central Park's south entrance is at 59th Street; Times Square is 42nd–47th. So a 12–17 minute walk depending on your hotel. Subway is faster (one stop on the N/Q/R from 49th Street to 5th Ave/59th).
Yes, this is the genuine selling point. Most Broadway theatres are on the side streets between 41st and 53rd Street — so any Times Square hotel puts you 5 minutes' walk from your show. Worth booking matinees if you can; you'll see two shows a day and still have evenings free.
From JFK: AirTrain to Jamaica, then E or A train to 42nd Street/Times Square. About 75 minutes total, costs around $11. Yellow cab is faster (45–60 minutes) but $80+ with tip. From Newark: AirTrain to Newark Penn Station, then NJ Transit to Penn Station, then short walk or one stop on the subway. About 60 minutes, $15. See our full transfer guide.
They don't, much — Times Square itself is for tourists. The locals' drinks are five minutes' walk away in Hell's Kitchen (try Westside Tavern, Don't Tell Mama for piano bar, or anywhere on 9th Avenue between 42nd and 50th) or three blocks east in the Bryant Park / Madison Square Garden area. Your hotel concierge will know the difference.
Times Square's geographic strength is its central position. Within walking distance:
From Times Square you can reach virtually anywhere else in Manhattan via the 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R, W, or shuttle subway lines (all converge at the 42nd Street/Times Square station — the second-busiest subway station in the city after Grand Central). It's a genuine transport hub which is why all the hotels are here.
Families with kids under 10 sometimes find Times Square overwhelming. The good news: you can have a Times Square base and easily escape to Central Park, the Museum of Natural History, or Bryant Park's carousel within 15 minutes by subway. Hotel rooms with two double beds (rather than one king + sofa) are easier to find at the Hilton, Marriott Marquis, and Sheraton. Bring snacks — kids' menus are limited and food prices in tourist restaurants are eye-watering. See our family hotels guide.