We stayed at the Holiday Inn Times Square in April 2026 as a family of three (two adults and one teenager). We chose the hotel primarily for its location, which is undeniably excellent—very central and convenient for accessing Times Square and most areas of Manhattan.
However, our first impression on arrival was not particularly positive. The outside of the hotel often had groups of people sitting around smoking and drinking, which didn’t create the most welcoming atmosphere. Inside, the reception area is very small, dated, and quite cramped. Unlike many hotels where the lobby feels spacious and impressive, this one felt busy and limited, with just a small check-in desk, a vending machine, a cash machine, and lifts.
We stayed for four nights in a room with two double beds, though these were more like three-quarter size rather than full doubles. The room itself was extremely compact, and overall the hotel feels quite dated. The carpets, furnishings, blinds, and air conditioning unit all seemed in need of updating.
Space was a real issue. With luggage, it became quite difficult to move around, and storage was minimal. The wardrobe could only hold a handful of items, and there was nowhere practical to store suitcases once unpacked. The in-room safe also didn’t feel particularly secure as it wasn’t fixed in place.
Tea and coffee facilities were very basic, and in our case, they were missing on arrival—we had to request them. We also had an issue with a broken bathroom door that wouldn’t close properly, which took three days to fix.
On a more positive note, the hotel restaurant, Latitude, was excellent. The food quality was very good, the service was outstanding, and the happy hour was a nice bonus. Breakfast, which was included, was quite basic—scrambled eggs, chicken or turkey sausages, and bacon, with limited pastries, coffee, and orange juice. It was functional but lacked variety (no beans, mushrooms, or tomatoes, for example).
We were on the 28th floor, and while lift wait times are often mentioned as a concern, we only experienced a couple of longer waits—overall, it was manageable.
In summary, the hotel is okay at best. The location is its biggest strength, but the property itself feels tired, with small, dated rooms and underwhelming facilities. It doesn’t quite meet the standard you might expect from a Holiday Inn. With some renovation and improvements, it could be much better—but as it stands, it’s more about convenience than comfort.
