Hotel Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square

This hotel offers an unparalleled urban experience, with its signature feature being its direct proximity to Times Square, placing guests at the very heart of the city's vibrant energy. It is consistently praised for its exceptional cleanliness, comfortable accommodations, and modern design, making it an ideal choice for a wide range of travelers. Sightseers and Broadway enthusiasts will find its central location perfect for exploring iconic landmarks and attending shows, while couples appreciate the surprisingly quiet rooms despite the bustling surroundings. Families also find the hotel suitable, often noting the comfortable beds and overall value. To maximize your stay, guests frequently advise arriving early for breakfast to avoid peak queues and requesting a higher floor for impressive city views, which many rooms offer.

Facilities & Amenities
Guests generally find the hotel's facilities to be modern and well-maintained, enhancing their stay. The fitness center is well-regarded, providing a convenient option for exercise. While there is no swimming pool, the hotel offers other amenities for guest convenience. A Grab & Go cafe in the lobby is frequently utilized for quick coffee and snacks, and the bar area provides a relaxed setting for evening drinks, often with attractive happy hour pricing. Rooms are equipped with a mini safe and a fridge, adding to comfort. However, a common point of feedback is the absence of a coffee maker or kettle in the rooms, which many international guests particularly miss. The Wi-Fi is generally reliable, though some guests noted it occasionally required re-logging in. The elevators are a significant point of mixed feedback, with many guests experiencing considerable wait times, especially during busy periods.

Cleanliness & Room Comfort
The hotel consistently receives high praise for its immaculate cleanliness and overall room comfort. Guests frequently describe the rooms as spotless, modern, and well-maintained, with daily housekeeping ensuring a fresh environment. The comfortable beds and high-quality linens are highlighted as conducive to a restful night's sleep, a welcome respite after exploring the city. Many rooms offer impressive city views, with some even providing glimpses of Times Square, and effective blackout curtains contribute to a quiet atmosphere. The bathroom facilities are generally spacious, clean, and feature good showers with ample hot water and provided toiletries. However, some guests found the rooms to be on the smaller side for New York City standards, and a few noted that the queen beds were pushed together without space in between, which could be awkward. While generally quiet, some reviews mentioned occasional noise from hallways or adjacent rooms.

Dining & Food Quality
The breakfast experience at the hotel garners significant attention, with many guests praising its superb quality and wide variety of options, including hot dishes, fresh fruits, pastries, and cereals, noting it provides excellent value. However, the breakfast queues are a recurring and prominent point of contention, with guests frequently reporting wait times ranging from 30 minutes to over an hour, particularly during peak morning hours. The system for accessing breakfast, which involves queuing in the lobby before being directed to a specific elevator for the fifth-floor restaurant, is often described as chaotic and inefficient. While the food quality is generally well-received, some specific items like scrambled eggs received mixed reviews. The hotel's bar and Grab & Go cafe offer additional food and drink options throughout the day, providing convenient alternatives for quick meals and snacks, though some guests noted slow service at the bar and the absence of a full-service restaurant or room service.

Location & Accessibility
The hotel's central location is overwhelmingly cited as one of its strongest assets, placing guests directly in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. Its immediate proximity to Times Square is a major draw, allowing easy walking access to numerous Broadway theaters, shopping areas, and a vast array of restaurants. Guests appreciate being within comfortable walking distance of iconic landmarks such as the Empire State Building, Central Park, and Rockefeller Center. The hotel also boasts excellent accessibility to public transportation, with multiple subway stations conveniently located nearby, facilitating travel to other parts of the city and beyond. While the location is highly convenient, guests should be aware that parking is available nearby but can be quite expensive, and the surrounding area's heavy traffic can make taxi access challenging at times. Despite the bustling surroundings, rooms are generally quiet due to effective insulation.

Staff & Service
The hotel's staff generally receives high commendation for their friendliness, professionalism, and attentiveness. Many guests highlight the quick check-in and check-out processes, contributing to a smooth arrival and departure. The housekeeping team is consistently praised for their thoroughness and efficiency, ensuring rooms are kept immaculately clean daily. The bell staff are also frequently mentioned for their helpfulness with luggage and assisting with transportation. However, feedback regarding the front desk staff is mixed; while some found them very accommodating, others reported instances of unhelpful or even rigid interactions, particularly concerning hotel policies. Guests appreciate services like luggage storage, which allows for continued exploration after check-out. Overall, the staff's dedication to service is evident, with many team members noted for their multilingual abilities, particularly in Spanish, which is a significant advantage for international visitors.

Additional Information
Guests should be aware of certain additional aspects that impact the overall stay. A daily destination fee, typically around $30-33, is applied, which some guests felt was not adequately justified by the included amenities. Additionally, a security deposit of $250-300 is often held on credit cards upon arrival, with some guests reporting delays in its release after departure. The hotel maintains strict policies regarding breakfast access, including requiring all members of a party to be present for seating and prohibiting guests from taking food to their rooms, which has led to some guest frustration. Similarly, the hotel has a firm stance against outside food and drinks in the lobby areas. While the hotel is modern and clean, some guests noted a distinct and sometimes overpowering floral scent diffused throughout the lobby, which could be problematic for those with sensitivities. The unique elevator system for breakfast, requiring guests to go to the lobby before being directed to a specific elevator for the restaurant, is a notable operational detail.