Clean, spacious and strategic location, HGI gives great value
I had previously stayed at other HGI's and was favorably impressed. Over the years I have gone from a budget bargain hotel hound to being more focused on getting a decent night's sleep in a hygienic location and being able to get quality rest in the afternoon if I need it. The HGI Times Square was really ideal for me. I am not a good hotel sleeper since I am sensitive to noise. But the HGI Times Square has a magic formula of being a NICE hotel with generous square footage in the rooms, great service and all the amenities you could want. It is super strategically located being smack dab in the middle of the Theatre District, close to Times Square, Penn Station, and, of course, Macy's! Having lived in NYC for a year, I knew how easy it is to get around the city with public transportation. At the same time, the subway system is not a personal rocket ship and you can get pretty tired of schlepping up and down those stairs. So, although I could have maybe saved a couple of bucks by staying in Brooklyn or the East Side or something, I said, Why do that to myself? This is supposed to be a vacation. Also, by a couple of bucks I literally mean a couple of bucks since by checking back obsessively on the HGI website I was able to find availability where none had been and then rebook the room for an increasingly lower rate as I got closer to my arrival date. I have AAA which gave me a nice little discount and I didn't have to prepay. I hate to prepay because you just never know what will happen in this life. I didn't bring my laptop and I was glad because the hotel business center has four computers you can use for free. All in all I would totally stay here again. In fairness I should mention that the Hotel is NOT in Times Square, it is on 8th Avenue. It's not far but to call it HGI Times Square is a stretch. The only other downside was that although it is supposed to be 100% nonsmoking hotel, I could smell somebody smoking from the vent in my room. I don't know why people have to do that stuff but they do, although it's not really something a hotel can do much to control.