+1 fitness center, +1 rooms, +1 location
Read the reviews, heard the arguments, listened to the rebuttals. Here's the deal on this property:
-Excellent location in the city, blocks from the park, plenty of restaurants and food options nearby, and easy walk to Times Square (15 tiny blocks or so). 
-The fitness center, while excellent compared to other hotels - something like 15,000 square feet, including very nice shower facilities, it's not the best fitness center anywhere in the city (I think someone claimed that). Anyway, tons of equipment, reasonable entrance charge, and the place was largely empty the two occasions I visited. Personal trainer on hand at all times, and complimentary fresh fruit. 
-The rooms are nice. We had a standard on the 27th floor. It was spacious for a NY hotel. Two double beds were comfortable. TV was perfectly fine, and had a swivel on it. 
-Staff were friendly throughout the visit, from check-in to check-out. 
-Complimentary wifi in the lobby (you need the code)
-The property is showing a bit of wear and tear, but nothing dramatic. ie: a few chips on the walls, and such. The elevators were constantly slow. 
-Some things to be bummed about. No coffee maker. Too bad too, because there is plenty of space for one. No refrigerator, but they do have a minibar. The HVAC unit is hands off! The thermostat cannot be adjusted. This was occasionally uncomfortable. On a warm afternoon though, we were able to crack open the window and get fresh air (and street noise) in. 
Overall, if a fitness center is important to you, drop what you're doing and book this hotel. The rooms and location are also great, but balance this with price, as there are other hotels in the area.