Element New York Times Square West
by the TopOfHotel team
This Element is Marriott's extended-stay brand where every single room has a true full kitchen — electric stove, dishwasher, pots and pans, the lot, and it shines on value for families who want to cook for themselves and stay a while in the middle of Midtown West for well under the city average, in exchange for plain, function-first rooms.
This Element is Marriott's extended-stay brand where every single room has a true full kitchen — electric stove, dishwasher, pots and pans, the lot, and it shines on value for families who want to cook for themselves and stay a while in the middle of Midtown West for well under the city average, in exchange for plain, function-first rooms.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Picture a hotel in the middle of Midtown West, a few minutes' walk from Times Square — then you open the door and find a real kitchen waiting, stove, fridge and dishwasher and all. That's the charm of Element New York Times Square West, an Element-brand hotel under Marriott built specifically for extended stays. The rooms here are bright, clean studios and suites with simple, open lines, built for real use rather than showy decor. What catches a lot of families from the first step in is the full kitchen in the room — more than the fridge and microwave of a typical hotel, but an electric stove, dishwasher, pots, pans, plates, bowls and utensils. Open the cupboard and you're ready to cook. Parents with little ones can warm milk, heat rice or make simple meals like they would at home. Most rooms also have a separate sitting area and work desk, so it feels more like a small apartment than a hotel room. Beds are comfortable and there's plenty of storage. Plenty of reviews praise how clean and complete the rooms are for long stays — the kind of space and kit that's hard to find at this price in central Manhattan.
Food and amenities
It's a friendly-priced, self-service hotel, but the essentials are all there with the consistency a Marriott brand guarantees. The real star is the kitchen in every room, which changes how you travel: instead of eating out at pricey restaurants every meal, many families stop by a nearby supermarket or convenience store for groceries, fresh food and snacks and cook in the room, which genuinely saves a lot in a city where everything is expensive. Every morning there's free breakfast to fuel up before heading out, so you start the day without paying extra or wasting time finding a spot. For anyone who works out, there's a 24-hour fitness center you can use whenever, even when your body clock is still on home time. And what longer-stay guests especially like is the coin laundry in the building, which means packing fewer clothes and washing mid-trip. There's free Wi-Fi throughout for planning and work, and the front-desk staff are another thing reviews praise — friendly, and good at pointing you to restaurants and walking routes.
Location and getting there
Location is another strong card here. The hotel sits on W 39th St near 8th Avenue in the middle of Midtown West. The part that works especially well is that it's only an 8-10 minute walk from Times Square, the neon heart of New York — get up and walk over to the giant screens, the Broadway theaters and the legendary buzz. It's also close to the Port Authority bus terminal for onward trips to the airport or other cities. For getting around town, the A/C/E subway at 42nd St-Port Authority and the Times Square junction on the N/Q/R/W are about a 3-5 minute walk, so you can jump on the metro to Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn or across to other neighborhoods in a few stops. The streets around here are full of restaurants of every kind and convenience stores, and a short walk takes you to shopping, theaters and Midtown's main sights. Put simply, if you want a family trip based in the middle of the city, with the neon a quick walk away and easy trains to everywhere, this location delivers — at a friendly price.
Things to know before booking
To help you decide, a few straight points. First, the room style: Element is an extended-stay hotel designed to be simple and function-first, built around the kitchen, so rooms look clean and modern but aren't luxurious or showily decorated. Anyone expecting an upscale feel or full-on design may find them a touch ordinary — the trade-off is the complete kitchen and a much better price. Second, the neighborhood: Midtown West near 8th Avenue is busy with traffic all day, so rooms facing the main road can pick up car and city noise. If you sleep lightly or want quiet, ask for a higher floor on the side away from the main road. Last, because it's a self-service hotel, there's no full-service touch like a bellhop or round-the-clock room service, and the lobby and lifts are fairly compact, as space-limited central Manhattan buildings tend to be. At check-in and check-out or in busy high season you might wait for a lift or queue a little — not a big deal, but allow a bit of extra time.
Our take
From reading through plenty of real guest reviews, Element New York Times Square West nails the combination of a full kitchen in every room, free breakfast, a central location and a budget-friendly price especially well for families and longer stays. If the trip in your head is bringing the family to New York for several nights, cooking in the room to keep costs down and feed the kids easily, having free breakfast to start the day, then walking out to Times Square and the subway in a few minutes, this ticks almost every box at a price you can reach. But if you're after 5-star luxury, lavishly decorated rooms or full-service staff on hand at all times, this may not be the answer — its real strength is value and function for families more than grandeur. Overall we give it 8.0/10, best for budget-minded families and longer-stay travelers who want to cook for themselves in a good Midtown West location at a friendly price.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- Every room has a genuine full kitchen — electric stove, microwave, dishwasher, fridge, pots, pans and a full kit — so a family can cook for itself like at home. That works just as well for long stays as it does for anyone trying to keep costs down in a city where everything is expensive.
- Free breakfast is served every morning, so you can start the day without hunting for a place or paying extra. Over a longer trip that saves the whole family a real chunk on breakfasts.
- The Midtown West location on W 39th St puts Times Square and Port Authority about an 8-10 minute walk away, with several subway stations close by, so hopping a train to other parts of the city is very easy.
- It's the Element brand under Marriott, built specifically for extended stays, so you earn Marriott Bonvoy points and get consistent cleanliness standards, a 24-hour gym and coin laundry in the building.
- The nightly rate is clearly below the average for hotels in this central neighborhood, and once you factor in cooking in your own room and the free breakfast, the family's total cost comes out very good value for a location like this.
- Rooms are designed to be plain and function-first rather than luxurious. Anyone expecting an upscale feel or showy decor may find them a little ordinary — the trade-off is the complete kitchen and the keen price.
- It sits in Midtown West near 8th Avenue, a busy block with traffic all day, so street-facing rooms can pick up car and city noise. It's not the spot if you want real quiet.
- As an extended-stay, self-service hotel, it doesn't have the full-service trimmings of a luxury property — no bellhop, no round-the-clock room service — and the lobby and lifts are fairly compact, as central Manhattan buildings tend to be.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
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Insider Tips
- Make the most of the in-room kitchen — stop by a nearby supermarket or convenience store for groceries, fresh food and snacks and cook your own meals in the room. It cuts a family's pricey midtown food bill a lot, especially on multi-night trips.
- Ask for a higher floor on the side that doesn't face the main road if you want to dodge the traffic and city noise of busy Midtown West.
- Eat the hotel's free breakfast before you head out each morning, then walk down toward Times Square — the crowds are thinner in the morning than at night, so it's easier to take photos and stroll around.