New York Marriott Marquis

Rooms and decor

Picture opening your door to giant signs, glowing LED screens and a river of people from all over the world — that is the first hook of the New York Marriott Marquis, a 49-floor tower that has stood in the heart of Times Square since 1985. What sets it apart from an ordinary hotel is its sheer scale: nearly 2,000 rooms spread up the tower, with a central atrium that opens up dozens of floors and glass elevators running up and down in full view — something kids love. The rooms are decorated in a practical modern style with warm, easy tones, and the standout for families is the choice of connecting rooms and wide suites. A family that wants to sleep close together, or a group of friends traveling as one, can book rooms that open through to each other instead of squeezing into a single room. Many high-floor rooms open their windows onto a full Times Square view, with the lights of the square that never sleeps turning into living wallpaper at night — plenty of people pay extra to lie in bed and watch that classic New York scene. If you like a lively, buzzing backdrop right in front of you, this place will land.

Food and amenities

If this hotel has one highlight, it is the revolving restaurant called The View on the top floor, one of the few revolving restaurants left in the city. The floor turns slowly around so you watch the Manhattan skyline and the Times Square lights shift through your meal — a fun, much-talked-about experience that suits a special dinner or evening cocktails over the city. Downstairs in the building there are other restaurants, bars and a cafe, and remarkably there is a real Broadway theater, the Marquis Theatre, in the same building — some families book a show and simply walk up to their room afterward without going anywhere. For anyone who works out there is an in-hotel fitness center, and for service there is a concierge and 24-hour staff to help with directions, show bookings or hailing a cab. Being a big chain like Marriott keeps the systems standardized, and Marriott Bonvoy members get perks like free Wi-Fi and app check-in that help when it is busy.

Location and getting there

The location is its strongest card, no question. The hotel sits on Broadway between 45th and 46th Street — the dead center of Times Square — so step out of the lobby and you are at the world-famous neon square everyone comes to photograph. Around it are dozens of Broadway theaters within a few minutes' walk, so families who want to take the kids to a big stage show barely need to plan the trip. It is also a short walk to Bryant Park, Rockefeller Center, the shopping district and international restaurants you could eat through without repeating. What makes touring New York from here so easy is the Times Square–42nd St subway station, just a 3–5 minute walk away, a hub where nearly every line (N/Q/R/W/1/2/3/7/S) converges, so you can hop a train downtown, uptown or across to Queens with ease. In short, if you want to be at the heart of New York's entertainment — wake up and walk to shows, shopping and food with barely a cab ride — and still reach every subway line in a few steps, this location is a perfect ten.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. The first thing reviews mention often is the hotel's huge size — with nearly 2,000 rooms, the lobby, check-in counters and elevators can get crowded at peak times or during a big convention, with longer waits than a small hotel. If that bustle is not for you, check in through the Marriott Bonvoy app or avoid the late-afternoon rush when everyone arrives together. The second is the busyness of Times Square itself, which comes with crowds, noise and lights around the clock. It is part of the appeal for many, but anyone who wants quiet or an easy walk in and out may feel hemmed in by the tourists out front. The third is fairly high add-on costs — food, drinks and assorted fees in a midtown setting — and some reviews feel parts of the rooms are starting to show their age or feel uneven for the price. Check the room type and the cost details closely when you book, and confirm any connecting rooms in advance if you are a large party, since these rooms are limited and in demand.

Our take

After reading through a lot of real guest reviews, the New York Marriott Marquis sells one thing proudly: a dead-center Times Square location where everything is right outside the door, connecting rooms and wide suites for families and big groups, and high-floor views of the square with soundproof windows good enough to sleep through. If your trip in your head is bringing the family into the middle of New York's entertainment — waking up a few steps from the Broadway theaters, catching a show, shopping and eating with barely a cab ride, then coming back to watch the Times Square lights from a high floor — this is about as well-suited as it gets, and you can travel on from here by every subway line. But if you are after a small, quiet hotel with close personal service or brand-new luxury room design, the giant scale and busy location here may not be the best fit. Overall we give it 8.2/10, best for families and big groups who value a heart-of-the-action location and room space over peace and privacy.