Baby, It’s Not Perfect (But Definitely Good): the InterContinental New York Times Square Hotel [Review]

My wife and I recently stayed someplace we always wanted to experience: the InterContinental New York Times Square Hotel.

We love The Strings by InterContinental Tokyo. And I visited a friend at the new InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown. Both properties are very nice. So we figured the InterContinental New York Times Square wouldn’t be an exception.

But it is.

That said, it’s a nice property — and a great find if you can score a deal through Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts, Chase Luxury Hotels & Resorts, IHG points, or use your IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card free night certificate.

Fun trivia: it’s where One Direction shot the video for their song “Perfect” (hence this post’s title).

InterContinental New York Times Square Hotel Location

The InterContinental New York Times Square is located at 300 West 44th Street in Manhattan. It’s basically at the corner of 44th Street and 8th Avenue. It’s not in Times Square per sé — but only a block away.

I guess “InterContinental Hell’s Kitchen” doesn’t have the same zing and selling potential as “InterContinental Times Square.” 🙂

The hotel’s location is pretty great. It’s in Midtown and close to most of the major Broadway theatres. Plus, the hotel is a 10-15 minute walk to places such as Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, and all the other touristy stuff you’ll want to do. A walk to the Hudson River took about 20-ish minutes.

There are plenty of subway options within walking distance. You’ll find the 44th Street and 8th Avenue subway station about a hundred feet outside the InterContinental’s front door. The Port Authority Bus Terminal (which also has several subway lines) is a couple of blocks south. And the 42nd Street and Times Square station is about five-ish minutes away.

Why We Chose to Stay at the InterContinental New York Times Square

We were in town for a wedding in Brooklyn. We originally were booked elsewhere but canceled (something that inspired this post.)

Both my wife and I have the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card which offers cardholders one free night each year at select properties. The card’s annual fee is $99 so we know the room isn’t exactly “free.”

There was anniversary night inventory for the first night at the InterContinental but not the second. So we used the cert for night one and 46,000 IHG points for night two. We moved to the W Times Square for the third night because the InterContinental’s rates were something like $350.

We like the location and, again, wanted to stay there.

A Smooth Check-In Experience — and Great Staff All-Around

We got to the hotel around 11:00 PM and there was no wait to check-in. The front desk rep instantly greeted us when we walked into the lobby. One minute later we were checked in. He merged our two individual stays so we wouldn’t have to get our keys recoded on day two. Neither my wife nor I remember a check-in experience that was so fast. (I wish I would’ve gotten his name and given him a shout-out in this post.)

We encountered several staff members during our two-night stay. All of them were helpful, polite, and friendly. I understand that’s part of their jobs — but we walked away saying, “Wow, what a nice person!” each time. We noticed other guests’ interactions with staff; they also seemed to have positive experiences.

A Quick Word About Breakfast

While booking the rooms, I was offered the option to pre-purchase breakfast for something like $19.40 per person each day. (I declined.) That price goes up to $30 a person if you buy breakfast at the restaurant. Admittedly, we didn’t see the breakfast spread — and can’t speak as to how much we think it’s worth.

But remember you’re in New York freakin’ City. There are restaurants everywhere. Unless you want a buffet, you can easily find something outside the hotel. In fact, there’s a Starbucks and McDonald’s across the street. If you want something different, find one of the zillion bagel shops or other restaurants.

InterContinental New York Times Square Deluxe Room

We were given a Deluxe Room on the 19th floor. Here’s what it looks like:

The work area is rather spacious and features several power outlets. It worked great for charging our electronics (two phones, a tablet, and a laptop). Plus, my wife turned it into her glam area while prepping for the wedding. She spread her beauty accessories and supplies all over the desk. She was able to plug in a hair dryer and curling iron — while still having another power outlet to power her phone after a day of sightseeing and picture-taking.

I guess we weren’t given one of the hotel’s renovated rooms. The carpet was dated and a little worn. The drapes seemed a little tired.

Outside of that, though, the rest of the room good. Nothing exciting or particularly memorable. The bed was comfortable and the air conditioning worked just fine. (I love a cold hotel room! It can be snowing outside and I’ll crank the A/C to its lowest setting. How about you?)

The shower features both a rain shower head and a nozzle affixed to a hose. (Sorry about the reflections in the shower glass! :-))

Here are the views we enjoyed.

For what it’s worth, we were given a complimentary 1:00 PM late check-out. We also received housekeeping service on day two.

Would We Stay at the InterContinental New York Times Square Hotel Again?

Compared to our experiences at other InterContinental hotels, the InterContinental Times Square was fairly meh.

Outside of that? Sure, I’d stay here again. We rarely spend a lot of time in our hotel rooms when traveling for leisure. The room was clean and comfortable. And the location is great.

But there is no way I’d pay $300 — unless I needed to burn the new Fine Hotels & Resorts credit on The Platinum Card® from American Express. I think it’s a fantastic option for your IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card anniversary night. IHG is a Chase Ultimate Rewards® transfer partner — so you could dump some Ultimate Rewards points into your IHG account and cash them in for a free stay. (But you can get better hotels and locations for about the same price.)

Have you stayed at the InterContinental Times Square? What was your experience? Are there other hotels you recommend in the area? Please tell us in the below Comments section!

For rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit this link. Terms apply.