The Time New York, part of the JdV by Hyatt collection, is a boutique hotel at 224 West 49th Street, tucked between Broadway and Eighth Avenue in the Theatre District. Its trick is to sit at the very centre of Midtown while staying off the relentless churn of Times Square itself: the block is comparatively quiet, yet the TKTS booth and the Broadway houses are a couple of minutes’ walk away. That balance of accessibility and calm is the single best reason to book it.
Rather than lean on Times Square bombast, the hotel opts for restrained, design-forward interiors: polished floors, muted tones and curated art in the public spaces, and rooms that are quieter and more considered than the location would suggest. There are around 193 of them, compact in the New York manner but well finished, with good beds and blackout drapes; the one honest caveat is limited counter and bathroom space in the smaller categories. The Italian restaurant Serafina handles dining at street level, and service is a genuine strength, warm and helpful without hovering.
Dining is not the headline here, and it does not need to be, given the neighbourhood outside. As a stylish, well-located base for Broadway nights and days spent walking Manhattan, with Rockefeller Center and MoMA close by, the Time offers more character than most Midtown chains at a sensible boutique price.
