Four Points by Sheraton Manhattan Midtown West
444 10th Ave., New York City, New York 10001, USA
Why We Like It
Nearly everything in this hotel is well-planned out, and that attention to detail is rewarding from the comfort of the rooms to the fresh greens in your salad. There's nothing fussy about the smartly-styled décor, service, or room arrangements, but attention to the important details makes for a quality experience. While it's not "in the middle of the action," the location works for those who know how to navigate the city or who want to be near the High Line.
Fodor's Expert Review
This affordable, 148-room hotel has the unhurried feel and stylish look of a boutique hotel, yet runs with corporate efficiency. Smart interior design and lighting are priorities, from the clean copper and black lines of the lobby to neatly appealing blacks, grays, and russet reds of the rooms to the lady-finger shaped salt-and-pepper shakers on the tables at the Hudson Bar Room—where fresh and locally sourced ingredients provide straightforward, tasty meals that are not overly complicated. Comfortable beds, large windows, many with stellar views, particularly toward the river, and rooms that have just enough space to never feel crammed make for a nice place to lay your head after a busy New York day.
Tip Unless you're attending a conference at the Javits Center, you might think that there is little upside to the location. However, if you have some familiarity of New York, it's an easy spot from which to navigate the city. The High Line begins only a few blocks from the hotel, and this ingeniously pleasing walk above traffic takes you through many happening blocks of Chelsea and into the West Village, where restaurants and shops abound, and the Whitney Museum stands.
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Room
This is New York City, so rarely will you walk into a hotel room and say, "Wow, this is HUGE!" especially at this price. The hotel does an excellent job of providing all the basic features (desk, TV, closet, mini-bar, safe, etc.), smartly placed and creating an environment you can move comfortably about, if not work out. The attention to design and lighting provide enough urban chic to provide a sense of fashionable belonging in New York City. The best views are on the river side, though the higher up floors have good views on the "city" side as well.
You Should Know Gigantic skyscraper construction dominates the Hudson Yards neighborhood, making the area noisy on weekdays, though the rooms' thick windows dull the thumping sounds to faintness.
Bathroom
Because everything is so efficiently and well-designed, the bathroom appears roomier than it actually is (partly, indeed, through mirrors!). Large showers have marble tiled floors and walls, sliding glass doors, and room enough to want to stay awhile. And, as is most important to New Yorkers, good water pressure!
Lobby
The lobby is small but not cramped and is visually appealing with a high ceiling, smartly designed lines, and lighted with care. A lounge area is off to the side, which then leads into the bar and restaurant. The service, as befits a New York establishment, is swift and able to handle the traffic smoothly.
Gym
A decent-sized room with good equipment (a couple treadmills, free weights, physio balls, and more) is open 24 hours. It's in the basement, so the views are basement-gloom, but for those looking not to break their workout routine, it does the trick.
Dining
A no fuss good-ingredients-well-cooked kitchen is a good fit for a city in which the hotel restaurant does not need to be a destination; however, it will serve you well for a meal or two when you don't want to overspend, or are too exhausted to walk somewhere... again.
Drinking
A lounge (two sets of lounge chairs) leads into a small bar that leads into a small restaurant, all under the Hudson Bar Room moniker. An emphasis on local brews, selected to satisfy most tastes (i.e. not the experimental stuff), is a satisfying touch as is a well-chosen selection of wines.
What's Nearby
Getting Around
Two avenues away from Penn Station, and two blocks from the newish 7 subway extension, it is pretty easy to get anywhere in the city you need to go. Additionally, 10th and 11th Avenues by cab allows you to scoot up the West Side, or downtown with a reasonable traffic-free head start. For walkers who want to explore Chelsea and West Village, the High Line begins a few blocks from the hotel.
Restaurants
The only nearby spot is Friedman's (across the street) which serves comfort food with a nod to healthiness. Best bests are in Chelsea—try the excellent Cookshop, which has a seasonal seafood and farm-to-table American focus, or explore the casual environments of Chelsea Market, where you can grab anything from fresh oysters (Cull & Pistol) to New York's favorite tacos (Los Tacos). Both are 20-minute walks/10-minute cab rides.
Bars
There's no local bar scene. However, head uptown or downtown 10 blocks or so and you will not be wanting. For a fun, in-the-know experience, try the speakeasy feel of Bathrub Gin, which you enter though a door in the tiny Stone Street Coffee Company café (20-minute walk/10-minute cab ride). In the daytime, try the bar on the 8th Floor of the Whitney Museum, Studio Café (25-minute walk, 10 minute cab ride), where you sit outside and enjoy your sophisticated self and wonderful views.
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Quick Facts
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