Holiday Inn Express – Times Square South by IHG

Look, I’ll be honest – when I first walked into the Holiday Inn Express – Times Square South by IHG, I wasn’t expecting much from what’s essentially a three-star chain hotel in the heart of Manhattan. But you know what? This place actually surprised me in the best possible way.

The location on West 36th Street is honestly pretty brilliant if you think about it. You’re close enough to Times Square that you can walk there in about ten minutes (I timed it), but far enough south that you’re not dealing with the absolute chaos and those weird costume characters hassling tourists at all hours. I mean, New York never really sleeps, but this particular stretch gets noticeably quieter after 10 PM, which is saying something. The Herald Square subway station is literally around the corner – I could hear the rumble of the trains faintly from my room on the third floor, but it was more of a comforting city hum than actual noise. Speaking of the rooms, they’re definitely on the smaller side (this is Manhattan, after all), but they’ve clearly put some thought into maximizing the space. The bed was surprisingly comfortable, and I actually slept well despite being right in the thick of everything. The breakfast situation downstairs is your typical Holiday Inn Express setup – nothing fancy, but the coffee’s decent and there’s usually fresh fruit. I grabbed a banana and yogurt most mornings before heading out to explore.

What really won me over, though, was the staff. The front desk folks clearly deal with a lot of overwhelmed tourists, but they were genuinely helpful when I needed directions to some of the less obvious spots I wanted to check out. One guy even gave me the insider tip about walking through the Garment District instead of taking the main avenues – saved me probably fifteen minutes getting to the High Line. The elevators can get pretty packed during check-in and check-out times (especially on weekends), but that’s just the reality of staying anywhere in this part of the city. I also appreciated that they had a decent business center tucked away on the second floor – came in handy when I needed to print out some last-minute tickets. The whole place has this efficient, no-nonsense vibe that works well when you’re using it as a base to explore rather than somewhere to hang out all day. For the price point in this neighborhood, honestly, you’re getting solid value. Sure, you’re not getting marble bathrooms or turn-down service, but you’re getting a clean, safe place to crash that puts you within walking distance of basically everything you came to New York to see.