I was taken on a tour of Motto by Hilton New York City Times Square by Theodora De Souza — who is the brand leader of Motto by Hilton — and other representatives of Hilton. As I had already stayed at the Motto by Hilton New York City Chelsea hotel property last year, I expected this hotel property to be similar. In many ways, Motto by Hilton New York City Times Square is not similar to Motto by Hilton New York City Chelsea.
My Tour: Motto by Hilton New York City Times Square
The motif throughout the hotel property is the arch, which represents and emulates the decor from the city of New York during the 1920s decade and integrates it with the modern lines and architectural elements of today. Metal screens in the shapes of arches are in the lobby area where people can relax and enjoy the distinct scent that has become part of the brand standard of Motto: a fresh blend of White Freesia and Eucalyptus Leaf is wafted throughout the ground floor; and the blend is met by the rich, warm tones of Cardamom, Silver Birch, and Frankincense. The deep resonance of Sandalwood, Cedar, and Warm Musk creates a lasting sense of ease and possibility, which I found to be calming. The main entrance to the hotel property is located at the extreme left side of the above photograph. The front desk is to the left of the main entrance.
The main entrance to Motto by Hilton New York City Times Square is behind the front desk and out of view on the right side of the above photograph. A bar is adjacent to the front desk and the lobby area, which is known as The Commons. Note the arch art work hanging on the wall between the front desk and the bar area.
The bar area will function as a coffee shop that is reminiscent of the 1920s. It will have its own entrance from the street for anyone who wants to patronize it.
A station where one can fill containers with cold filtered New York City tap water — which is some of the best water in the world, in my opinion — is located in the lobby area.
The classic 1920s theme continues with the long curved booth seating area and the light fixtures in the dining area of the signature restaurant known as The Alderman.
The restaurant offers an elegant take on the classic New York City diner with American food and craft cocktails which were inspired by the beginning of the last century and updated to have a modern flair. It was still under construction during my visit.
The Elevators
Similar to Tempo by Hilton New York Times Square, a control panel is available at each bank of elevators on every floor of the hotel property instead of two buttons to summon the elevator to either to head upstairs or downstairs. One can enter either the number or letter of the floor where he or she would like to go. Once a floor is entered, the control panel instructs the person as to which elevator to take.
In the tile on the floor of each elevator is a message: one side has “Yo!” as a greeting; while the other side has the word “Later!”
Note the pronounced classic houndstooth pattern on the walls of the elevator.
The arch motif continues in each elevator car — including on a mirror.
The Rooms and Bathrooms
Several different configurations are assigned to all of the 400 rooms in the tower building, depending on the needs of the guests. For example, this specific configuration is known as the Bunk Beds 1 Twin Bed Over 1 Queen Bed room. Note that electrical outlets and USB ports are conveniently located next to each bed.
The rooms are quiet thanks to panels which are affixed to the ceiling to dampen noise.
Even the rack above the illuminated vanity with full-sized mirrors is consistent with the arch motif of the hotel property. Some guests may not be comfortable hanging their clothes in such close proximity to the sink, which is consolidated for room.
The sleek tiled shower stall and the private toilet area are separated by a wall of translucent glass. Unlike the shower at Motto by Hilton New York City Chelsea, the shower stall in each room is equipped with both an overhead rain shower head and a nozzle which can be removed from its mount and held in one hand.
The specific configuration for this room is known as the Flex Room With Wall Bed. Guests can not only take advantage of the unique room configurations of Motto by Hilton; but they can also simplify coordinating travel for larger groups of friends and families with flexible setups for sleeping with design details to maximize the space — including built-in storage and conveniently located electrical power outlets.
Note the appearance of cushions that are underneath the bed.
The frame of the bed is hinged to the wall and can be folded up into the wall when not in use. I did not ask if the support to the frame of the bed could be used as a shelf while the bed is upright and folded into the wall. If so, one would need to clear that shelf before folding the bed back down.
Once the bed is folded against the wall, the aforementioned cushions and ottoman that were underneath the bed can be configured for use as a living room area. The ottoman may be used for storage.
The room becomes a reasonably comfortable area in which a few people can relax. This can be especially useful if a family reserves this room as one of several connecting rooms that Hilton offers, which was pioneered by Motto. If one of them is the Flex Room, the bed could be folded into the wall during the day for the family to use as a living room; and at night, the bed can be folded back down and used as a bed for sleeping.
Photographs ©2023 by Brian Cohen.In terms of premium amenities, one large bulk dispenser each of body wash and body soap by bāsd — each of which had a pleasant scent of mint and menthol combined — was on the vanity; and a bulk dispenser each of body wash, shampoo, and conditioner by bāsd hung on the wall of the shower.
The arch theme is prevalent throughout the hotel — from the headboards of the beds to the back of the door of the entrance to the room even though the door itself is not in the shape of an arch. The headboards throughout the hotel property are meant to mimic the skyline of the city of New York.
What became part of the brand standard of Motto within the past year is that two packages of My Motto wafer cookies are now included in each room — along with two bottles of water and two packs of earbuds.
Fitness Center
Like the dining area of the hotel property, the fitness center was still under construction — but guests are permitted to use it.
The fitness center is well equipped and has been quite popular with guests.
Final Boarding Call
With the Motto by Hilton New York City Times Square hotel property being relatively new as it opened in September of 2023, everything was spotlessly clean. I did not stay at this hotel property; so I cannot comment on the comfort of the bed, the food that was available, or the service by members of the staff. I would expect that the experience would be similar to that of the Motto by Hilton New York City Chelsea hotel property — even though the decor — with a taste of Art Deco — and configuration are vastly different.
At the time this article was written, the least expensive room rate available for one night can range from $108.00 on at least nine days in January of 2024 — which is a potentially incredible value — to as much as $629.00 as the least expensive room rate on Saturday, December 2, 2023.
Unfortunately, be aware that a daily mandatory destination charge of $30.00 per room per night is added to the base room rate at Motto by Hilton New York City Times Square. It includes:
- Premium guest internet access
- Daily food and beverage credit of ten dollars for use in all Motto hotel outlets
- One Crunch Fitness pass
- One City Bike rental unlimited pass
- Two premium bottled waters
To the members of the team at the Motto by Hilton New York City Times Square hotel property: please — either just add $30.00 to the base room rate every day; or have the daily destination charge be optional. The daily mandatory destination charge is my most significant criticism of Motto by Hilton New York City Times Square.
Members of the Hilton Honors membership program who have earned Diamond elite status or Gold elite status receive a food and beverage credit of $18.00 per person for up to two people per day.
The Motto by Hilton New York City Times Square may not be ideal for the typical business traveler — especially due to the small size of most of the rooms — but I do not believe a business traveler would be completely out of place here, either. In fact, I believe that guests from most generations would have no problem staying at this hotel property — even though it may be targeted to a younger audience, as I did see people of all ages there.
However, the room configurations offer flexibility because of the ability to reserve and confirm connecting rooms whenever they are available. Guests can book reservations for up to a maximum of six unique adjoining rooms together; while groups may reserve between ten rooms and 25 rooms instantly online and then build a free custom Internet web site for their guests to book their stays.
Cool.
Motto by Hilton New York City Times Square
150 A West 48 Street
New York, New York 10036
United States
1-212-668-8648
No free parking, self parking, or valet parking is available — but with the plethora of transportation options within minutes of the hotel property, guests likely will not be arriving in a motor vehicle that they would need to park.
All photographs ©2022 and ©2023 by Brian Cohen.
