When Tempo by Hilton New York Times Square officially opened to guests on Tuesday, August 8, 2023, it became the first hotel property in the world under the Tempo by Hilton brand, with two more hotel properties to open soon in the downtown areas of Nashville and Louisville — as well as Raleigh and San Diego afterwards.
Tempo by Hilton New York Times Square Complete Review — and The Verdict Is…
This article is currently the most extensive and detailed review of a Tempo by Hilton hotel property — which includes at least 70 photographs — so please be advised that this review is lengthy; and that I was a guest of Hilton, who paid for my stay.
As part of the “Suitcase To Your Next Stay” Event with Hilton Honors and American Express, my lodging at the Tempo by Hilton New York Times Square was paid by Hilton — but as it was my first stay at a Tempo by Hilton hotel property, I wanted to relate my experience in this review. Parts of the exterior of the building were under construction during my visit.
Tempo by Hilton New York Times Square offers 661 rooms on 36 floors in the TSX Broadway tower, which is a total of 46 stories tall that includes the historic Palace Theatre. Mancini Duffy is architect of record. The rooms themselves were designed by Wimberly Interiors. The hotel property is difficult to miss, as it is advertised on several illuminated billboards on three sides of the building.
When Tempo was officially announced as the newest lifestyle brand by Hilton back in January of 2020, it was described as “an approachable lifestyle brand curated to serve a growing segment of ‘modern achievers’ who seek a hotel experience that reflects their ambition” while simultaneously providing hotel owners and developers with a highly scalable brand that is both uplifting and within reach for future guests — all by “combining thoughtful design and diverse lifestyle partnerships.”
The front desk is located in the Sky Lobby on the eleventh floor, which is where the hotel itself starts. This hotel property surprised me as being more upscale — and it was indeed in a good location in Manhattan, which is convenient to such places as Times Square and Rockefeller Center and such landmarks as the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building. It is also located fewer than two blocks north from where I previously worked as one of the graphic artists of a magazine.
To the left of the front desk is a pantry where snacks, beverages, and sundries can be purchased. Behind the front desk are windows with views of the central part of Times Square. To the left — out of range of the photograph above — are where the elevators are located. After checking in at the front desk and receiving my key card, I took the elevator to my room on the 31st floor — but not before seeing the remainder of the lobby area of this hotel property.
An area where people can relax and wait to either meet someone, check in to the hotel property, or for a ride somewhere is off to the right of the front desk in the lobby. Large windows offer views of the northern end of Times Square.
Water is available from a faucet inside of the aforementioned pantry, which contains assorted bags of chips, candies, popcorn, a variety of flavors of soft drinks, different cups of dry cereals, cookies, orange juice, mugs, and sundries. Bottled water is also available — but why would anyone purchase that in the city that has the best tap water in the world, in my opinion?!?
The view of the northern end of Times Square from the sitting area in the lobby is just as mesmerizing in the evening as it is during the day…
…and the seats are rather comfortable as well. This alcove is a nice area to pass some time and contemplate what to do next.
Several books pertaining to topics about New York are on the small tables to peruse while seated in the alcove area in the lobby.
Elevators and Hallway
Instead of two buttons to summon the elevator — either to head upstairs or downstairs — a control panel is available at each bank of elevators on every floor of the hotel property.
One can either enter the number of the floor where he or she would like to go; or press to go to the Sky Lobby or the Tempo Fitness center. Once a floor is entered, the control panel instructs the person as to which elevator to take — as well as the direction as to where the specific elevator is located.
In this case, the elevator is PE10. The floor number is above the line of the identification of the elevator.
Once inside of the elevator car, an illuminated indicator displays the floors at which that particular elevator will be stopping. A green triangle at the bottom indicates that the elevator is ascending…
…and a red triangle at the bottom indicates that the elevator is descending. The elevators were speedy; and the waits were never that long. I do not believe I waited more than ten seconds for an elevator at any time during my stay — and this is in a hotel property that occupies 36 stories.
The floor at which the elevator is either stopping or passing is indicated on a different illuminated sign — and yes, the Tempo by Hilton New York Times Square hotel property does have a thirteenth floor.
Keep in mind that accessing the rooms in the hotel property requires two elevator rides: one ride from the ground floor at street level to the Sky Lobby on the eleventh floor; and one from the Sky Lobby upwards using a different bank of elevators. Key cards are not required to use the elevators; but at least one security guard diligently watches over the ground floor lobby. Security personnel are located on the eleventh floor as well.
I was really impressed with the way the elevators operated. Once out of the elevator, directional signage is used to direct guests to their rooms.
Was I happy to see a station in the hallway 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.
KINDNESS is REFILLABLE
REFILL YOUR TEMPO X PLANET WATER FOUNDATION BOTTLE HERE
You’ll find them in our shop. $2 from each bottle is donated to help build water towers for water-insecure communities all over the wortd.
Tempo by Hilton, Times Square has helped build a tower in Puebla, Mexico. With your support, we can grow that contribution and build more towers in water-insecure areas across the globe.
The hallway itself was stylish yet quiet.
The Room
The room is not large; but the overall area comprises of more square footage than a comparable room at the Motto by Hilton New York City Chelsea hotel property. If you are looking for a lot of space in one single room, you may be somewhat disappointed — but because I travel light and did not plan on spending too much time in the room, I had more than enough space for me. The bathroom is located to the right upon walking into the room.
The entrance to the room is shown in the photographs above — both from the point of view of the door and from the point of view of the windows. I liked the warm soft earth tones that were chosen as the color scheme for the decoration of the room.
On the wall on the left is a control panel for all of the lights in the room — as well as for both the sheer shades and the blackout shades of the windows. “COME by LATER” is printed on the Do Not Disturb sign, which was quite rigid and thick — as though it were constructed of a hard plastic instead of the typical cardboard.
The bed was a king size bed around which I did not have trouble maneuvering, as room was available on all three sides of the bed. The mattress was quite comfortable. I slept well in this bed, which features a Sealy Accelerate mattress.
A small night stand is located on each side of the bed. I liked how the drawers slowly closed themselves when they were almost closed. All of the drawers in the room had the same functionality.
Two lamps are mounted on the wall on each side of the bed; and each lamp had its own switch. The tufted headboard behind the bed is padded — but not very soft.
Speaking of soft, the frame of the bed itself had rounded corners and was covered in a material that padded the frame. I did not bump my leg into this corner like I did at the Tru by Hilton Denver Downtown Convention Center hotel property; but if I did, it likely would not potentially cause pain. A similar hazard existed when I stayed as a guest at the Tru By Hilton Oklahoma City Airport hotel property. The members of the team at Hilton who are responsible for the Tru by Hilton brand really should consider adding some sort of padding to the corners of the frames of the beds.
On each side of the bed is a control panel for all of the lights in the room, which is quite convenient if a guest does not want to get out of bed to activate or deactivate the lights in any part of the room. In addition to an electric outlet on each side of the bed, a pleasant surprise is that both types of Universal Serial Bus ports — USB A and USB C — are available. No adapters or dongles are needed if you have a portable electronic device that uses USB-C ports.
A charging station — which is also equipped with both a USB-A port and a USB-C port — is on the night stand on the window side of the bed. I simply placed my mobile telephone on it; and it immediately started charging.
A chair is located in a miniature yet cozy alcove — two sides of which are windows with views. A floor lamp is located behind the chair, which conveniently swivels. This chair was quite comfortable; and it was likely my favorite part of the room. I truly enjoyed sitting in this chair.
As a person who was born and raised in New York, I really liked being greeted by the large 65-inch flat screen television with scenes and vignettes of New York behind my name, as it was like coming back home for me. Within the frame below the television was a remote control. To the left was a code for a digital guide to the Tempo by Hilton New York Times Square hotel property.
To the right of the padded bench which is located below the television is a divided receptacle — supposed to be used to separate actual trash from anything which could be recycled. Unfortunately, the receptacle was not marked with which type of refuse should go where.
A desk — with a large round mirror that hangs above it — and a place to store and hang items are located to the left of the television. I had no issues with the speed of the Wi-Fi to access the Internet.
On the desk itself is a lamp, a sleek narrow telephone, an electrical outlet, and both a USB-A port and a USB-C port. A shallow drawer on each side of the desk slowly closed itself when it was almost closed. The chair at the desk is light and thinly padded; but it is not uncomfortable.
On the desk is a Nespresso machine with different flavors of coffee and condiments — as well as disposable cups.
Below the desk on the right side is a miniature refrigerator.
On the left of the desk is a black metal rack with a couple of shelves and seven wooden hangers. A plastic laundry bag was attached to one of the hangers. A mysterious sturdy cloth gray bag hung on the left of the rack. At the bottom of the metal rack is a place to put luggage.
A safe is located in a drawer, which is part of the place to put luggage. The right side of the drawer is empty.
Instead of an iron and an ironing board, a Conair Turbo ExtremeSteam Handheld Fabric Steamer with accessories was inside of the aforementioned gray bag. I actually used it, as my shirt was wrinkled when I removed it from my bag. I simply removed the small reservoir, filled it with water, plugged in the device, and steamed my shirt, which was free of most of the wrinkles within minutes. A quilted aluminum steamer plate performs like an iron. The unit itself has two steam options and stands up for ease of use and storage. This device was easy to use and convenient.
Four hooks on leather straps hang on a small rack, which is mounted on the wall between the storage area and the door of the entrance to the room.
The thermostat was simple enough to use; but I could only get the temperature down to 68 degrees Fahrenheit at the coolest. Unless I was missing something, this limitation can pose a problem during the summer months when the weather is hot and can potentially create an uncomfortable environment inside of the room.
Fortunately, a handle is located on one of the windows in the room…
…which allows the bottom of the window to open outwards. This could help to air out the room — but along with the open window comes the introduction of noise from the outside into what is otherwise an amazingly quiet room in which I did not even hear anyone in the neighboring rooms. The cacophony of Times Square — which is busy most hours of the day and night — is below and can be quite loud, which I do not mind; but not while I am sleeping.
The entrance to the bathroom uses a “barn door”, which slides to open and close. A full size mirror is mounted on the door. Nothing is located on the wall when the door blocks the entrance to the bathroom for privacy.
The Bathroom
A large illuminated round mirror hung over the vanity, which was stocked with three sets of three different types of towels; an extra roll of toilet paper; and a bag which contained an electric hand-held hair dryer.
A box of tissues were on the left side of the vanity. A digital clock near the bottom of the mirror displayed the correct time. Not pictured in the photograph is a small control panel on the wall which allowed for custom control of the lighting in the bathroom itself.
Also on the mirror was the Bluetooth symbol inside of a circle. Pressing this “button” activated Bluetooth on the mirror, as a female voice announced “Bluetooth: ON.”
Affixed to the wall on the right below the mirror is a sign which has the following instructions printed on it:
PAIR then PLAY
- Go to Settings on your device and turn on Bluetooth.
- Tap the Bluetooth symbol on the mirror and hold for 3 seconds.
- Listen for a beep as the Bluetooth symbol flashes blue and white.
- Select “Hilton Tempo Mirror” on your device.
- Watch the Bluetooth symbol turn white.
- Tune in and find your rhythm.
Cool.
Bulk dispensers of Apotheke hand wash and lotion were available on a dark tray on the right side of the vanity. The amenities are based on plants — with the contents manufactured in Brooklyn, mind you.
Affixed to the wall behind the bulk dispensers is a sign which has the following statement printed on it:
Tempo by Hilton + Apotheke
Power your refresh with premium Apotheke plant-based, cruelty-free bath amenities.
In our commitment to operating sustainably, Tempo has replaced single-use amenity bottles with full-sized dispensors.
Want more Apotheke? Chat with our Front Desk Team to purchase products.
When the bathroom is dark, a night light is activated at the bottom of the mirror if movement is detected. This feature is useful, as guests do not have to fumble for a light switch during the night if they need to use the bathroom for any reason.
The shower stall is located on the left side of the vanity. Access to it is behind a glass door, which opens outwards. The drain is a long narrow plate on the floor of the shower stall.
A large rain shower head is located directly overhead on the ceiling of the shower stall. The pressure and temperature of the water contributed to an excellent shower experience; but the lights automatically turned off after approximately 30 minutes while I was in the shower. Thank goodness for the aforementioned night light on the mirror. Perhaps I would have had better luck if I controlled the lights and the thermostat from the official mobile software application program of Hilton Honors — but I do not believe handling a portable electronic device in or near the shower stall while wet is a good idea.
In addition to a knob which controls the temperature of the water, a switch is available to deactivate the large rain shower head and activate the smaller flexible nozzle, which is more convenient to better control the direction the spray of water. Although the shower is equipped with both an overhead rain shower head and a nozzle which can be removed from its mount and held in one hand, both cannot be used simultaneously.
Bulk dispensers of Apotheke shampoo, conditioner, and bath gel were mounted on the wall of the shower stall. Interestingly, the White Vetiver fragrance is featured at the Tempo by Hilton New York Times Square hotel property; while the Canvas fragrance is featured at the Caption by Hyatt Beale Street Memphis hotel property.
On the wall opposite of the toilet are two hooks on which items can be hung — as well as an Inncom guest room management system from Honeywell, which is designed to “delight guests while helping them save energy.”
Views
Shown above is a photograph which offers a sneak peek of the view from the room, which overlooks Two Times Square. The illuminated electro-kinetic sculpture which has featured Coca-Cola for decades since 1920 is prominently attached to that building. Guinness World Records has awarded the title of the “first 3D robotic billboard” to the famous sign.
For the purposes of reference, the famous ball drop for New Year’s Eve occurs at One Times Square, which is located at the southern end of Times Square. Two Times Square is located at the northern end of Times Square.
Ball Drop View rooms are available at Tempo by Hilton New York Times Square — but be prepared to pay several hundred dollars more for the base room rate for those rooms.
Additional photographs of views from the room — as well as from the Sky Lobby — are featured in this separate article, as I have too many photographs to feature in this article.
Dining
My experience at Highball is documented in detail in this article, which includes small bites, munchies, and breakfast — as well as photographs and information of the restaurant itself.
Fitness Center
The fitness center is filled with all sorts of equipment — including exercise cycles, treadmills, weights, a flat-screen television, mirrors, and other exercise equipment. Windows with views are also included in the experience.
As an inspiration to guests who are exercising, the phrase “the best way out is always through” is displayed in neon lights inside above the entrance to the fitness center. Guests may use the fitness center at any time, as it is open 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
Final Boarding Call
I found myself repeating the word cool under my breath throughout my stay. I recommend staying at the first Tempo by Hilton New York Times Square hotel property, as the members of the staff were exuberantly friendly and quite accommodating to ensuring that every need of mine was met; the location is conveniently central to Times Square; and the room was comfortably cozy and quiet…
…and with the hotel property being relatively new, everything was spotlessly clean.
Unfortunately, be aware that a daily mandatory destination charge of $34.95 per room per night is added to the base room rate at Tempo by Hilton New York Times Square. It includes:
- Premium guest internet access
- Daily food and beverage credit of ten dollars for use in all hotel outlets — excluding the Market
- City Bike rentals for two
- Daily parking credit of $25.00, which reduces the valet parking fee of $95.00 to $70.00
If you drive a motor vehicle to this hotel property and use the daily food and beverage credit, that combined $35.00 already wipes out the daily mandatory destination charge — but what about guests who did not drive a motor vehicle?
To the members of the team at the Tempo by Hilton New York Times Square hotel property: please — either just add $34.95 to the base room rate every day; or have the daily destination charge be optional. The daily mandatory destination charge is my biggest criticism of Tempo by Hilton New York Times Square in addition to my few aforementioned minor criticisms.
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. I am not sure if the daily food and beverage credit of ten dollars is added to the $18.00 for a total of $28.00 per person for up to two people per day.
I would absolutely consider staying at the Tempo by Hilton New York Times Square hotel property the next time I want to stay in Manhattan. The location is quite convenient — especially to buses and subway lines. Expect to pay more — but not unreasonably more — for any of the City View rooms.
At the time this article was written, the least expensive room rate available for one night can range from $187.00 on at least 14 days in January of 2024 — which is a potentially incredible value — to as much as $829.00 as the least expensive room rate on Friday, December 1, 2023.
Given its prime location, the hotel property is understandably sold out for New Year’s Eve 2023 in New York; so I could not find out what the base room rate was during that time. The rates do vary wildly in between those ranges; so check the rates on the dates which you may want to stay at this hotel property before booking your reservation. Rates for New Year’s Eve on Tuesday, December 31, 2024 are not available yet — but if you are interested in staying at Tempo by Hilton New York Times Square for New Year’s Eve, keep an eye out on the schedule and book your reservation as soon as possible.
The Tempo by Hilton New York Times Square may not be ideal for the typical business traveler — 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, as I did see people of all ages there. It was cool yet comfortable; and sleek — yet not pretentious.
If you have not yet stayed at a Tempo by Hilton hotel property, give the Tempo by Hilton New York Times Square a try — and consider paying extra for the views.
Tempo by Hilton New York Times Square
1568 Broadway
New York, New York 10036
United States
1-212-262-8100
No free parking or self parking is available. Valet parking costs $95.00 for up to 24 hours with no in or out privileges.
All photographs ©2023 by Brian Cohen.
