Hudson River Hotel

About Hudson River Hotel

Hudson River Hotel suits travelers who want a plain, practical base in Chelsea and plan to spend most of the day outdoors. West 36th Street sits between Penn Station and the Hudson River, so trains, the High Line and the Theater District are all within reach on foot. Couples on a short city break, small groups sharing a trip and business travelers with early meetings fit here well. Late arrivals find a front desk staffed at every hour.

The hotel carries an official 2-star rating, which in New York generally signals compact rooms and basic services rather than a full-service address. The booking supplier's guest score is 3.2 out of 5 from 618 reviews, a middling figure worth reading alongside recent comments. Treat the score as a starting point rather than a verdict, and confirm room details with the property before booking. Rates and availability open in the IMPT app.

Rooms and listed facilities

Facilities listed by the supplier cover the essentials for a short stay: a 24 hour front desk, concierge, free wifi, lifts, shuttle service, a spa and wheelchair access. Couples can use the concierge for dinner plans, families get wifi for quiet downtime, and business travelers can work in the room. Late arrivals appreciate the staffed desk at any hour. Ask the property directly about room layouts, bed sizes and the spa's booking arrangements, and confirm shuttle details before you travel.

The setting

West 36th Street runs through Chelsea, in the part of Midtown that sits between the garment district and the Hudson River. The hotel's address places Penn Station about 0.4 miles (0.6 km) away in a straight line, Times Square about 0.6 miles (1 km), Grand Central Terminal about 1.1 miles (1.7 km) and the Fifth Avenue corner of Central Park about 1.4 miles (2.3 km). The High Line and the West Side waterfront are a short walk west. Subway and bus routes change, so check current service with the MTA before setting out.

Location and neighborhood

Two districts share this stretch of the West Side. Chelsea runs from roughly 14th to 34th Streets, a grid of brick warehouses, walk-up galleries and quiet residential blocks between Sixth and Eleventh Avenues. Hudson Yards rises at its northern edge, a cluster of glass towers built over the rail yards west of Tenth Avenue, with the High Line threading between them. Below 14th Street the street pattern turns older and irregular; above it, numbered streets run east to west and avenues run north to south. Hudson River Hotel sits within this overlap, close to both the galleries and the towers.

The district suits a working trip. Weekday mornings bring a steady flow of people toward the offices around Hudson Yards and the eastern edge of Chelsea, and the sidewalks thin out after the evening rush. Galleries keep their own hours, which vary by day and season, so confirm before setting out. The Theater District and Times Square lie a short ride or a manageable walk north, and the Financial District is a straight run south for meetings downtown. Hudson River Hotel places you inside that working geography, with appointments reachable on foot or by a short subway ride.

Getting there and around

Chelsea is well served by subway, with stations along Seventh and Eighth Avenues and trains running 24 hours a day. Fares are paid by tapping a contactless card or phone at the turnstile, and the system caps weekly spending after a set number of rides. On paper the distances are modest: Hudson River Hotel is around 1.1 miles (1.7 km) from Penn Station, around 0.6 miles (1 km) from the Midtown business core and around 14 miles (22.4 km) from the nearest airport. Allow 45 to 75 minutes for JFK or Newark by road and rail, depending on traffic and connections. Check current subway service changes and airport transfer options before setting out.

Nearby sights and food

The High Line is the obvious first walk: an elevated park on a former freight line from Gansevoort Street to West 34th Street, free to enter. At its northern end, Hudson Yards and the Vessel stand among the towers. Little Island and Hudson River Park follow the waterfront west of the neighborhood, and the Intrepid Museum sits on a pier at the Hudson's edge. Broadway theaters cluster around Times Square to the north, roughly 40 houses in all, with evening curtains usually at 7 or 8 pm; check the show. Observation decks at Hudson Yards, the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center show the skyline from above.

Eating in Chelsea covers a wide range without leaving the neighborhood. Chelsea Market packs food stalls and small counters under one roof, useful for a quick lunch between meetings. Along Seventh and Eighth Avenues, casual places serve pizza by the slice, tacos, ramen, falafel and bagels. The gallery blocks south of 24th Street hold a scattering of quieter cafés and bakeries for a sit-down break. Hudson Yards adds sit-down restaurants and a food hall. For a business dinner, the Theater District north of 42nd Street has steakhouse and seafood rooms that take reservations well ahead.

A day from Hudson River Hotel

A day from Hudson River Hotel can start early with a walk north on the High Line before the crowds arrive, entering near Gansevoort Street and following the planted path to Hudson Yards. Pause at the Vessel and the surrounding towers, then drop down for a working lunch around the market halls near Ninth Avenue. The afternoon suits the gallery blocks between 20th and 26th Streets, where small rooms show contemporary work, or a ride uptown to Museum Mile if a larger collection is the goal. Finish with an early Broadway curtain, typically 7 pm, and a walk back through the Theater District lights. Check opening days and show times before booking.

Distances

Facilities listed by the supplier

As listed by the booking supplier; a facility not listed here may still exist. Confirm anything important with the property.

• 24 Hour Front Desk
• Coffee
• Concierge
• Free Wi-Fi
• Elevators
• Shuttle service
• Spa
• TV
• Wheelchair accessible