Hotel and the City Midtown

About Hotel and the City Midtown

Midtown South suits travelers who want the grid on their doorstep without the crowds of Times Square. Hotel and the City Midtown puts you on West 31st Street, a short walk from Penn Station and the Flatiron blocks, so a day starts with an easy route north, south or west. Couples on a city break, small families and business travelers passing through all fit here, since the building keeps a 24 hour front desk and free Wi-Fi. Late arrivals reach the door quickly from the station.

Hotel and the City Midtown is a four-star hotel, with a supplier guest score of 3.6 out of 5 taken from 73 reviews. That combination points to a practical, well-placed base where the address does much of the work. Guests get air conditioning, a safe, a terrace and a business center on the listed facilities. Treat the score as a summary from the booking supplier's guests and read recent comments before committing to a longer stay.

Rooms and listed facilities

The supplier's listed facilities cover the basics for most trips. Couples can ask about kitchenette rooms, families about family rooms, and business travelers about the business center and internet access. A 24 hour front desk and 24-hour security help if you arrive late, and luggage storage is useful on a departure day. Kitchens and kitchenettes appear on the list, so confirm which room types include them, along with terrace access and laundry service, when you book.

Air conditioning and free Wi-Fi are listed for the building, which matters in a Manhattan summer and on a working trip. A concierge can help with directions and tickets, and elevators serve the floors. For a longer stay, ask about kitchen and kitchenette layouts before choosing a room, and check whether the terrace is open for the dates you plan. The property confirms what each room type includes.

The setting

The address is 38 West 31st Street in Midtown South, the part of Manhattan between the Flatiron blocks and Penn Station. Numbered streets run east-west and avenues north-south here, with Broadway cutting diagonally across the grid, so a short walk covers a lot of ground. Penn Station is about 0.4 miles (0.6 km) away in a straight line, Grand Central Terminal about 0.7 miles (1.1 km), Times Square about 0.7 miles (1.2 km) and Central Park at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street about 1.4 miles (2.3 km). The High Line is about 0.9 miles (1.4 km) west.

This is a working Midtown edge rather than a residential one: offices, stores and stations sit close together, and the streets stay active into the evening. From Hotel and the City Midtown, the observation decks and Grand Central Terminal are about 0.7 miles (1.1 km) in a straight line, Broadway and the Theater District about 0.8 miles (1.3 km), and Hudson Yards with the Vessel about 0.9 miles (1.4 km). The 9/11 Memorial is about 2.8 miles (4.5 km) to the south, a straightforward subway ride or a longer walk.

Location and neighborhood

Midtown South, Flatiron and Union Square hold some of the most practical ground in Manhattan for a longer stay or a tighter budget. The district runs from Union Square at 14th Street north through the Flatiron blocks and Madison Square Park to NoMad, Koreatown and the hotel streets around Penn Station. Everyday needs sit close together: subway entrances, laundromats, pharmacies, grocery stores and public libraries. Blocks are short and walkable, so a week here can be spent mostly on foot. Numbered streets run east to west and Fifth Avenue divides east from west addresses, which makes navigation simple after the first day.

For a stay of a week or more, the district settles into a rhythm that suits errands as much as sightseeing. Union Square is the anchor: a park, a market on several mornings a week, and a subway hub where several lines meet. Madison Square Park offers a second breathing space with benches, lawns and shade. Koreatown, between 31st and 33rd Streets near Broadway, packs small restaurants and food shops into a few blocks. The hotel streets near Penn Station are busiest on weekday mornings and tend to be calmer at weekends. Longer stays work well here because the essentials stay open late and the side streets are quiet at night.

Getting there and around

Distances are modest. Hotel and the City Midtown is around 0.7 miles (1.1 km) from the nearest major rail terminal and around 0.7 miles (1.2 km) from the center of the district at Union Square. From the airports, AirTrain and rail or subway connections link JFK and Newark to Midtown in typically 45 to 75 minutes, depending on traffic and connections; LaGuardia is closest by road, with a link bus to the subway. The subway runs 24 hours. You tap a contactless card or phone at the turnstile, weekly spending is capped after a set number of rides, and the MetroCard is being phased out. Check the MTA for service changes before a late trip.

Nearby sights and food

Most headline sights are close. The High Line begins at Gansevoort Street and runs north to Hudson Yards, where the Vessel stands among the towers; Hudson River Park and Little Island continue along the waterfront to the west. Grand Central Terminal is a short walk east from the district's northern edge, and the Broadway theaters around Times Square lie to the northwest. Observation decks at the Empire State Building, Top of the Rock and One Vanderbilt are all within reach. The 9/11 Memorial is farther south. Check opening hours, timed entry and ticketing with each site before setting out.

Eating simply is straightforward here. Koreatown packs small barbecue restaurants, noodle shops and bakeries into a few blocks around 32nd Street. The streets around Union Square and the Flatiron hold diners, pizzerias, taquerias and counter-service places suited to a quick lunch. Madison Square Park and Union Square both work for takeaway eaten outdoors. Longer stays can lean on grocery stores and the open-air market at Union Square for breakfast and picnic supplies. Vegetarian and vegan kitchens appear throughout the district, and food shops near Penn Station serve commuters from early morning.

A day from Hotel and the City Midtown

A day from Hotel and the City Midtown: begin at Union Square, where the market stalls appear on some mornings, then walk north on Fifth Avenue past the Flatiron Building and into Madison Square Park for a bench under the trees. Continue to Koreatown for a late-morning coffee and a look at the food shops. Give the afternoon to the High Line, walking south to Gansevoort Street, then follow Hudson River Park north to Little Island. Cross town to Grand Central Terminal for the main concourse before the evening rush. Eat dinner in Koreatown or near Union Square, then walk back to Hotel and the City Midtown.

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
• 24-hour security
• ATM
• Air conditioning
• Banquet
• Bathroom
• Business Center
• Cleaning
• Coffee
• Concierge
• Desk
• Express check in
• Family rooms
• First aid
• Free Wi-Fi
• Hairdryer
• Internet access
• Iron and board
• Kitchen
• Kitchenette
• Laundry Service
• Elevators
• Luggage storage
• Microwave
• Non smoking rooms
• Patio
• Refrigerator
• Safe
• Shower
• Smoke detector
• TV
• Terrace
• Toaster
• Toiletries
• Towels
• WC
• Washing Machine
• Wi-Fi