Roger Smith Hotel

About Roger Smith Hotel

The Roger Smith Hotel suits travelers who want a straightforward base in Midtown East and plan to spend most of the day out in the city. Couples who like walking to Grand Central Terminal for an early train, small families visiting over a long weekend, and business travelers with meetings around Lexington Avenue and 42nd Street all fit here. The address puts the Theater District, Times Square and the lower edge of Central Park within an easy walk, so evenings and free mornings need little planning.

The Roger Smith Hotel is a three-star property on Lexington Avenue, with an official rating of three stars. The booking supplier's guest score is 4.1 out of 5 from 717 reviews, a steady figure for a hotel of this class in Midtown Manhattan. Expect an uncomplicated city stay in a busy district rather than a resort, with sights and subway stations close by. Read the score as a general signal from past guests, and check the total price with taxes and fees in the IMPT app.

Rooms and listed facilities

The supplier lists air conditioning, free wifi, a gymnasium, a breakfast room, a bar, a terrace, a concierge, laundry service, lifts and a safe. Couples can use the terrace for a quiet pause before dinner. Business travelers get a gym for an early workout and wifi for calls. Families should confirm with the property which room setup suits the group. Late arrivals should confirm reception hours and the check-in cutoff directly with the property before traveling, and ask about breakfast timing.

Rooms at the Roger Smith Hotel are booked through the IMPT app, where prices and availability appear once a date is chosen. The listed facilities cover the basics for a short city stay, and the concierge can help with directions and tickets for the sights nearby. Confirm anything you rely on with the property before arrival, including how the room is set up for the number of guests in the group. Check the total price with taxes and fees before booking.

The setting

The Roger Smith Hotel stands at 501 Lexington Avenue in Midtown East, on a stretch that mixes offices, apartment blocks and small shops. Grand Central Terminal is about 0.2 miles (0.4 km) away in a straight line, which makes an early train or a Metro-North connection simple. Times Square is about 0.7 miles (1.1 km), and the Fifth Avenue corner of Central Park is about 0.7 miles (1.1 km), both walkable. Penn Station is about 1.1 miles (1.8 km). The Theater District sits a short walk west, and buses and subway lines run nearby.

This part of Manhattan is a working district by day and quieter in the evening, with the brighter blocks of the Theater District a short walk west. The Empire State Building and other observation decks are about 0.2 miles (0.4 km) from the Roger Smith Hotel in a straight line, so a sunset slot is easy to reach. The 9/11 Memorial is about 3.7 miles (5.9 km) south, best reached by subway. Plan indoor sights for wet days and keep the parks for clear ones.

Location and neighborhood

Turtle Bay sits at the eastern edge of Midtown, a stretch of side streets and small apartment blocks between the United Nations complex and the office towers nearer Fifth Avenue. The neighborhood runs roughly from 42nd Street north to 59th Street and ends at the East River, where the waterfront looks across to Queens. Grand Central Terminal anchors the southwest corner, and the Chrysler Building rises a few blocks south of the United Nations. Side streets here are quiet on weekends, and the walk from the avenues to the river takes only minutes.

For families the appeal is the scale: blocks are short, sidewalks are wide, and the side streets of Turtle Bay are calmer than the avenues. Children can walk between the United Nations, Grand Central and the river without long crossings, and Central Park starts at 59th Street, a short walk west. Mornings bring commuters, so plan outings for mid-morning or after the afternoon rush. Security around the United Nations tightens during major meetings, so check the perimeter before setting out with small children and strollers.

Getting there and around

From Roger Smith Hotel, the subway is usually the quickest way around. Trains run 24 hours, stations along Lexington Avenue serve the east side, and crosstown buses on 42nd Street cross to Times Square. Service changes happen, so check with the MTA before a journey. Distances are modest: around 0.2 miles (0.4 km) to the main rail stations, around 0.7 miles (1.1 km) to the area center and around 13 miles (20.7 km) to the airport, with traffic to consider on the road. Pay by tapping a contactless card or phone. Strollers fold easily outside rush hour, and not every station has elevators, so check step-free access with the MTA in advance.

Nearby sights and food

Several sights suit mixed ages. Grand Central Terminal rewards an hour in the concourse, looking up at the ceiling, and the Chrysler Building stands a few blocks south. The United Nations runs guided tours when its schedule allows, so check with the visitor desk. The Intrepid Museum, on the Hudson, appeals to children who like aircraft and ships. MoMA, the Theater District and the large observation decks are a short ride away, and so are Hudson Yards and the Vessel. All are easy to reach from Roger Smith Hotel, and timed tickets help on busy days.

Food here follows the working day. Coffee bars, salad counters and sandwich shops fill quickly at lunch, and steakhouses and seafood rooms cluster near Grand Central. Turtle Bay adds small Japanese, Thai and Indian kitchens, a few trattorias and Irish pubs on the side streets. Around the United Nations the menus turn international, with Korean and Turkish options among them. Families can eat early at counter-service places on Second and Third Avenues, where lines move fast and children are welcome, or book a quieter dining room east of Third for dinner. Weekday evenings are busiest.

A day from Roger Smith Hotel

A day from Roger Smith Hotel: begin at Grand Central Terminal before the commuter rush fills the concourse, then walk south for a look at the Chrysler Building from the street. Continue east to the United Nations for a guided tour if the schedule allows, or follow the waterfront instead. Eat lunch on a Turtle Bay side street. In the afternoon, ride to an observation deck for the skyline view, or take children to the Intrepid Museum. Return to Roger Smith Hotel to rest, then eat an early dinner before a Broadway show, checking curtain times with the theater.

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.

• Air conditioning
• Bars
• Breakfast room
• Concierge
• Dry cleaning service
• Free Wi-Fi
• Gym
• Iron and board
• Laundry Service
• Elevators
• Safe
• TV
• Telephone
• Terrace
• Wi-Fi