Aura Hotel Times Square

About Aura Hotel Times Square

Aura Hotel Times Square suits travelers who want Times Square, the Theater District and the Midtown observation decks within a short walk of the lobby. Couples taking a city break, families with older children and business travelers with meetings in the area all fit an address this central. Days can start at a Midtown desk and end at a Broadway curtain without much travel in between. Ask the property about room placement when you book.

Aura Hotel Times Square is a 4-star hotel on West 44th Street in Midtown Manhattan. The booking supplier's guest score is 3.8 out of 5 from 2182 reviews, which points to a solid base for a city visit. Expect a straightforward hotel stay: a desk staffed at all hours, a fitness center and air conditioning in the rooms. Travelers who put location first, and who plan to spend most of the day out in the city, are the natural audience here.

Rooms and listed facilities

Facilities listed by the supplier include a 24 hour front desk, elevators, luggage storage, a safe, air conditioning, a fitness center, bars, concierge service, laundry service, parking, internet access and Wi-Fi, and pets are allowed. For couples, the concierge and the bar are the useful parts. Families can ask about room layouts and whether pets allowed covers their case. Business travelers get a staffed desk at any hour. Late arrivals should confirm the desk arrangement with the property before a long flight, and ask about parking terms and the total price with taxes and fees.

The setting

Aura Hotel Times Square stands at 120 W 44th St in Midtown Manhattan, in the Theater District and a few minutes on foot from Times Square. Measured in straight lines, Times Square is about 0.1 miles (0.2 km) away and the Theater District about 0.2 miles (0.3 km). Grand Central Terminal is about 0.4 miles (0.7 km), Central Park at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street about 0.8 miles (1.3 km), Penn Station about 0.6 miles (1 km) and the 9/11 Memorial about 3.5 miles (5.6 km).

Location and neighborhood

Traveling with children, the street grid works in your favor. Numbered streets run east to west and avenues run north to south, so a wrong turn costs a block rather than an afternoon. Fifth Avenue divides East from West, and Broadway cuts across on the diagonal. Aura Hotel Times Square sits inside the Midtown and Times Square area, which runs from the Garment District blocks north of 34th Street down through the Theater District, Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center to Central Park South. Sidewalks are wide but crowded when the theaters empty. A stroller moves more easily before the evening rush.

Families use the area in two modes: daytime errands and evening spectacle. Fifth Avenue between Rockefeller Center and Central Park South holds the flagship stores, and those blocks fill quickly on weekends. Quieter ground exists. The Garment District north of 34th Street is calmer, and Bryant Park gives children room to move and a lawn to cross. Treat Times Square as a crossing rather than a destination at midday; the light show reads better after dark from a little farther back. Mornings are the calmest window for a walk east to west, and the grid keeps the route simple.

Getting there and around

Arriving is straightforward. 13 miles (21.6 km) is roughly the distance to the nearest airport, and the ride in from JFK or Newark typically takes 45 to 75 minutes depending on traffic and connections, so check the current options before setting out. 0.4 miles (0.7 km) covers the run to Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station, both connected to the subway. Penn Station occupies 34th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues. 0.1 miles (0.2 km) places you at the middle of the district. The subway runs 24 hours; tap a contactless card or phone at the turnstile. Check service changes with the MTA on the day.

Nearby sights and food

The sights cluster tightly. The Museum of Modern Art stands on West 53rd Street, and Broadway's theaters, about 40 houses, fill the blocks around Times Square. Grand Central Terminal is worth a stop for the concourse ceiling alone. Hudson Yards, on the West Side, holds the Vessel and the Edge observation deck. Several decks lift families above the streets: Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building, SUMMIT One Vanderbilt beside Grand Central, and One World Observatory downtown. The American Museum of Natural History sits on Central Park West at 79th Street, an easy run north. Timed entries cut the waiting.

Food in Midtown is built for a crowd. Expect diners, pizza counters, delis, ramen shops, taquerias and bakeries along Ninth and Tenth Avenues in the Garment District, where tables turn fast. The Theater District leans toward grills and Italian places that fill before curtain. Near Bryant Park, sandwich shops and coffee bars suit a quick lunch, and the food halls around Rockefeller Center give children several cuisines under one roof, which helps when tastes differ. Children's menus are common. Reservations help at 7 pm. Ask about allergies before ordering.

A day from Aura Hotel Times Square

A day from Aura Hotel Times Square: start early, before the crowds gather. A walk north along Fifth Avenue reaches Central Park South, where the park opens its 843 acres of paths, lawns and playgrounds. Carry water. Come back down through Rockefeller Center and cross to Bryant Park for a sit and a run around the lawn. Lunch in the Garment District, then an afternoon at the Museum of Modern Art, where the upper floors move fastest with children. Return to Aura Hotel Times Square to rest before an early dinner. Evening curtains run at 7 or 8 pm; check the show. Finish with the lights of Times Square from a little farther back, then walk to Aura Hotel Times Square.

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
• Air conditioning
• Bars
• Bathroom
• Cleaning
• Coffee
• Concierge
• Desk
• Express check in
• Fitness Center
• Garage
• Hairdryer
• Housekeeping
• Internet access
• Iron and board
• Laundry Service
• Elevators
• Luggage storage
• Non smoking rooms
• Parking
• Pets allowed
• Safe
• Security Features
• Smoke detector
• Sofa bed
• TV
• Telephone
• Toiletries
• Towels
• WC
• Wheelchair accessible
• Wi-Fi