Hotel Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square

About Hotel Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square

Hotel Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square suits travelers who want the Theater District close at hand and a practical base between outings. Couples can walk to an evening curtain and back without a taxi. Families can spread out, with Central Park about about two-thirds of a mile away. Business travelers are within reach of Midtown offices and Grand Central Terminal. Late arrivals find a 24-hour front desk. The address on West 47th Street keeps the grid, the museums and the rivers within easy reach of the lobby.

That figure comes from guests who have already stayed, and it is the supplier's score rather than a rating from this guide. Expect a large, busy property built around short city visits and theater evenings, with breakfast, free Wi-Fi and a fitness center among the listed facilities. Check the total price with taxes and fees before booking.

Rooms and listed facilities

Rooms at Hotel Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square work best as a place to sleep and regroup between outings. The listed facilities cover the practical side: air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, a safe, luggage storage and a 24-hour front desk for late arrivals. Couples can ask the property about room types and bed configurations when booking. Families can confirm cribs and family rooms with the hotel, as both appear among its listed facilities. Business travelers have a business center and concierge on site. Confirm breakfast times, room layout and any facility fee with the property before you book.

Ask the property directly about what matters for your stay at Hotel Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square, because listed facilities describe what the supplier records, not how each room is arranged. Travelers arriving on a late flight can lean on the 24-hour front desk and luggage storage. Guests who need quiet after a show can request a room away from street level at the time of booking. Confirm anything essential, including breakfast service and access needs, before you travel.

The setting

Hotel Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square occupies 145 West 47th Street in Midtown, on a cross street of the numbered grid. Times Square is about 0.1 miles (0.2 km) away in a straight line, and Broadway and the Theater District about 0.1 miles (0.1 km), so an evening curtain is a short walk. The Museum of Modern Art is about 0.4 miles (0.6 km), Grand Central Terminal about 0.6 miles (0.9 km), Penn Station about 0.8 miles (1.3 km), and Central Park at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street about 0.7 miles (1.1 km). Streets here stay busy late.

The blocks around Hotel Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square sit at the center of the Manhattan grid, which means most of Midtown is reached on foot. Fifth Avenue divides East from West street numbers, and Broadway cuts diagonally across the avenues. The 9/11 Memorial is about 3.6 miles (5.8 km) south, and the Intrepid Museum about 0.9 miles (1.5 km). Subway entrances are close, and contactless tap to pay covers the fare. Traffic builds through the day, so allow slack for anything timed.

Location and neighborhood

Midtown is the commercial center of Manhattan, and Times Square marks its busiest crossing, where Broadway cuts diagonally through the numbered street grid. The Theater District wraps around those blocks, with about 40 Broadway houses and evening curtains usually at 7 or 8 pm, so check the show you plan to see. Streets stay active late into the night, and the crowds around the square are largest after dark. Hotel Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square sits inside this grid, within easy reach of the cross streets and subway entrances that tie the neighborhood to the rest of the island.

Fifth Avenue runs north to Central Park South, and the blocks below it hold the avenue's largest stores. East of the square, Bryant Park offers a green pause between the office towers. Rockefeller Center fills the ground between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, with its plaza and a seasonal ice rink in winter. North of 34th Street, the Garment District keeps a working trade in fabric and trim. Street numbers are easy to read once you know the rule: numbered streets run east to west, avenues run north to south, and Fifth Avenue divides East from West.

Getting there and around

The center of the neighborhood lies around 0.1 miles (0.2 km) from Hotel Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square, so the Theater District, Bryant Park and Fifth Avenue are within walking range. The airports lie around 13 miles (21.7 km) away, and JFK and Newark Liberty are typically 45-75 minutes from Midtown depending on traffic and connections. Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station are around 0.6 miles (0.9 km) from the door. The subway runs 24 hours a day; fares are paid by tapping a contactless card or phone, and the MetroCard is being phased out. Check the OMNY weekly cap and any service changes with the MTA before a long day out.

Nearby sights and food

The Museum of Modern Art holds modern and contemporary collections a few blocks from the square, and Museum Mile starts at 82nd Street with The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The American Museum of Natural History faces Central Park on the west side. Observation decks give the widest views: One World Observatory downtown, SUMMIT One Vanderbilt beside Grand Central, Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building and Edge at Hudson Yards. Hudson Yards and the Vessel anchor the far west side, and the Intrepid Museum, on an aircraft carrier at a Hudson pier, covers aviation and space.

Food in Midtown is built for a district that works late. Delis and slice counters turn out sandwiches and pizza at lunch, and food halls gather small kitchens under one roof. Italian, Japanese, Thai, Indian and Korean menus are widespread, with Chinese kitchens well represented a few blocks south. Steakhouses and seafood rooms cluster near the Theater District, and many fill early with pre-show diners, so a table at 6 pm can be easier to find than one at 8. Expect lines at popular counters near Bryant Park at midday; a block east is usually calmer.

A day from Hotel Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square

A day from Hotel Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square. Begin early in Bryant Park, when the paths are quiet and the lawns are open. Walk north up Fifth Avenue to Central Park South and enter the park at the southeast corner for a loop of the lower paths. Eat lunch near the park, then choose an afternoon: the Museum of Modern Art in Midtown, or a ride north to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Return and eat early, leaving time to walk to the theater. Evening curtains are typically at 7 or 8 pm, so check the show and the running time. End with the lights over Times Square from the pedestrian plazas.

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
• Air conditioning
• Snack bar
• Bars
• Bathrobe
• Bathroom
• Breakfast
• Business Center
• Car rental service
• Cleaning
• Coffee
• Concierge
• Crib
• Desk
• Dry cleaning service
• Express check in
• Family rooms
• First aid
• Fitness Center
• Free Wi-Fi
• Hairdryer
• Housekeeping
• Internet access
• Iron and board
• Laundry Service
• Elevators
• Luggage storage
• Market
• Non smoking rooms
• Refrigerator
• Restaurant
• Safe
• Shower
• Smoke detector
• Sofa bed
• TV
• Telephone
• Toiletries
• Towels