Editorial score of 8.9 of 10, the composite average of the three factors above (Rooms, Service, Location). Method at our methodology page. Affiliate disclosure: booking links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you, and never change our verdict.
Why book the InterContinental New York Times Square?
Book it because it is the full-service luxury hotel the Theatre District long lacked, standing at the neighbourhood's geographic centre. The address, 300 West 44th Street at Eighth Avenue, is the whole argument. Most hotels that call themselves Times Square properties sit several avenues away and sell proximity; this one sits inside the theatre map, so the marquees you came to see are a five-minute walk from the lobby rather than a cab ride. The 36-story tower holds 607 rooms and suites with the operational depth that IHG's InterContinental brand maintains across its portfolio, which in practice means a real concierge, 24-hour service, meeting space and a kitchen that runs from an early breakfast to a late supper. For a guest whose New York week is built around 8pm curtains, that combination is worth more than a fashionable rooftop.
What sets it apart from the interchangeable Midtown boxes nearby is a genuine sense of place. The hotel keeps five working beehives on its roof, and the honey they produce flavours the cocktails and the kitchen at the Stinger, the bar and restaurant off the lobby. It is a small thing that tells you the property is run with more care than the district's average. Set your expectations correctly, though. This is a large, busy, transit-forward city hotel rather than a hushed retreat, there is no spa and no pool, and the roof belongs to the bees rather than to a view terrace. Understood on those terms, it is the most sensible base in the neighbourhood for theatre, family trips and entertainment-industry business.
What are the best rooms to request?
Request a high-floor room and be specific about the aspect, because at 44th Street the direction you face changes the stay. The upper floors of the 36-story tower look east toward the light and motion of Times Square or west toward the Hudson River, and each has its own appeal: the eastern rooms give you the neon spectacle from a safe remove, while the western rooms trade the buzz for river light and a calmer night. The 607 rooms and suites are contemporary and well proportioned by Midtown standards, with good bathrooms and the sound insulation a busy corner demands. If you are travelling as a couple for a milestone, the suites open up the living space, and the 2,700-square-foot duplex penthouse is the top of the inventory for a special occasion.
One honest caveat: this is a big-house hotel, and at full occupancy the lobby and lifts move a lot of people, so the arrival experience is efficient rather than intimate. Lower floors can pick up street noise from Eighth Avenue, and the entry rooms, while comfortable, are sized for a city that charges by the square foot. Ask for a higher floor away from the avenue, confirm the aspect you want at booking, and the room does exactly what a Theatre District base should: it is quiet enough to sleep after a late curtain and close enough that the walk home is nothing.
If you have theatre tickets, ask the concierge to hold a late supper table at the Stinger for after the show, since most Restaurant Row kitchens wind down early. For a quieter night, request a west-facing room on a high floor toward the Hudson rather than the Times Square side.
What is the dining and the bar scene like?
The hub is the Stinger Cocktail Bar and Kitchen, which sits off the main lobby with its own street entrance so it works as a neighbourhood room as much as a hotel one. By day it runs a substantial breakfast buffet and all-day dining; by evening it is a cocktail bar whose signature drinks are built around honey from the five beehives the hotel keeps on the roof, a genuinely local touch in a district short on them. It is the right place for a pre-theatre drink or a late plate when the curtain comes down after the surrounding kitchens have closed. Be clear about the limits, though: this is the hotel's single food and drink outlet, so for a long celebratory dinner you will want to book one of the Restaurant Row rooms one block north on West 46th Street, and the concierge can steer you there.
Does it have a spa or pool?
No, and it is important to say so plainly. There is a fitness centre, but the InterContinental New York Times Square has no spa and no pool, and the roof is given over to the apiary rather than to a guest bar or sun terrace. If a spa treatment or a swim is part of how you unwind on a city trip, this is the wrong address and you should look at a Midtown property built around wellness. If your priority is the theatre map on your doorstep and a reliable full-service house to come back to, the absence of a spa is a fair trade rather than a real loss.
Signature amenities
In the heart of the Theatre District
Theatre District, at Eighth Avenue · steps from Broadway and the Port Authority terminal
What's nearby
- Broadway theatres
44th to 46th Street cluster2 min walk - TKTS discount booth
Duffy Square5 min walk - Times Square
42nd Street subway hub5 min walk - Bryant Park
NY Public Library10 min walk - Hudson River piers
Circle Line & Intrepid12 min walk
The tower, the rooms, the Stinger
Tower
Guest room
The Stinger
SuiteHow does the InterContinental compare with other Times Square hotels?
Against the field, the InterContinental is the full-service, dead-centre Theatre District base, and the choice comes down to what you want the stay to feel like. The Times Square EDITION is the design-led, Ian Schrager alternative with Michelin-starred dining and a scene, at a higher rate. The Knickerbocker is the historic play, a 1906 Beaux-Arts landmark at 42nd and Broadway with a rooftop bar the InterContinental cannot match. Kimpton Ink48 pushes west into Hell's Kitchen for a rooftop and river views, trading a few minutes of walking for quiet. The InterContinental's own trade-off is that it is a large, contemporary house without a spa, a pool or a guest rooftop, so you are buying location and reliability rather than character or a view terrace.
| Hotel | Style | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| InterContinental Times Square | Full-service Theatre District | Broadway, families, entertainment business | No spa, pool or rooftop bar |
| The Times Square EDITION | Design-led Schrager hotel | Scene, Michelin dining | Higher rates, less traditional service |
| The Knickerbocker | 1906 Beaux-Arts landmark | Character, rooftop bar | Service consistency can waver |
| Kimpton Ink48 | Hell's Kitchen with rooftop | River views, quieter block | A few blocks from the theatres |
Frequently asked questions
Where is the InterContinental New York Times Square located?
The hotel is at 300 West 44th Street, at Eighth Avenue in the Theatre District. Every major Broadway theatre is within a ten-minute walk, the TKTS discount booth is about five minutes north, and the Times Square-42nd Street subway hub and the Port Authority terminal are both a short walk in opposite directions.
How many rooms and suites does the InterContinental New York Times Square have?
There are 607 guest rooms and suites across the 36-story tower, including 29 suites and a 2,700-square-foot duplex penthouse. Upper floors look east toward Times Square and west toward the Hudson River.
What are the restaurants and bars at the InterContinental New York Times Square?
The Stinger Cocktail Bar and Kitchen, off the lobby with its own street entrance, is the hotel's food and drink hub: a breakfast buffet, all-day dining into the late evening, and cocktails built around honey from the beehives the hotel keeps on its roof. In-room dining is also available.
Does the InterContinental New York Times Square have a spa or pool?
No. There is a fitness centre but no spa and no pool, and the roof is given over to the hotel's beehives rather than a guest rooftop bar. Guests who want a spa or pool should weigh a different Midtown address.
Is the InterContinental New York Times Square good for Broadway and business trips?
Yes on both counts. The 44th and Eighth position puts the entire Broadway theatre map inside a ten-minute walk, which suits families and theatregoers, while the suite inventory, meeting space and the Stinger's client-drinks setting serve the Theatre District's media and entertainment business travel.
Other luxury stays in New York
#16 · Times SquareThe Times Square EDITION
#34 · Times SquareThe Knickerbocker
#29 · Hell's Kitchen