Doubletree Guest Suites Times Square-New York City Trip Reports and Reviews
Stayed at the Doubletree Suites at Times Square over Memorial Day weekend - booked best available rate through the DT website which was $279/night for AAA members. A separate $3/night energy charge was assessed which was not disclosed until after we were in our room.
The property is located on the corner of 47th Street & 7th Avenue, right in the heart of Times Square and the theatre district. Within a few blocks is Rockefeller Center, the Diamond District, Restaurant Row, and Fifth Avenue shopping. Crosstown and uptown/downtown buses are located a couple of blocks away and there is a subway stop on the corner.
The hotel's nondescript entry lobby is next door to the theatre where Aida is currently playing and across the street from the TKTS center; two doors down is the Times Square Visitor Center which was very useful for info, maps, plus there is a post office & free Internet terminals there too. Needless to say there are plenty of restaurants and stores in the area.
The main lobby is on the third floor of the building. There wasn't a separate check-in line for HHonors members, but there wasn't anybody else checking in so it didn't matter. The receptionist said that they didn't offer Gold upgrades (it's an all-suite hotel) or a concierge floor or even a lounge, but he could give us a suite with a view on the top floor (43rd) of the hotel. And we did get complimentary buffet breakfasts for the three of us for the duration of the stay.
Of course we got the famous Doubletree warm chocolate chip cookies when checking in!
The suite itself consisted of a living room with foldout sofa, coffee table, guest chair, workdesk w/Internet connectivity, wetbar, small refrigerator, microwave, overpriced Servibar, & TV. A separate bedroom had two double beds (King rooms were available at the same price), TV, and amoire. The bathroom had double sinks with plenty of counter space. Standard bathroom amenities; nothing special. The combo tub/shower was kind of dark when the curtain was closed. Incidentally the showerhead was malfunctioning but was quickly fixed after I reported it the next day. The morning paper was the NY Post, a nice change from the generic and ubiquitous USA Today.
Breakfast was served in the hotel's dining room on the fifth floor. I believe the cost is around $15 per person, but as I mentioned above we got Gold breakfast comps. The buffet was decent: besides the usual fruit, juice, cereal, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, breads and pastries, you could get made-to-order omlettes, eggs, and hotcakes.
The hotel advertises a special dinner & show packages for around $100-$120 per person. This includes a ticket to a hard-to-get show (Lion King was the one that was advertised in the elevator) and a dinner in the hotel dining room. We checked with the concierge but nothing was available over that weekend. Bottom line: If you want to see a show, you need to plan ahead. Or take your chances waiting in the l-o-n-g TKTS line across the street for same day, discounted show tickets.
Overall I was pleased with the room and hotel's location. A concierge lounge would have been nice though.