Even Hotel New York Times Square: Is It Really Worth Booking?
Even Hotel New York Times Square: Is It Really Worth Booking?
I walked into Even Hotel New York Times Square skeptical, and walked out genuinely impressed — here’s the full story.
So here’s the thing about Times Square hotels. Most of them fall into one of two categories: the kind that cost you an arm, a leg, and possibly your firstborn, or the kind that technically have a bed but make you feel like you’re sleeping inside a vending machine. I’ve stayed in both. When I was first researching Even Hotel New York Times Square for a work trip a couple of years back, I almost scrolled past it. “Wellness hotel” sounded like a marketing angle — like they’d slap a yoga mat in the corner and charge an extra $80 a night for the privilege of looking at it.
But the price point caught my attention. And honestly, when you’re trying to stay in Midtown Manhattan without completely wrecking your travel budget, anything that looks remotely reasonable deserves a second look.
What Even Hotel New York Times Square Actually Is
Even Hotel New York Times Square is part of IHG’s wellness-focused brand, and before you roll your eyes at “wellness-focused,” let me explain what that actually means in practice, because it’s less spa-retreat and more genuinely useful. The brand is built around the idea that travelers shouldn’t have to completely abandon healthy habits just because they’re on the road — better sleep setups, in-room workout options, and food that doesn’t make you feel like you mainlined sodium for a week.
The New York property sits on West 46th Street, which puts you right in the thick of Midtown. Times Square is essentially at your doorstep. Rockefeller Center is a short walk. The subway lines running through that area connect you to pretty much the entire city without much effort. For a first-time New York visitor or anyone who wants to be centrally located without overthinking it, the address alone justifies serious consideration.
The building itself is modern and clean — no dramatic historic architecture like some of the older Midtown properties, but the interiors are thoughtfully designed. Warm wood tones, natural light where they can get it, and a general sense that someone actually thought about how the space would feel to live in for a few days. That sounds like a low bar, but in Times Square, it genuinely isn’t.
The Rooms: What Your Money Actually Gets You
Here’s where I try to give you the honest picture rather than the brochure version. Even Hotel New York Times Square rooms are compact — this is Manhattan, so that’s just the reality — but they’re cleverly laid out. The beds lean into that “better sleep” brand promise with quality mattresses and proper blackout curtains, which, if you’ve ever tried to sleep near Times Square with street noise and neon light bleeding through inadequate window treatments, you know is not a small thing.
The in-room workout feature is actually what sets this place apart from comparable Midtown hotels. There’s a dedicated workout space built into the room design — a pull-up bar, resistance bands, a yoga mat — and it doesn’t feel like an afterthought. I ended up using the resistance bands two mornings in a row because getting to a gym before a full day of meetings felt impossible, and having the option right there genuinely changed how I felt by midweek. Small thing, real impact.
Rates at Even Hotel New York Times Square tend to run somewhere between $180 and $280 on a typical night, creeping higher during peak season or major events — which, in Times Square, is basically every other weekend. That’s competitive for the location. Book three to four weeks out if you can, and always compare the direct rate against what you’re seeing on third-party platforms. I’ve found the IHG site occasionally offers perks that don’t show up elsewhere, especially if you’re an IHG One Rewards member (free to join, takes two minutes).
The Times Square Location: Chaos You Can Actually Work With
I know, I know — some travelers hear “Times Square” and immediately think tourist trap, overpriced everything, and that one guy in a dirty Elmo costume asking for tips. And sure, all of that is technically accurate. But let me give you the other side of that location, because from a pure logistics standpoint, staying near Times Square has real advantages that don’t get enough credit.
You’ve got the N, Q, R, W, 1, 2, 3, A, C, and E subway lines within walking distance, which means you can get to almost any neighborhood in the city fast and cheaply. A single subway ride is $2.90, and from that part of Midtown you can be in the West Village in 15 minutes, Chelsea in 10, or headed uptown to Central Park in less time than it takes to find an Uber during surge pricing. During my stay I made it down to Chinatown for a $9 lunch, back up to the hotel, and out to Brooklyn for dinner — all on the subway — and spent less on transportation in two days than I would’ve on a single cab ride from JFK.
The trick to surviving Times Square as a base is simply knowing where not to eat. Walk one block in any direction from the main strip and the prices drop noticeably and the food gets better. There’s a great Thai place on 9th Avenue I found by just walking away from the flashing signs until things felt normal again.
The Wellness Angle: Gimmick or Genuinely Useful?
This is the question I kept coming back to before booking, so let me give you a real answer. The wellness framing at Even Hotel New York Times Square is not a gimmick, but it’s also not going to transform your life. What it does is remove some of the small friction points that make travel feel rough — the bad sleep, the skipped workouts, the food that leaves you feeling foggy by day three.
The on-site restaurant, Cork & Barrel, leans toward lighter, more balanced options than your typical hotel bar menu, though it’s not a health food shrine either. You can still get a burger. The fitness center is genuinely well-equipped compared to what most similarly-priced Midtown hotels offer — full cardio equipment, free weights, the works — and it’s open 24 hours, which matters if your schedule is unpredictable. I’ve stayed in “fitness-friendly” hotels where the gym was three treadmills and a broken elliptical in a basement. This isn’t that.
The sleep setup is probably the most tangible win. Even Hotel brands its beds as the “Even Bed” and I’m normally cynical about mattress marketing, but I slept better in that room than I have in hotels costing twice as much. The blackout curtains do real work. For a location where street noise and ambient light are basically facts of life, that matters.
How to Book Smart and Actually Save Money
Since we’re here and you read this far, let me give you the practical booking advice that the hotel’s own website obviously isn’t going to volunteer. First, Even Hotel New York Times Square is an IHG property, which means IHG One Rewards points apply — if you stay at IHG hotels even occasionally, joining costs nothing and the points add up faster than you’d expect. Second, midweek rates (Sunday through Thursday) consistently run lower than weekend rates in Times Square because the tourist-heavy weekend demand pushes prices up across the board.
If you’re flexible on dates, January through early March is typically the lowest-rate window for Times Square hotels generally. I’ve seen Even Hotel New York Times Square rates dip into the $150s during that stretch, which for Manhattan is honestly a steal. Late summer — late August specifically — can also offer a brief dip before the fall rush kicks in. Set a price alert on Google Hotels or Kayak for your target dates and let it do the watching for you.
One more thing: if you’re doing more than two nights, always ask about any available packages when booking direct. Not every deal is advertised upfront, and a simple question at check-in or on a call with reservations has gotten me room upgrades and late checkouts more times than I can count.
The Real Verdict on Even Hotel New York Times Square
After all my research, the stay itself, and the general chaos of navigating New York on a real-person budget, here’s where I land: Even Hotel New York Times Square is one of the more honest value propositions in Midtown Manhattan. You’re not getting luxury. You’re getting a smart, well-designed room in a genuinely central location, with thoughtful touches that actually improve how you feel during a busy trip — and you’re paying a price that doesn’t require a personal loan.
For first-time visitors to New York who want to be in the middle of everything, it’s a strong pick. For repeat visitors who want a comfortable base without overthinking it, same answer. The wellness angle is real enough to matter and not so precious that it feels like a lifestyle lecture.
New York is expensive — there’s no way around that. But staying smart, booking early, and choosing properties that actually deliver on what they promise goes a long way. Even Hotel New York Times Square is one of the ones that delivers.
Book it, explore the city, and maybe use that in-room resistance band at least once. You’ll thank yourself by day three.
