Cassa Hotel NY 45th Street

Cassa is primarily a business hotel, with small but comfortable and attractive rooms. A great location in midtown Manhattan, though, means the hotel is convenient for leisure travelers as well -- it’s close to Bryant Park, Rockefeller Center, Times Square, Central Park, Grand Central Terminal, and plenty of subway stops. The ground-floor lobby is modern and semi-trendy, with a sleek gray, black, and white color scheme; a bubble glass chandelier, and two large pieces of abstract art on the white walls. Across from the front desk is a beverage station, where coffee and tea is available for free in the mornings. The hotel's American restaurant, Butter, is visible through glass wall in the lobby. The tenth floor of the hotel features a lounge with an outdoor terrace, perfect for cocktail receptions or other small functions. 

Compared to the crowded sidewalks, neon lights, and commercial storefronts Midtown West is known for, the hotel's block is relatively calm. It's just two blocks from Times Square, and three blocks from Grand Central Terminal. Right around the corner are a few famous hotels: the Algonquin, the Iroquois, and the Mansfield. Nearby are the Museum of Modern Art, the famous Fifth Avenue shopping district, Times Square and the Theater District, and Bryant Park and the New York Public Library. Other attractions within short walking distance include Rockefeller Center, the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building, and Central Park.- Within a few blocks of 16 subway lines: the B, D, F, M, and 7 at Bryant Park;  the 1, 2, 3, N, R, Q, and 7 at Times Square; and the 4, 5, 6, 7, and S at Grand Central

• Six-minute walk to Times Square
• Eight-minute walk to Rockefeller Center
• 10-minute walk to Grand Central Terminal
• 10-minute walk to the Museum of Modern Art
• 15-minute walk to (straight up Sixth Avenue) to Central Park
• 16-minute walk to the Empire State Building

The eight room types range in size from the 200-square-foot Deluxe Single Room to the multi-room Cassa Suite. All rooms are modern, understated, and comfortable. The all-white bathrooms are very sleek, with Neil George toiletries, marble-topped vanities, and large rainfall showers. In-room amenities include 42-inch flat-screen TVs, iPod docking stations, USB ports, mini-fridges, safes, and free Wi-Fi. Coffeemakers are available on request. The rooms get lots natural light and are very quiet -- impressive on both counts, considering that the hotel is surrounded by tall buildings and is close to Times Square. Adjoining rooms connected through a small shared hall (with its own access card) are available.

A continental breakfast buffet is served (for a fee) at Butter, the hotel's sleek basement-level American restaurant (free coffee and tea are available each morning in the lobby). Run by Executive Chef and Food Network star Alex Guarnaschelli, Butter is open for lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property. Pets under 25 pounds are welcome.