Distrikt Hotel New York City

When it opened in February 2010, the narrow, 32-story Distrikt Hotel brought a little style and personality to an unattractive block across the street from the Port Authority bus depot. Its contemporary lobby, with a wall of ivy and sculptural glass light fixture, evokes the chic vibe of a comparatively pricey W hotel. Every three floors represents a different district in Manhattan, from the Financial District at the bottom to Harlem at the top -- hence the hotel's name. The hotel pays homage to the city's neighborhoods in the engraved map of the city behind the front desk and the unique, back-lit neighborhood collage in each hallway. 

The Distrikt also packs in a lot of value -- free, strong Wi-Fi; free gym passes; some of the best guest rooms for the price near Times Square -- but there are tradeoffs. The hotel lacks the on-site, 24-hour fitness center that its neighbors, the Fairfield Inn and Four Points by Sheraton, both offer, and there is a charge for continental breakfast while it's free at the Fairfield. The biggest downside, though, is its location. Although the hotel has 24-hour security and requires key card access in the elevators, you'll still have to walk past adult DVD shops and a New York State parole office en route to Times Square. It's not unsafe, but it's not pretty. 

• The cheerful, eager staff manages to be laid-back but still professional, and there's clear camaraderie among the employees -- they crack jokes with each other (and the guests), and seem to take real pride in their work.
• The front desk offers to have the porter take your bag upstairs for you, but it's optional, not standard procedure.
• Porters unload bags for guests arriving by taxi -- so long as they're not occupied with other guests. If you're arriving on foot, you'll probably roll your bags in yourself.
• Front desk staffers double as the concierges, and make good-faith efforts to handle common requests.
• Nightly turndown service includes two chocolates and a weather card telling you the next day's forecast.
• Overnight shoeshine and dry cleaning available
• Morning New York Times delivery Monday through Saturday
• The front desk can deliver personal items like toothbrushes, toothpaste, shower caps, shaving kits, and hairbrushes to your room.

It's a little ironic that a hotel named after Manhattan's neighborhoods inhabits a bit of a no-man's-land: a dull, unattractive block on West 40th Street between Eighth and Ninth avenues. On the block: a parking complex, two other hotels, adult DVD shops, a New York State parole office, and the Port Authority bus terminal. You might encounter a few unsavory characters when heading to and from the hotel, but at least you won't have to walk far to see the sights: Times Square, the Theater District, and a number of major subway lines are only a few blocks away. The hotel takes extra measures to ensure guest security; you can't use the elevator without a key card, and a security guard is on duty 24 hours a day.

Though once seedy, Times Square was reborn in the mid-'90s as a commercialized tourist haven, lit by 24-hour flashing billboards and themed restaurants like ESPN Zone and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Today, visitors walking the streets are more likely to be accosted by a comedy-club promoter, a rickshaw bicycle operator, or a caricature artist than a mugger. It's crowded, but there's something unquestionably exhilarating -- and convenient -- about staying near the neon-lit heart of the city. Plus, the mayor decided to close off much of Broadway to traffic, making it more pedestrian-friendly.

• Five- to 10-minute walk to Times Square and the Theater District
• Across the street from Port Authority
• Two blocks from the A, C, E subway lines; three blocks from the 1, 2, 3, N, Q, R, and W lines; four blocks to the B, D, F, and V lines -- quick and easy access to anywhere in the city
• 8-minute walk to Penn Station
• 15-minute walk to the Empire State Building
• 20 minutes by foot or subway to Rockefeller Center
• 15-minute subway ride to Central Park
• 20-minute subway ride to the ferry terminal to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
• 20-minute subway ride to the American Museum of Natural History
• 25-minute subway ride to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the "Met") and a 10-minute subway ride to the Museum of Modern Art (the "MoMA")
• 15-minute walk to Jacob K. Javits Convention Center

Rooms are stylish and modern, with luxury touches like Frette linens, towels, and robes, nightly turndown service, and a free morning paper. For the price, you won't find better rooms near Times Square -- they have more pizzazz than the rooms at the neighboring Fairfield Inn and Four Points by Sheraton, and a little more space than those at the better-located Mela and Dream hotels.

Every three floors in the 32-story hotel is designed to represent a different neighborhood (or "Distrikt"). The Chelsea motif on the 18th floor, for example, incorporates images of the Flatiron building and the Maritime Hotel.

• Four room categories: Standard Queens, Superior Kings, Deluxe Doubles (two double beds) and Deluxe Kings, and Grandview Doubles and Grandview Kings that guarantee views of Manhattan's West Side and Hudson River. Rooms range from 195-225 square feet -- small, but about average for a boutique hotel room in New York City.
• The hotel's airport-grade 6/8-inch windows keep out most, but not all, sounds of the city; I could occasionally hear some faint traffic and construction noise. And like some guests on TripAdvisor who complained of thin walls, I also heard some noises from the hallway. All around, though, these are still some of the quietest rooms in this part of the city.

All rooms include:

• Comfortable beds: pillow-top Simmons Beauty Rest mattresses; padded headboards; Frette sheets; four allergen-free pillows (two foam and two faux-down)
• Large, 43-inch LG flat-screen TV with 51 channels, including HBO, HBO2, ESPN and Bravo; many channels are in high-definition. (No pay-per-view movies or DVD player)
• Free Wi-Fi (strong)
• Small, but well-designed bathrooms; good shower pressure
• Lather toiletries
• iPod-docking iHome alarm clock radio
• No ice machine available
• Stocked minibar -- note that you can't use the fridge to store your own food (in fact, you can't even open the minibar without purchasing something).
• Keurig Single Serve coffeemakers, including two free coffee pods and tea pods each. Additional pods can be purchased.
• Large desk; ergonomic chair
• Electronic safe, large enough to fit a laptop

• One-day passes to Mid City Gym, located two blocks away on West 42nd Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues ($15 fee applies)
• The three iMac computers in the lobby can be used free of charge; free copying, printing, and faxing services available upon request.
• Valet and self parking available for a fee.

Distrikt is located on a block with a couple of adult DVD stores and a liquor store. It might feel slightly seedy, but it's perfectly safe.

• Cribs available, but no rollaway beds or cots
• Superior Doubles and connecting Standard Queen and Superior King rooms can fit four people
• Room service menu has kid-friendly options like cheeseburgers and chicken fingers.

Collage Bar & Bistro serves breakfast, bar snacks and light dinner fare such as cheese plates, salads, and paninis with New York-themed names in a dimly-lit, contemporary space. Sandwiches, like the Second Avenue Reuben panini and the Spanish Harlem grilled chicken panini with extra-spicy chipotle mayo are tasty, but nothing special. After a long day exploring, it's a convenient place to grab a bite, but you'll likely find more inventive fare at the restaurants on nearby Ninth Avenue.

• Collage Bar & Bistro serves average light dinner fare in a modern, dimly-lit atmosphere.
• Drinks are pricey, but not much more so than at most New York bars.There's a Social Hour each night with reduced drink prices and free snacks
• A continental breakfast of pastries, fruit, yogurt, cereal, juice, coffee, and tea is served from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. There is unfortunately a fee, while the continental breakfast at the Fairfield Inn next door is free.
• The room service menu, available during restaurant dining hours, offers items from the restaurant.
• At the end of the block, 2 Bros Pizza serves $1 slices.

New York City has three nearby international airports: John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LGA), and Newark Airport (EWR). By car, getting into town from JFK or LaGuardia is usually more convenient than from Newark, New Jersey, but travel times are heavily dependent on the time of day and traffic conditions. From JFK, a taxi to anywhere in Manhattan costs a flat rate and takes around an hour in average conditions. From LaGuardia, a metered cab ride to midtown Manhattan can take 30 minutes if traffic is light, three times that if it's bad. Rides from Newark can take more than 90 minutes. It's customary to tip your driver 15 to 25 percent.

Those looking to save some cash can use the privately run shuttle buses that are available at all three airports, just note that since you’ll be sharing the ride it can take a bit longer to get to your hotel. For more information on the shuttles, go to Super Shuttle or New York Airport Service. Public transit is also available for as little as $7 per person, but travel can take up to two hours and involve a lot of lugging bags up and down stairways.