Four Points by Sheraton Midtown - Times Square

The property sits on a less-than-attractive block, yet it is within walking distance of Times Square, the Theater District, and Bryant Park. The hotel interior is as devoid of style as the location, but despite its generic look, the Four Points makes a perfectly adequate home-base for the families, tourists, and business travelers that stay there. It has lobby-level restaurant and bar with terrace seating and a genuinely sufficient fitness center, with LifeFitness machines (with individual TVs), yoga mats, exercise and medicine balls, free weights, and a wall of mirrors. Rooms are simple, but cozy, with ochre accent walls and lots of lamps.

Just two blocks south and one block west of West 42nd Street's bright lights and commercial density, the Four Points by Sheraton Midtown - Times Square is situated on a quieter, sparser midtown street, one that might feel a little less-than-comfortable at night.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. 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 in the neon-lit heart of the city. Plus, the mayor recently decided to close off much of Broadway to traffic, making it more pedestrian-friendly.- Two blocks from the A, C, and E subway lines; three blocks from the 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, and R lines; four blocks to the B, D, F, and V lines -- quick and easy access anywhere in the city

• 20-minute subway ride to Central Park
• Five-minute walk to Times Square
• 15-minute subway ride to the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center
• 20-minute subway ride to the ferry terminal to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
• 15-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")

Standard room types start at 200 square feet; the Times Square Suites, with a living area with a sleeper-sofa and a mini-fridge, are 390 square feet.All rooms have work desks, beds with down pillows and comforters, iPod docking stations, several USB charging ports, coffeemakers, 48-inch HDTVs, and windows that actually open. Bathrooms only have standing showers (no tubs), but they're modern and white, and come with hairdryers and Scope mouthwash.

The Four Points' fitness center gets an honorable mention. Not only is it free and open 24 hours a day, but it's also better equipped than most standard chain-hotel gyms. It has a good amount of ellipticals and treadmills (the sort with TVs built in), as well as free weights, medicine balls, and yoga mats.The hotel's business center is really just one computer and printer off of the lobby, but it's available for guest use 24 hours a day, too.The hotel's Gotham Bistro is open from early in the morning until late at night; cocktail service begins in the afternoon. Pets under 35 pounds are welcome with a nonrefundable fee, though they are not permitted to stay in the rooms alone.