Seven-minute walk to Empire State Building and surrounded by restaurants in Midtown
Sophisticated rooms, lofts, and penthouses with iPad Airs and wet bars or kitchens
Subterranean indoor swimming pool open year round
Lounge bar serves small meals and variety of drinks
Continental breakfast of mostly cold items (for a fee)
Modern gym with cardio equipment and free weights
Spa offers massages, hammam, and beauty treatments
Eight meeting spaces and a business center
Valet parking (for a fee)
Pet-friendly policies (for a fee)
No full-service restaurant
22-minute walk from Times Square
With an intimate, boutique feel and all the luxe amenities of a larger hotel, The Marmara Park Avenue offers a four-and-a-half-pearl stay in New York City's Midtown. The 128 rooms, with their sophisticated designs and modern amenities like iPad Airs and wet bars or kitchens cater to upscale couples and business travelers. Many units are outfitted with a balcony, an ever elusive feature among hotels in the Big Apple. While the hotel only has a bar lounge with a limited menu and no full restaurant, it still does well in other areas like a top-notch spa, indoor pool, modern gym, and meeting rooms. For those who want a livelier stay, check out The Sanctuary Hotel which has a free breakfast (unlike The Marmara), two restaurants including one on the roof, and a location near Times Square.
Scene
Elegant and luxurious hotel with a mostly white color scheme and modern art throughout
Despite the simple light brick exterior, The Marmara Park Avenue is made up of 21 floors that scream posh. Every aspect of the property is sophisticated and upscale, starting with the rustic off-white color scheme of the lobby to the textured walls and funky front desk to the floors broken up by tan patterned designs. The long, narrow gas fireplace next to an upscale seating area exudes class and warmth; overall, it looks like an art installation. The bar’s design is similarly fitting as the off-white color scheme contrasts with black and gray seating and a silver reflective bar. There’s a heavy emphasis on modern art throughout the property from paintings to sculptures, all of which blend subtly with the decor but are powerful and unique in their designs. As the property has all the trappings of a luxury hotel, the clientele is primarily well-off couples and business travelers.
Location
South of Penn Station, about a seven-minute walk to the Empire State Building and 22 minutes to Times Square
The Marmara Park Avenue hotel is a tad bit far from the main tourist attractions of New York City, but still within walking distance of many. The Empire State Building is a seven-minute walk away, while Times Square is a 22-minute walk. Broadway takes 25 minutes to reach on foot. A walk to Central Park (38 minutes) may be too far for some, but there’s a metro stop about a three-minute walk away. Penn Station is 13 minutes away on foot. The neighborhood is full of dining options. It’s about a 30-minute drive to LaGuardia and a 50-minute drive to JFK International Airport.
Rooms
Spacious and luxurious units with wet bars or kitchens, iPad Airs, and espresso makers
The hotel has 128 units that include a mix of rooms, lofts, and penthouses. Though many units range in terms of amenities or price ranges, the sophisticated decor is similar across the board. Design focuses on a mostly white base in terms of walls, carpets, and bed linens, with complementing dark wood furniture and earthy tones in decorative accents. All rooms feature displays of colorful modern art. However, it’s sleek brass or reflective furniture pieces that add that touch of upscale class to these modern and spacious units. Standard rooms and Suites have similar modern amenities such as flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, in-room iPad Airs, air-conditioning, and wet bars with minibars, espresso makers, and kettles. Lofts and Penthouses upgrade the amenities with washers, dryers, and full kitchens with stovetops, ovens, microwaves, dishwashers, full-sized refrigerators, wine coolers, and dinner and cookware. Bathrooms are posh with showers, hairdryers, and CO Bigelow toiletries. Pricier rooms have separate soaking tubs. Forty of the 128 units are equipped with lovely furnished balconies with city views.
Features
Leisure facilities like a pool, spa, and lounge bar -- and business features like eight meeting spaces and a business center
Beyond a lack of a full-service restaurant (there are plenty of restaurants within easy walking distance), The Marmara Park Avenue’s features elevate it above the competition. Their subterranean indoor swimming pool is open year-round and is complemented by a spa with a hammam, massages, and beauty treatments. The modern gym is mostly comprised of cardio equipment and some free weights. Dining is the property’s weakest feature, but there’s a cold continental breakfast in the mornings that can be included in the room rates. The hotel has a lounge bar with a menu filled with a variety of drinks, appetizers, and simple meals like pizza and mac n’ cheese. Business travelers are catered to with eight fully-equipped meeting spaces, a business center, and free Wi-Fi throughout. Pets are welcome and valet parking is available, but both services incur charges.