Yotel New York Times Square

For a solo travel this is a great hotel if you need to be in midtown west. The adjustable reclining bed was a nice space saver touch. It kept it out of the way while offering a proper full sized bed queen. I definitely would come here with a second person, but solo for work? It was nice.

Upon arrival, YOTEL Times Square presents a mix of modern and aging design. The rooms are compact—ideal for solo travelers or couples—but I had to switch rooms three times due to cleanliness and maintenance issues. The first room had visible stains on the walls, bed frame, and chairs. The second had not been properly cleaned; I found a half-eaten burger hidden on a chair under the desk. The third room had minor ceiling damage, and the in-room service phone was out of order—just like the first. In an emergency, there would’ve been no direct way to contact the front desk. I requested that both the manager and front desk staff inspect the third room. By then, I was exhausted from the repeated room changes and expected higher standards from a hotel rated 3.5 stars. Instead of focusing on a solution, the front desk clerk dismissed the issues as typical "wear and tear," which came across as rehearsed and dismissive. I wasn’t looking for explanations—I was looking for a clean, functional room. The overall facility felt neglected. Hallways were visibly dirty, and I even encountered a large roach. Most of the ice machines were broken; only two floors had working ones. Housekeeping appeared minimal—their supplies were carried in basic rolling luggage carts, which likely contributes to the lack of thorough cleaning. The outdoor common area wasn’t accessible unless you were dining at the hotel restaurant, which felt unwelcoming for guests. That said, the restaurant’s food was surprisingly good and reasonably priced given the location. Unfortunately, the positive experience ended there. The YOBOT luggage system malfunctioned repeatedly, requiring guests to wait for staff to manually reset the machines. The gym was small and underwhelming, and many hallways reeked of weed or cigarettes, making simple tasks like retrieving ice unpleasant. The breakfast buffet was average at best. YOTEL could easily live up to its 3.5-star rating—or exceed it—if it simply maintained its facilities and addressed basic service standards. But based on my experience, I can only give it a 2.5. The concept is there, but the execution falls far short.

Disappointing Stay – Would Not Recommend My experience at YOTEL New York was incredibly frustrating from start to finish. First, the much-hyped self-storing baggage robot was broken, and the two men manually handling the luggage were rude and unhelpful. It only got worse from there. The first room we were given was still dirty when we walked in. After talking to the front desk, they moved us to another room where the AC completely went out, so we had to switch rooms again. None of the rooms felt properly cleaned, and the constant moving was exhausting. I completely understand that hiccups can happen during any hotel stay—things break, issues arise, and that’s understandable. What really made this stay so unpleasant was how poorly the staff handled every situation. There was no effort to make things right, no sense of urgency, and no courtesy extended to us as guests. The dismissive attitude and repeated, “This is all we can do,” response made it clear that guest experience was not a priority. Despite all of this, we were offered no discount or compensation—just a string of room changes we didn’t ask for. If you’re looking for a comfortable, relaxing stay in NYC, I recommend staying elsewhere. YOTEL is simply not worth the hassle. The Video is us walking into our first room.