Hilton’s giant new New York hotel is perfect for first-time visitors

The hotel

Tempo By Hilton New York Times Square, New York City.

Tempo By Hilton New York Times Square in Midtown Manhattan.

Check-in

In 2020, Hilton announced a new hotel brand called Tempo that would be wellness-focused and have an affordable price point. In late 2023 it debuted with this 661-room behemoth that towers above the historic Palace Theatre on the corner of 47th Street and Seventh Avenue in Manhattan. If you think that sounds very close to Times Square, you’re right – from the window of my 41st-floor King room, I could see the famous ball that drops every New Year’s Eve. It’s worth noting that an urban destination charge of $US34.95 ($52) a night is added to your room charge and includes a $US10 food and beverage credit at Highball, premium speed Wi-Fi (“value $US18”), two CitiBike rentals (value $US38) and a $US25 parking credit.

The look

You enter the hotel via ground floor elevators that take you straight to the 11th floor reception, a spacious – and busy – area which makes good use of the city views with floor-to-ceiling windows. Cylindrical art deco inspired light fittings hang above the desk and that theme is continued in Highball, the restaurant and bar off the lobby. Tempo also implements a number of sustainability initiatives, including lights that sense guests entering or leaving the room and alkaline filtered-water refill stations located on every third floor.

The room

Room with a quintessential NYC view.

Like most New York hotel rooms, space is not easy to come by, but Tempo uses some clever hacks. There’s a padded bench below the big-screen TV, an open closet that incorporates hanging space, shelving and a platform for your luggage, and a long, narrow desk with a Nespresso coffee machine on top and a mini-fridge below.

The bathroom is well thought-out, with a white-tiled glassed-in shower, Brooklyn-based Apotheke bath products, and – in an innovative touch – a circular smart mirror that incorporates a Bluetooth speaker, digital clock and halo light.

The view of Times Square from my window is impressive, but as it also involves giant illuminated billboards flashing images 24/7, the motorised blackout curtains are very effective and very much appreciated. The hotel has a partnership with Peloton, so their 18th-floor gym is next-level, with a strong selection of treadmills, stationary bikes, cardio equipment, free weights and weight machines. If you prefer to work out in private, you can stay in one of the wellness category rooms, which include a personal Peloton bike, hand weights and a yoga mat.

Food + drink

Highball is the hotel’s dining hotspot.

Highball is the hotel’s food and beverage hotspot, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. It includes a grab-and-go section at the front for guests on the move and serves Australian-based Bluestone Lane coffee. The lunch and dinner menus have a decidedly New York slant, including shareable plates such as pastrami sliders and Nathan’s famous mini hot dogs.

You can choose to eat in booths or at tables, and there’s also an inviting outdoor terrace and a private dining room that can be booked for special events. The dimly lit cocktail bar at the back of the space has an art deco speakeasy feel, with a black-marble topped bar, curved ironwork fixtures and leather booths.

Out + about

You’re on the doorstep of tourist hub Times Square.Credit: iStock

You couldn’t ask for a more central Manhattan location. Times Square is right at the door, Rockefeller Centre and Radio City Music Hall are five minutes away, and Central Park is a 15-minute stroll uptown. And if you’re here to see Broadway shows, you’re surrounded by New York’s theatre district. During my stay I take advantage of the hotel’s great position by catching a performance of the musical Illinoise at the St James Theatre, just three blocks from Tempo. The rest of Manhattan is within easy striking distance; there are major subway stations nearby for just about every line.

THE VERDICT
This big, shiny new kid on the block is shaking up Times Square, and it will especially appeal to first-time visitors who want to be right in the heart of Midtown.

THE ESSENTIALS
From $US319 ($473) a night. The hotel has 71 accessible rooms for both wheelchairs and the hearing impaired. Tempo By Hilton New York Times Square, 1568 Broadway, New York. Ph: [phone].
See tempobyhilton.com

OUR RATING OUR OF FIVE
★★★★

Highlight
Position, position, position. And views, views, views.

Lowlight
For a wellness-focused brand, it’s a bit surprising that there is no spa.

The writer stayed as a guest of Tempo By Hilton New York Times Square.