This hotel is exceptional. I travel to NY approximately 5 times per year; I have stayed at many properties in a similar price point, and this hotel far exceeded the others. The rooms are large by NY standards, cleanliness was superb, the full kitchen is very convienent, the free wi-fi and included breakfast add significant value, and the staff was exceptionally friendly/helpful. While the hotels location between 8th and 9th avenue removes it somewhat from the immediate Times Square vicinity, all major tourist attractions are within a short walk or subway ride away. Also within a block are several coffee shops and eateries. Typically when I plan my travel to NY, I stay at the hotel with the best rate, or the one I find on a discount travel site. However, after staying at this hotel, I would be willing to pay slightly more, simply for the peace of mind of knowing my stay will be exceptional.

The hotel is in a good location just 10mins walk from Penn Station.

We checked in early and asked for a high room so they gave us one on the top floor (32nd). The view is not perfect because of a building opposite but it is good nonetheless.

The room was very good and had everything we needed in it.

Problems with the room were the water pressure on the shower kept cutting out in the morning. Probably due to the number of people using it. Not sure if this is an issue for all hotels in the area or not?

Second issue was the thin walls. On the first night we could hear some muffled chat next door. On the second night we had some Spanish speakers who seemed to be shouting at one another for an hour or so.

Third issue was the hotel only has 3 lifts for 32 floors, each with 10 rooms on them. As a result you can be waiting for 5-15mins for a lift depending on how busy things are.

If I did it again I would have got a room on a lower floor and used the stairs.

Breakfast was a little basic with just a burger & scrambled eggs available as the hot option. Also a queue for the toasters. Was not that impressed so we missed breakfast for our subsequent 2 mornings?

Having said that the hotel is in prime location for sightseeing and the Times Square/Rockefeller/Empire State area is all in walking distance.

The corner of 40th/8th Ave has the port authority and a Porn DVD shop. As with any commuter terminal there are people hanging about and some of the look dogey but we never felt threatened or anything. Cabs seem pretty cheap so you can always get one back if you feel worried.

All in all a good place to stay but bring some earplugs and stay on one of the lower floors.

We stayed at the Staybridge Oct 26-30, 2010. The hotel is in easy walking distance to multiple theaters. There is a subway stop very near the door. The staff were very accommodating. Breakfast was busy, but more than ample. They also had a reception Tuesday-Thursday nights with heavy hors d'oeurves, wine and soda and we managed to not eat out those nights as it was more than enough to cover supper. Our room was small-ish, but that's typical of a NYC room. There was a fridge, microwave, dishwasher, plates, silverware, etc. The various comforts of home were all there. Between the desk and an extra counter, there was a lot of horizontal surface, which is usually in short supply. The bathroom was also compact. It has a corner shower only which was quite small, but adequate. The door for the shower didn't seat properly so there was some minor leakage. Also the shower is enclosed in glass, so is see-through, fine for us married folks but might be awkward for others! The bathroom door has a frosted pane in the middle of it which allows light through, so leaving the bathroom fan on (which is connected to a light) for noise wasn't an option. Noise wasn't terrible. Mostly we heard noise from the street below and from the hallway. No noise from other rooms was heard. We left the fan on the heater/air conditioner and it worked fine to keep things quiet, and I'm a light sleeper.

The internet worked great with no password and was free. Another big plus!

The main problem of the hotel was the elevators. In the mornings it would take FOREVER to get an elevator. There were 32 floors but only have 3 elevators and it seemed that sometimes they skipped floors, so perhaps the staff had them for their use. It was far easier to go down the stairwell, although it was narrow and made one dizzy to circle down so many flights.

Overall we highly recommend this hotel and would definitely use it again.

We stayed at Staybridge Suites for 3 days, October 5-7. First of all Andy was really helpful and a definite asset to the hotel. We arrived early and the entire staff couldn't be more helpful and I have to also mention Carter at the front desk who also assisted us. The beds were the most comfortable I have ever experienced in any hotel, NO BED BUGS!!!!!! We got a personal lesson from Andy concerning the extensive training that the entire staff receives when it comes to bed bug prevention and it really put our minds at ease since we had previously been very concerned about this . The "sundowner" was great. Not only was there a selection of wines but there were also two beers on tap, Stella Artois and Bud Light (self serve). We met some great folks and the whole affair had a cool cocktail party vibe. Breakfast was better than expected with nice variety. The location is fine and very convenient to the subway. Don't worry about the idea that this neighborhood is "seedy" or somewhat unsafe. I know unsafe, this aint it. No more construction and although you are right behind Port Authority it's very quiet. Check out the Skybar next door (ask Andy) the view is great and it's very affordable during happy hour. All in all, this place is fantastic! and by the way I don't know what everyone is talking about with this slow elevator business. Learn some patience people!