I just got back from my trip and I had to write a review of the Stanford. I wasn't expecting anything fabulous, because this hotel was only 139.00 bucks a night, but boy was I happily surprised!
Our room was small but very comfortable and clean. The bathroom was immaculate and the shower pressure was awesome. Our room was cleaned well every day and the maid staff was great. We had a bunch of channels on the t.v., a vcr, refrigerator, and great thermastat control in our room.
We had a zillion questions about New York and the front desk staff was helpful and friendly on every occasion. They even remembered us by name. This hotel has 24 hour desk service and 24 hour security which was very reassuring.
The hotel is super close to a subway stop and 2 blocks from the Empire State Building. There is a Walgreens, Bank, 24 hour deli, and Macy's within walking distance. Great location!
The only drawbacks were a small and slow elevator and the lack of a view from our room. Our windows faced out to the brick building beside the hotel.
If you're looking for a reasonably priced and clean, comfortable hotel choose the Stanford.

I stayed at the Stanford for one week in June 2005 and I had all my expectations exceeded.

The location of the hotel could not be more perfect. It's right beside a beautiful area called "Herald Square", where you will find everything you need (including a pharmacy, Starbucks, Macy's, Gap, Manhattan Mall).

A 10 second walk from the front door of the hotel will bring you to a NY Subway. A 2 minute walk will take you to Penn Station.

THE HOTEL LOCATION COULD NOT BE BETTER!!!

Then the room - I don't know if I just got lucky, but the room I had was just awesome. Huge, beautifully clean and perfectly decorated / furnished. Amazing air conditioning (it was 90' Farenheit outside every day of my stay, but my room was as cold as I could want!).

You have a superb FRIDGE in your room, 30-channel TV and a VCR (which can be handy). The ensuite bathroom was just STUNNING - again, it was huge, and luxuriously finished.

The staff could not be any friendlier - they are simply outstanding. The complimentary breakfast of freshly baked croissants, donuts, danish, bagels, fruit juice, cereal, coffee etc. is PERFECT and the charming dining area is overlooking busy Manhattan - it's superb.

In the lobby there's a SUPERB cafe to buy great value and great tasting coffees for your room.

Four years previous, I stayed at the similarly priced Pennsylvania Hotel which is just round the corner from the Stanford. There is just NO COMPARISON. The Stanford is worth DOUBULE the amount of what the Pennsylvania charges.

If you are going to NYC for a visit - I say, don't risk disappointment, stay in an amazing hotel for a good price.

200 dollars a night is a good deal by Ney York standards yet it is still a lot of money so I expected to get what was promised. Their web page stated that they have newly remodeled rooms. The room I was in was so small, which is understandable but the furniture was so old and uncomfortable. The mattress was virtullay unsleepable and the bedding had cigarette burns on it. The rest of the furniture was at least 15 years old and in bad shape. The "cable"TV didn't even receieve CBS, FOX, NBC and ABC. Not to mention not even a movie station. The shower went from extream cold to extreamly hot like someone was flushing the toilet over and over. Next time to New York I will pay the extra money and get a decent hotel.

Location is perfect (within walking distance from Penn station, Empire State building etc.)
Room was quiet and clean but relatively small, staff was friendly
Breakfast (continental) starts only at 7:30am in a very small room. This is obviously an attempt from the management for minimizing the number of people having breakfast.
We would definitively go back to this hotel