Staying in this distinctive hotel always reminds me somehow of being in an Agatha Christie novel. I love the feeling of being transported back into the 1920's in this historic locale where the New Yorker was first created and Dorothy Parker et al had their famous Algonquin Round Table.

When we checked in, the striking house cat Matilda was perched on the front desk wagging her tail to greet us. Though it retains all its historic charm, the hotel was completely renovated in 2012 so everything is fresh and up to date. Though the rooms are smallish as compared to newly built hotels, it does not feel at all cramped.

I love spending time in the lounge in the lobby. Great ambiance, incredibly comfortable chairs and a selection of newspapers.

The only negative to the stay was that one of the two elevators in the hotel was out of commission for the 4 days we were there, which made wait times going back and forth considerable. Still, I would gladly put up with that inconvenience to experience the charms of this unique property.

This hotel is now part of the Marriott group which provides the added benefit of its reward program points. The midtown location is perfectly placed between the Times Square theatre district, Grand Central, and Fifth Avenue shopping.

Good: Tasteful renovation of the rooms and nice bathrooms. Bad: ridiculously small rooms, dark, crowded lobby, contemptuous front desk service, and 4PM checkin! You must be kidding. Offer a half day rate. Or just stay elsewhere. Frankly their residence inns are a fare better value. (Lots of hallway noise and no coffee in the rooms either.)

The Algonquin hotel holds an important place in New York City history, which you can find on your own. It is a beautiful hotel conveniently located near Times Square and the Theater District. The lobby has beautiful, elegant charm with comfortable leather chairs and tables that just call your name to relax and watch the goings on. Our check-in process was quick and very pleasant. The room, a Queen Deluxe, was your usual small New York City hotel room but beautifully appointed with nice furniture and artwork. The hotel has its own sense of humor, with cartoons from the New Yorker magazine all over the place (related to its history - did you find that yet?) and also offering ear plugs (in the drawer next to the Bible) for those not used to the usual New York City street sounds, which we did not hear in our 5th floor room.

Very close to Times Square and Grand Central. Marriott-owned boutique has no real lobby (the entry area is largely taken up by a restaurant / bar). Many attributes that are par for the course for an NYC boutique hotel especially in this location: small elevators, narrow corridors and the rooms were very small but chic and clean. Service was friendly.