New York City: Hilton Garden Inn Midtown East (August 2018)

Hilton Garden Inn New York/Manhattan-Midtown East - Small Rooms But Nice Location

My spouse and I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Manhattan Midtown East for one night on a Wednesday evening in late August 2018. We had an appointment near the hotel the next morning, so we chose our accommodations based on that distance. We reserved our room online using the Hilton HHonors website. Although we received a reminder to check in online the day prior to our stay, we declined, hoping for a complimentary Diamond upgrade at physical check-in (which we didn’t get).

The Hilton Garden Inn Manhattan Midtown East is located on East 52^nd Street (between 3^rd and 2^nd Avenues). The hotel is located close to tourist attractions, shops, and restaurants. Although we had reservations for dinner a few blocks northwest of the hotel, when we returned afterward and strolled around the block looking for a store/deli where we could buy a few drinks for our room, we noticed several interesting restaurants that we would have preferred (Totto Ramen, Yaniku Gen, and The Smith, for example). 

The hotel offers 206 rooms on 28 floors. We were assigned room 502, a king-bedded room that faces 52^nd Street and is positioned near the 5^th floor elevator bank. (Truthfully, with only about 7 - 8 rooms per floor, no room is very far from the elevators; fortunately, we did not hear them.) This hotel also offers three suites, each with a small terrace. Our king room seemed smaller than the double room that we peeked into; we might book one of those rooms next time for the extra space. Our room was cozy, with the king-size bed flanked by a nightstand on each side against one wall, and a combination desk/closet/shelving unit against the opposite wall. As with most Hilton Garden Inn properties, our room had a coffee maker, microwave, and refrigerator, as well as an iron/board and electronic safe. The bathroom size was adequate, with a combination bathtub/shower, toilet, and single sink vanity.

The modern-looking and attractively decorated lobby offers a fireplace and two small places to sit. It also has an adjoining alcove that functions as the business center (with two computers and a printer), a 24-hour pantry shop, and a long reception table that offers complimentary water and coffee throughout the day. Just outside the hotel entrance is a small sidewalk terrace with outdoor seating at both tables and on a lounge furniture grouping. Because we are Hilton Diamond members, we received coupons for the breakfast buffet in the Garden Grille and Bar, a fairly large space located off the lobby and toward the rear of the property. The bar/restaurant offers seating at the large bar, at lower-height lounge tables and chairs adjacent, or at regular tables spaced around the room, some of which share a padded banquette. For breakfast, you can select items from a cold buffet bar (with fruit, yogurt, and juice), another station with breads and pastries, and/or you can order a cooked-to-order omelet or egg dish directly from the chef. A fitness center and small private event room are also onsite.

Our stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Manhattan Midtown East was acceptable, but our room was smaller than others we have stayed in the city. However, we know that we’ll be in this area in the future, so if we can’t book one of the suites or a double room at the HGI Midtown East, we might try the nearby Doubletree Metropolitan, where we have stayed a few times before.