New York City: Hilton Fashion District (December 2018)



My spouse and I stayed at the Hilton Fashion District on a Saturday evening in early December 2018. We last stayed at this hotel in July of 2013; see our review titled “Good Location for Midtown Sightseeing”. We booked our stay online using the Hilton website; although we are Hilton HHonors members, we did not receive an upgrade upon arrival (not even to a higher floor); however, we were able to check in online the day prior to our stay and choose our room number. 

The Hilton Fashion District is located in Midtown in the Garment District bordering Chelsea, not far from Madison Square Garden/Penn Station. It provides a convenient location for Times Square sightseeing and access to various subway lines, bars, restaurants, and souvenir shops. A Whole Foods grocery store and the Sunac Market are located within one block of the hotel, in case you need to purchase food, drinks, or forgotten items. The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and its museum are a half-block away.

The lobby area itself is not large, but still offers a few places for guests to sit and chat. The decor fits the theme of a Fashion District hotel, with spools of thread composing an interesting art piece behind the front desk and mannequins with interesting costumes in the front windows. A tiny concierge/tour desk is located adjacent to the front door, although it is not staffed. RARE Bar and Grill is located at one end of the lobby, where breakfast is served (complimentary for HHonors Gold and Diamond members). The hotel also features the RARE rooftop bar and lounge, where we joined some friends for drinks one evening. At night, one elevator is dedicated to whisking patrons from the lobby to the 23rd floor rooftop. Two additional elevators access guestrooms on the 2nd to 22nd floors. The hotel has valet and self-parking for an additional fee, and the garage is located just a few yards from the hotel entrance. Taxi cabs were plentiful in front of the hotel, and Uber provides an additional transportation option. 

We had a corner room on the 9th floor, which regrettably did not give us a view of the Empire State Building because of an adjacent building. (On our last visit, our corner room on the 22nd floor had a great view.) The room was average size for New York City (about 300 square feet), with a king-size bed abutted by two nightstands, a desk/dresser/bureau combination, a small ottoman/seat that could be moved around, and a shelving unit that housed the glass-fronted weighted minibar (do not move anything or you will be charged) and coffee-making supplies, and a small closet that contained an electronic safe, iron, and ironing board. The room decor was modern and appealing, and the fashion theme (or sewing theme) carried through on some of the artwork. The bathroom was a decent size, with a combination tub/shower unit and large countertop vanity with a single sink. Complimentary toiletries include soap, shampoo, conditioner, and body lotion. Three sets of towels were provided, despite the fact that the room could really only sleep two guests. The hotel does not offer turndown service, nor does it have vending or ice machines; however, you can call down to the front desk to request ice delivery.

We enjoyed our second stay at the Hilton Fashion District, and we had fun at the RARE rooftop bar.





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