Hotel Riu Plaza New York Times Square

Great location but don’t book if you’d like to sleep well!
It’s so noisy with passing traffic and the fire station opposite contributes to this. A new hotel is being built opposite, construction works start early and finish late!
The worst part is ….the fire alarm test announcement went off every morning at 8:30am, no test was carried out 🤷🏽‍♀️, we Found this a pointless announcement and suggested whatever testing was going on should be performed later in the day when people weren’t in their rooms. Reception staff were validating of this issue but couldn’t help …….I’m still sure why this happened every morning during our stay?

The cleaning of the rooms also gets done at odd times, I’ve found this is normally carried out in a morning but it was from 2pm to early evening…just as we were getting showered for the evening. Our room didn’t get cleaned for 3 days because of this!

Breakfast is good but go in plenty of time as cleanup starts about 9:40am and I presume because of the whole hotel getting woken at 8:30, affects the busyness around this time….it was packed. It has a school canteen feel but a good variety of items can be found.

Overall this hotel is in a great location but it’s just too noisy to get a decent night’s sleep, we won’t return.

Just come back from New York and stayed at the Rui plaza hotel Times Square and honestly can’t fault it . Lovely rooms and lovely staff who were very helpful breakfast was great and the location was good just round the corner from Times Square . It was my birthday when we stayed and when we came back from being out the staff had left a little row of chocolates with a card wishing me happy birthday , the hotel is definitely a 100% from me and my daughters

Stayed at RIU Plaza Manhattan Times Square for 3 nights and unfortunately had a disappointing experience. The room was cold (around 70°F) and the heating system barely worked even after adjusting the temperature. The shower enclosure door was broken and very difficult to lift and open.

I reported the issues but the response was poor. I was offered another room with no upgrade, and the manager didn’t even come to speak with me directly. The only compensation offered was late check-out, which was useless because I had an early flight.

Great location, but surprisingly poor customer service.

We have recently returned after 4 nights here. It’s very conveniently located near Times Square in the Hells Kitchen area of NY. Check in was seamless. We requested adjoining rooms and higher floor and that’s what we got. Floor 17 and right next door to our friends. Fantastic view. There’s a coffee machine in the room but I took a travel kettle and changed the voltage which was ideal for us as we like a morning cuppa. The room was clean and comfortable, the bed was super comfy and a good hot shower. It was serviced well each day and towels replenished. Air conditioning worked well. Breakfast we found was best to get to around 7.15, after that it’s busy but works well. Same story at buffet, loads of choice of hot, cold, fruits, meats, pastries and bread. Hot food not hot enough. There’s a wide selection to suit most palettes. Coffee was hot. Staff were friendly and helpful in all areas of the hotel. Would definitely stay again and recommend this hotel.

When staying in Manhattan, having breakfast included at the hotel is a major advantage. It makes mornings easy and stress-free before heading out into the city — something we really appreciated during our stay at the RIU Plaza Times Square.

The breakfast is excellent by New York standards: wide selection, plentiful, and very cleanly presented. The only drawback is that it becomes crowded during peak times, so it’s best to arrive before 8:00 AM to avoid lines.

The hotel overall is very well maintained and notably clean for New York. Staff are professional, efficient, and friendly. The front desk team in particular is exceptionally welcoming and helpful.

The guest mix is mainly American and Hispanic, with some European travelers — a relaxed and international atmosphere.

We strongly recommend booking a room on one of the higher floors. The extra cost is worth it for the quieter environment and better views. Rooms are typically small and functional, as expected in Manhattan, but well designed and perfectly adequate for a city stay.

Prices around the holiday season are naturally high, but considering the location, cleanliness, breakfast, and service, we found it well worth it.

Conclusion:
A very solid, well-run Manhattan hotel in a prime Times Square location with the major benefit of included breakfast. We would definitely book again.

This hotel is perfectly located to see everything New York has to offer. Just a 3 minute walk to Times Square. Whenever I write a review I always talk about the staff where I can and this review is no different. Upon booking in there was an issue their end with the payment not showing and the initial lady who spoke to us was obviously a little under pressure as we found her a little harsh. However, from that moment on every single member of staff we interacted with were a delight to deal with. My special thanks would go to Natalia and Perla on the front desk as they were friendly, polite, professional and knew how we wanted to be treated. In addition to this a guy called Albert (I think) who was looking after cases and booking taxis who was a real bundle of joy.
The room was more than adequate although the lack of a proper cup in the room was a little disappointing (paper cups?) The shower was really powerful which was a great start to the days.
We ended up having to deal with a cancelled flight due to the snow but they helped us keep our rooms so no changes or moving about the hotel.

A lovely hotel in a great location. Located right next to Times Square! We upgraded our room and had a stunning view. Staff were very helpful and attentive and breakfast was yummy! Had the trip of a lifetime and wouldn’t have wanted to stay anywhere else!

Very well appointed hotel just a block away from Times Square. 7/11 opposite and lots of places to eat. Entrance is on restaurant row. Rooms spacious and comfortable with great views. Staff not so helpful or friendly but that’s New York. Breakfast was excellent but also extremely busy. The lift situation in the morning could be highly frustrating. Overall pretty good.

Shame there's not a 4 & 1/2 star rating cos that would be more accurate
Very first impressions weren't good. We'd had a 4 hour plane delay and 2 hours getting through customs so got there early hours in the morning. The receptionist wasn't very welcoming to say the least. Tried to get his name but couldn't see his name tag. I know he didn't know our back story but even a simple smile would suffice.
I should say we had a problems with our key cards not working and had to exchange them and all the other receptionists were everything he wasn't. Kind & hospitable.
We were on the 18th floor which was actually okay as previously hoping for higher up having requested one 9 months ago. The rooms were really nice and cleaned everyday. The bathroom door doesn't slide fully closed so no real privacy.

The breakfast times did get really busy at the later time but you didn't need to wait long for a table and the women were working really hard to find you a table. In fact all the kitchen and table staff were working hard.
As for the breakfasts. That was one of the best parts. So much choice which kept you going for most of the day
The location is absolutely perfect. 5 mins walk from Times Square and all the amazing restaurants in Hell's kitchen on your doorstep
Would I stay again? Definitely. Thanks Riu. We all had a fantastic stay

Room booked not available. Alternative room not suitable for five people. Customer service for the inconvenience of having to move rooms half way through our stay was poor.

This was my second time staying at this hotel, the last time was in 2023. I enjoyed it so much the first time that I knew that if I came back to New York then I was definitely going to stay here again. The rooms are a decent size and I find the staff really helpful and friendly. The breakfast is great and with so many choices too. You can't beat the location, it's literally a few minutes walk and you are in Time Square. I really enjoyed my second stay and would not go anywhere else if I were to return to NYC. I would definitely recommend the hotel.

Like a previous review great location ,hotel clean ,rooms good size breakfast very good choices, but the customer service could do with looking at. I arrived after 7 hour flight very tired, the receptionist seemed ok to start but I had trouble paying my deposit that’s when Annyliese lost her patience walked off started playing with her phone ,not a great start. Customer care was very hit and miss some were very good .

Riu is now my "go-to" hotel. This place was absolutely fabulous in all phases of its services... private transport to airport, breakfast, location, happy hour bar, clean, neat, friendly staff. Loved it. Just can't beat the location of this Hotel. In the heart of it all. Will definitely book here again when I come back to NYC.

The RIU New York has an excellent location, right in the heart of Manhattan, with easy access to major attractions and public transport.

The rooms are surprisingly spacious for New York, modern, and comfortable, which was definitely a positive aspect of the stay.

Unfortunately, the customer care did not meet expectations. The service felt impersonal and inconsistent, lacking the level of attention and professionalism you would expect from a hotel in this category. While the hotel has strong physical advantages, the overall experience was affected by the disappointing service.

In summary, a well-located hotel with good room sizes, but the customer care has room for improvement.

To be honest, there is nothing wrong with the facility itself. rooms are cleanish, except mine had someone else's hair on the floor of the bathroom and one of my towesl had lets say, someone else's imprint on it. My one big problem with this place is I dont like being treated like a cow. The staff are like very efficient robots hearding you very efficiently to the correct space, the check in process is the worst I have ever encountered. Just very long, waited 30 min with only two people ahead of me in line, it was like checking in at the airport, thats the exact feeling I had. I had the breakfast, again, very efficient but the service was as cold as the food, again, efficient, but here again being led like a cow to feed. I think as a family hotel, not so bad, but for business, I will never stay here again, wifi cost 10.00 and late check out not a courtesy, but one can pay 20.00 for it.

Stayed here with my granddaughter. Brilliant hotel, room a good size and very clean, breakfast very good. The staff were all amazing especially the concierge and security team - thank you for making our trip such a brilliant experience

me and my girlfriend stayed here for 5 nights absolutely loved it , the location is perfect and in walking distance to a lot of the main sights in the city. The food was amazing and there was many different varietys to choose from each day.Will definitely be staying here again.

Great location, great breakfast. Friendly staff. Would return. Rooms are small but we knew this when we booked. This didn’t bother us as a family of 5. We were exploring. Travelled as 2 adults 14,13 and 11 year old.

Myself and my daughter stayed here for 6 nights at the beginning of December,fantastic location,good breakfast included would recommend going early as it gets busy later. Was on the 9th floor at the back of the hotel which was good as had no traffic noise,rooms good and cleaned each day , take a travel kettle no tea or coffee facilities. Times Square only 2 minutes away,in the middle of broadway, subway nearby, central for getting around. The weather was cold but dry even had sunshine most days 🌆🌃

I’m not sure what the high reviews for this hotel are for. I do not understand. This hotel is definitely NOT a 4 star hotel. Hotel is CHEAP. More like a Motel. Faux leather sofa. Cheap engineered wood on the floors. No valet parking. They send you park 10 mins away and walk back to the hotel with your luggages… For the amount of money they charge, you’ll think they’ll have an underground parking… No water bottles in the room. You have to purchase at front desk. I will not even bother complaining about how rude the staff is…. Worst of worst: Imagine paying 535$/night to be intoxicated by weed smoke all night. As soon as we got out of the elevator to our floor we were welcomed by a very strong weed smell. What a pity and disappointment. I had young kids with me. Husband called front desk to complain and was ensured it was going to be taken care of. 30min later husband called to re-iterate the issue and request room change. “They are still investigating the room where it is coming from and will get back to us…” at that point it is 10pm. Kids are exhausted from the trip and slept off - husband decide to take a shower - front desk call back and ask if we are all packed ready to move out of our room. “They don’t have cleaning staff in the evening so they are trying to find someone to clean our room immediately but it has to be done right away”. Instead of them apologizing they behaved as if they are doing us a favor by swapping our room in like the next 5min… could not be ready in the allotted time so we ended up swallowing the weed smoke all night cause yes people kept on smoking on and off. Worst hotel experience ever. Can’t be trusted. Elevators are packed. Coming down we had to use staircases ….

Not recommended at all