Yet returning for a stay across Christmas week, I found the opposite had happened here. Moxy Times Square has settled into itself, managing to retain much of the energy and personality that first made it a firm favourite for Midtown stays. In a city obsessed with the next opening, that may be Moxy Times Square’s most impressive trick.

Midtown in the week before Christmas operates at a frequency entirely its own. Around Seventh Avenue, shoppers move through the cold and snow, bags pressed against their heavy coats, commuters emerge from Penn Station in waves, and tourists stop abruptly in the middle of the pavement to photograph steam rising into the December air, much to New Yorkers’ visible disdain. New York and its inhabitants always move quickly, but in late December the city seems to accelerate beneath festive lighting, Christmas music and the holiday rush.

Moxy Times Square absorbs this energy rather than resisting it.

That has always been the hotel’s particular achievement. Since opening in 2017 inside a gut-renovated 1906 commercial building on West 36th Street, the property has understood something many Midtown hotels still struggle with: New York is not experienced from inside a room. It happens downstairs, out on the pavement, between subway platforms, restaurants, rooftop bars and long walks across the city.

Returning here six years after my last stay, the hotel felt sharper rather than softened by time.

Within minutes of arriving, a room key and welcome cocktail are in hand, eliminating the long reception desk choreography that continues to dominate so many Midtown hotels. Staff move through the lobby with ease, something that remained true throughout a week of early mornings, late returns, and Christmas crowds. On multiple occasions during my stay, I was welcomed by name, with genuine curiosity about where I had been and what I’d been doing in the city.

The main entrance sits on West 36th Street, with a side entrance on Seventh Avenue — a distinction worth knowing for first-time visitors arriving from Penn Station, who will find the 36th Street entrance the more natural approach.

The location remains one of the strongest in Manhattan at this price point. Penn Station sits two blocks away. Herald Square, Bryant Park, Madison Square Garden, Hudson Yards and the Theatre District are all comfortably walkable, while multiple subway lines place the rest of the city within easy reach. During a December stay, when temperatures fluctuate between freezing winds and overheated department stores, this proximity matters more than almost anything else. I found myself regularly returning to the room to drop shopping bags off or regroup briefly between department store runs and trips downtown to Soho or the Upper East Side.

With New York set to host matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the hotel’s position near Penn Station and multiple subway lines will only become more valuable for international visitors navigating the city.

The rooms

The King City View Corner Room is arguably the hotel’s most appealing category.

Designed by Yabu Pushelberg, the room makes intelligent use of every square metre without ever slipping into gimmickry. Two walls of glazing pull Midtown directly into the space, with surrounding towers catching the low winter light in ways that can feel unexpectedly cinematic by late afternoon.

While the room is compact, it is entirely honest about it.

Rather than disguising the scale, the design embraces efficiency. Pegboard walls allow guests to reconfigure the hanging space as they move around the room. The desk folds away when not in use. Luggage slides neatly beneath the bed. Over the course of the stay, I found myself adapting the room to my needs, from drying damp clothes after snowstorms to easily managing multiple shopping bags and winter layers.

Given the corner position on a busy Midtown block, noise is a reasonable concern,  and a pleasant surprise. The glazing does serious work here, keeping street noise remarkably well contained. After long days out in the city, the room felt genuinely quiet, and the quality of sleep was consistently good throughout the stay. The bedding is plush throughout, and the mattresses are comfortable enough that late December lie-ins feel entirely justified, even in the city that never sleeps.

The walk-in rain shower remains one of the hotel’s best features. Oversized where it matters, with strong water pressure and excellent temperature consistency, it delivers the kind of comfort that becomes especially welcome after long winter days walking Manhattan in the holiday weather.

Technology throughout the room is equally well considered. Streaming television connects quickly to personal accounts, and Wi-Fi remains fast throughout the property.

Room categories extend well beyond standard kings, with quad bunks, loft configurations, and studio suites available for groups and families. It remains one of the more thoughtfully flexible room lineups in Manhattan.

The food & drink

When Moxy Times Square opened, Tao Group Hospitality was tasked with creating the property’s food, beverage and nightlife identity. Nearly a decade later, the partnership still feels unusually well matched.

Bar Moxy

Bar Moxy remains the social centre of the hotel.

Flooded with natural light beneath a dramatic atrium, the second-floor space shifts effortlessly throughout the day, from coffee spot and workspace in the morning to cocktail lounge by evening. The interiors continue to hold up beautifully, anchored by a striking copper-wrapped bar and softer seating areas that make the space feel surprisingly comfortable for long stretches.

The Café d’Avignon offering works particularly well here. Guests drift through for coffee, pastries and sandwiches before disappearing back into Midtown, while nightly DJ sets from Tuesday through Saturday gradually shift the atmosphere later in the evening.

Happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 3pm to 6pm, with classic cocktails, wine, beer and snacks priced more reasonably than many nearby Midtown venues.

Legasea Bar & Grill

Legasea succeeds because it understands exactly what Midtown diners want: somewhere lively, polished and reliable enough to work equally well before a Broadway show or after a long day downtown.

The seafood-focused menu moves comfortably between American classics and lighter Mediterranean influences, with the spicy crab beignets remaining the signature order for good reason. The Sunday and Monday unlimited ribeye and fries offering has also developed a loyal following among both guests and locals, and represents unusually good value for this part of Manhattan.

Most importantly, the restaurant understands pace. Service moves quickly when needed, but never feels rushed, making it especially useful before Broadway shows or events at nearby Madison Square Garden.

Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge

Eight years after opening, Magic Hour still draws crowds with remarkable consistency.

Spread across 10,000 square feet on the eighteenth floor, the indoor-outdoor rooftop remains one of Midtown’s most entertaining drinking spaces, helped enormously by its extraordinary Empire State Building views. Few rooftop bars in Manhattan feel this close to the skyline.

During my December stay, the venue operated as Magic Hour Mountain Lodge, its winter installation developed in collaboration with Geo Events. The transformation leaned fully into alpine escapism: timber textures, snowy detailing, winter greenery and a carousel dressed for the season beneath glowing lights.

The enclosed rooftop structure kept the atmosphere warm despite freezing temperatures outside, while seasonal cocktails, including the Après Ski white hot chocolate and Winter White Spritz, suited the setting perfectly. Crowds remained heavy in the lead-up to Christmas, though the venue maintained enough movement that it rarely felt exhausting.

What continues to set Magic Hour apart from countless Manhattan rooftop competitors is the consistency of its seasonal reinventions. The concepts evolve each year, but the execution remains disciplined.

Beyond the rooms

Blind Barber, the New York barbershop located inside the hotel lobby, remains one of the more distinctive amenities in Midtown. Haircuts, beard trims and grooming services are available throughout the week, each concluding with a complimentary cocktail.

The 24-hour fitness centre is similarly impressive for the category, with Peloton bikes, boxing equipment, yoga mats, and strength-training gear included. Rooftop fitness classes are also regularly offered to guests, though availability can vary by season.

For remote workers, the second-floor coworking areas remain genuinely practical rather than decorative, with enough seating, power access and natural light to function as proper workspaces.

The essentials

Where: Moxy Times Square 485 7th Avenue, New York, NY 10018

Best for: First-time New York visitors, couples, friend groups, theatre weekends and travellers wanting a social Midtown base without traditional luxury hotel pricing.

Facilities: Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge, Legasea Bar & Grill, Bar Moxy, Café d’Avignon, 24-hour fitness centre, coworking spaces, Blind Barber barbershop.

Rooms: 612 guestrooms and suites.

The verdict: 9/10

Moxy Times Square has matured into one of Manhattan’s most convincing modern hotels. The rooms remain exceptionally clever, the location is difficult to fault, and the Tao Group venues continue to give the property an energy many Midtown hotels still lack.

A stay over Christmas confirmed what repeat guests already know: this is not simply a good value New York hotel. It is a genuinely good New York hotel, full stop.

Moxy Times Square
485 7th Avenue, New York, NY 10018
moxytimessquare.com

This writer was a guest of Moxy Times Square.