Milford Plaza — Hotel Review Rating: 2.5 Pearls

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Oyster Hotel Review

Reporter: Hailey E.
Updated: December 18, 2009

 Scene

The Milford Plaza has a reputation for being a dirty tourist trap that caters to foreigners who don't know, or expect, better. From what I witnessed, that reputation is for the most part deserved.

Built in 1935 and situated among Broadway theaters and Times Square souvenir shops, the 1,300-room Milford Plaza Hotel offers tourists a place to crash and little more. Staying at the Milford Plaza feels like staying at your grandma's -- if your grandma was a bit senile and hadn't cleaned in years.

Entering the lobby, which is done up in gray-and-white stone, brass-trimmed mirrors, and geometric chandeliers, is like stepping back into the late 50s or early 60s. But not in a good way. The lobby's age shows in the dust and wear and tear, not in the kind of opulent detail you see in many of New York City's iconic old hotels. Even during its heyday, this place couldn't have felt particularly grand.

And then there's the funky mold-and-mildew smell that pervades both the halls and guest rooms.

True, the hotel is centrally located in Times Square. And guests we talked to -- young couples from Spain and Sweden, teens from South America, some families from England and Germany -- seemed satisfied. But several had been traveling around the world staying in hostels and other inexpensive lodgings -- so they'd probably seen (and smelled) much worse.

In any case, at just over $100 a night, you might think you can't do any better in New York City. In fact, you can: Try the Park Central Hotel; it ain't the Four Seasons, but it does have big, bright, and clean-enough rooms, comfortable beds, a fair number of amenities, and reasonably professional service.

One positive note: Security is tight at the Milford, which is a good thing given its location right on 8th Avenue in the center of the Theater District and just a couple of blocks from raucous Times Square. Guests must show their room key to a 24-hour guard before they enter the elevator bay.

 Service

The hotel may be dated and dank, and the amenities limited, but the staff is friendly and accommodating.

Check-in was generally swift and pleasant. After seeing my first sad-looking room, I called the front desk, asked to upgrade, and was quickly given another room. In fact, due to what must be a lot of practice, the staff seems quite good at handling customer dissatisfaction. Numerous TripAdvisor reviewers report that complaints -- be they dirty bathrooms or mice in the rooms -- were generally answered with offers of different rooms or discounts.

A couple of my calls to the front desk took a dozen or so rings before anyone picked up. But when I requested some toothpaste, a complimentary hygienic kit arrived at my door in five minutes.

At breakfast, the smiling staff held open the door to the Milford Club Lounge and kept the buffet (but not the tables) tidy. I didn't see doormen in front of the hotel very often, but one was on hand to hail a cab when I left.

Housekeeping, unfortunately, starts early and makes quite a racket while working.

 Location

Yes, this hotel is very near Times Square, but don't expect startling views of bright lights and the big city. In fact, the hotel is two blocks north and one block west of Times Square, with it's main entrance is on Eighth Avenue, a wide road with busy, fast-moving traffic, between 44th and 45th Streets. So instead, guests exiting the hotel see the budget fringe of Times Square: cheap souvenir shops, seedy gentleman's clubs, dive bars, and restaurants.

On the other hand, just around and across the block, are some iconic Theater District dining options like Junior's Cheesecake and Sardi's. And the hotel does share the block with a number of Broadway theaters, including the Bernard B. Jacobs and the Music Box theaters.

Virtually every train line in the city runs through or close to Times Square. And even though Times Square is now closed to automobile traffic, it's still easy to hail a cab nearby at any time of day or night.

 Rooms

The Milford's rooms are fairly small and, like the most of the hotel, badly in need of renovations. The standard queen room is listed as 190 square feet, though my measurements put it closer to 150. The TV was old, and the room had a small wardrobe in lieu of a closet.

For an additional $30 per day, guests can upgrade to a club room, which is slightly larger -- supposedly 290 square feet, but again mine seemed smaller -- and has a flat-screen television and an actual closet.

Internet in standard rooms runs $10.95 per day, whereas it's free in the club rooms. So if you want Internet access in your room, it's probably worth the upgrade. Wi-Fi at the hotel can be spotty in general. It was out altogether when I visited. All rooms do have wire Internet connections, however.

Both the standard and club rooms I saw felt dusty and dank. Wallpaper peels from the walls, carpets are stained, and is furniture badly scratched. Walls are thin, and guests can expect to hear their neighbors coughing and the maids bustling about in the morning. And, sure, a huge mirror covering nearly a whole wall makes the room feel a bit bigger, but it also makes it feel cheap and sleazy.

I didn't see pubic hairs in the bathroom, as TripAdvisor reviewers report. But I did encounter other disturbing details, like a weird pull chord hanging in the shower with unidentifiable red marks on it.

On the (very short) plus side of the ledger, both rooms I saw got a decent amount of natural light and looked out on the street, not a brick wall.

 Features

The shared facilities at the Milford Plaza are all fresh, new, and, frankly, seem like they're part of another, much nicer, hotel.

Smelling of fresh rubbery newness, the 24-hour fitness center, renovated in 2008, is nicer than many I've seen in significantly more expensive hotels in the area. The equipment looks virtually brand-new. The LifeFitness cardio machines -- four treadmills, four elliptical machines, and four bikes -- each feature their own television with cable. Towels and a water cooler are provided.

The business center opened on the day that I visited and now features eight computer stations, a printer, and a scanner/copier/fax machine. Using them costs 25 cents per minute on the computer and 50 cents per page for printing. But those are fairly standard prices.

If you pay the $30/day to upgrade your room, you also get access to the fairly clean and new Milford Club Lounge, where the hotel serves continental breakfast (from 6- 10 a.m.) and bottled water, sodas, fresh fruit, and snacks like chips and granola bars until 10 p.m. The lounge also contains eight Internet-connected computers, flat-screen televisions, and newspapers.

Besides the lounge, a few vending machines, and coffee in the gift shop, the hotel doesn't offer any food or drinks.

 Family

I saw some families with older children at the Milford Plaza, but the lack of features and cleanliness issues make it a poor choice for families. Adjoining rooms and rollaway beds are not available. Cribs are free, but can't be reserved until check-in, when it may be too late. Hotel staff does not arrange babysitting services. However, children under 12 staying in Milford Club rooms do get breakfast at no additional charge.

 Cleanliness

My cabdriver told me he'd heard horror stories from guests of the Milford Plaza, and it's no wonder. Halls smell strongly of mold and mildew with a top note of dust. It's not a good place for anyone with allergies. Hell, it's probably not a healthy place for anyone. I was relieved to get a whiff of marijuana coming from a nearby room one night -- anything to break up the dank, locker-room smell.

Guest rooms typically feature a huge mirror on the wall opposite the bed. Mine was covered in dust and streaks and dribbles. Furniture is beyond shabby. Wallpaper buckles and pulls at the seams on every wall. At points, it even peels all the way back to reveal bits of mold and mildew. (I'm afraid the photos don't quite do justice to all this, but trust me, it's nasty.)

Hotels in this price range near Times Square aren't typically without some strange odors and a bit of mildew, but the Milford Plaza is off the charts. The Park Central Hotel, for example, a similarly priced large hotel a dozen blocks away, smells like a dental office and has mildew in the showers, but it doesn't feel downright unsanitary.

Both the Bedbug Registry and a TripAdvisor review mention bedbug spottings at the Milford. When I asked a member of hotel management about this, he claimed not know what I was talking about. While bedbugs complaints have skyrocketed in the city in recent years, plaguing both private apartments and hotels of all price ranges, denial doesn't seem like a sound eradication strategy.

 Food

The upgrade fee of $30 per adult per night gets you access to the Milford Club Lounge, which serves continental breakfast from 6-10 a.m. Breakfast consists of store-bought pastries, bagels, donuts, tea and coffee, juice, milk, cereal, yogurt, and fresh apples, oranges, and bananas. Toasters and microwaves are provided.

After breakfast, the lounge is supplied with bottled water, sodas, fresh fruit, and snacks like chips and granola bars until 10 p.m.

Other than the Milford Club Lounge, there's no place in the hotel to get food or drink save for coffee from the gift shop and vending machine sodas.

 Bottom Line

Closed through mid-2011, the 1,300-room Milford Plaza is undergoing some much-needed renovations.