Radisson Martinique On Broadway Rating: 3.5 Pearls

Midtown West, Manhattan, New York City

The Radisson's French Renaissance exterior

Occupying a stately French Renaissance building, but owned and operated by a major mid-range hotel chain, the Radisson Martinique represents a curious blend of old and new, upscale and ordinary, American and European. The property was renovated in late 2007, but it was originally built at the turn of the 20th century by the eminent American architect Henry J. Hardenbergh, who also designed the famous Plaza and Waldorf-Astoria hotels and the Dakota apartment building where John Lennon lived (and was assassinated).

The bellmen sport the traditional attire -- blue blazers, red cuffs, gold trim -- and the soft, yellowish lighting in the lobby and other open spaces lends an almost cinematic air to the place. After walking inside for the first time, I couldn't help thinking of the hotels where Robert Redford and his teammates stay in The Natural. And after peering down 18 floors from the top of the wrought-iron spiral staircase, I couldn't help thinking of the scene in Ghostbusters when they trudge up a similar stairwell.

The "Radissonian" aspects of the Martinique manifest in its size (533 rooms) and in its clientele (lots of business travelers). It's not a place to party -- when I grabbed a drink at the cocktail lounge that adjoins the lobby, I was basically the only one there -- but it's a perfectly fine place to make your home base during your stay, whatever your reasons for being in New York.

Check-in can be slow

I was impressed, on the whole, with the Martinique's service. There was always a bellman to hold the lobby door open, and guests seemed pleased with the help they got from the concierge (though she wasn't always at her post, at least when I was around).

The most common complaint about the Martinique from travelers concerns the inefficiency of the check-in process. Sure enough, I experienced the exact same problem. Although check-in officially begins at 4 p.m., I arrived a little after 3 just to see if my room was ready ahead of schedule. Not yet, they said, though if I wanted a room with two double beds, I could take that instead. I declined, and returned at 4:15, but it still wasn't ready. Give it another 20-25 minutes, the woman at the front desk said. Meanwhile, a half-dozen or so European tourists I met were in the same predicament; they waited patiently in the lobby for their rooms to be ready. Keep in mind this was a Monday in early March -- not exactly high season.

Nobody at the front desk was particularly apologetic about the situation, but they were accommodating. One clerk guided me through the internet Wi-Fi login process and went to the back room to dig out some passwords. The bell captain, Mike, was especially helpful. In between making small talk with half of the guests who walked by, he took care of everyone's bags and even recommended where to stroll around outside while I waited. Finally, at about 4:40, the woman at the front desk found me in the lobby and said, "Mr. W_____, your room is ready." Mike took my bags to the room for me, and all was forgiven. Foul, OK, but no harm done.

• Room service, prepared by Cafe Martinique, available all day and evening, until 11 p.m.

View on a Larger Map

The Martinique is on the corner of 32nd Street and Broadway, which puts it 10 short blocks south of one of the busiest intersections in the world, at 42nd and Broadway in Times Square. Those 10 blocks make a big difference, though. While it's not exactly quiet -- few spots on Broadway are -- the area is significantly less touristed than its neighbor to the north.

The area is a bit of a no-man's land. If you feel compelled to describe the location by name, call it Koreatown, or K-Town -- which isn't an official neighborhood but is a perfectly good tag for the two blocks outside the hotel home to a myriad of karaoke clubs and Korean BBQ restaurants.

In fact, 32nd Street is K-Town's main drag. Walk down the block, away from Broadway, and most of the neon you see will be in Korean. You barely have to leave the hotel to get a taste -- literally -- of Korea. You can grab a plate of bi-bim-bap at KumGangSan, then go across the street to Ding Dong Dang for karaoke. At the least, you'll have fun explaining to your friends what you did last night ("Had me some 'bi-bim-bap' at KumGangSan, then got my sing-song on at Ding Dong Dang ...").

One of the best things about the location is that right outside the hotel's doors is a subway stop where you can catch the B/D/F/V and the Q/N/R/W lines. You can go north to Times Square and beyond, or south toward Union Square and the Village.

Also close by: the Empire State Building (one block away), Penn Station (about two blocks), Madison Square Garden (two blocks), and the Macy's at Herald Square (about three blocks).

Safety-wise, you should be fine. A lot of the restaurants and karaoke clubs on 32nd Street are open 24 hours, so the block remains well-lit and reasonably populated throughout the night. Greeley Park, across the street from the hotel, is a nice little place to rest your legs and people-watch during the day, but just to be sure, avoid it at night.

New York City has three nearby airports: JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark (in New Jersey). Getting to town from JFK or LaGuardia is usually more convenient than getting there from Newark, but travel times are heavily dependent on the time of day and traffic conditions. From JFK, a taxi to anywhere in Manhattan costs a flat rate of $45 and takes around an hour in average conditions. From LaGuardia, a metered cab ride to Midtown Manhattan costs about $40 and can take 30 minutes if traffic is light, three times that if it's bad. Rides from Newark cost at least $40 plus tolls and can take more than 90 minutes. It's customary to tip your driver 15 to 25 percent.

Those looking to save some cash can use the privately run shuttle buses that are available at all three airports for about $14 per person. For more information on the shuttles, go to Super Shuttle or New York Airport Service. Public transit is also available for as little as $7 per person, but travel can take up to two hours and involve a lot of lugging bags up and down stairways.

For mass-transit directions right to the hotel, check out HopStop.com.

The Executive Suite

Because I only stayed one night, and was there during a slow time of year (early March), I was upgraded to an "executive" room on one of the penthouse floors. (They didn't know I was reviewing the hotel, by the way -- all our reviews are stealth operations.) This made for a very pleasant stay. Unfortunately, this also means I can't comment directly on the standard rooms, since management didn't allow me to see any of them when I requested a tour at the end of my stay. But if you do stay in one, please drop us a line and let us know how it is.

The executive suites are large, with small closets, king-size beds, and couches, and still enough in-between room to feel spacious. The rooms wouldn't win any design awards -- the couches, which wouldn't win any awards for comfort either, are particularly ugly. But everything in my room was clean and in excellent condition, and the soft lighting adds to the hominess. The 17th-floor view wasn't nearly as impressive as those at many other N.Y.C. hotels, as the window was too small to show much other than the facades of the neighboring buildings.

Staying in an executive room gives you access to the executive-floor lobby, which includes overstuffed chairs, a couch, a flat-screen TV, complimentary copies of the Wall Street Journal, and expansive city views.

The highlight of the executive rooms, to be sure, is the Select Comfort Sleep Number bed, which features 100 different levels of cushiness. I had a lot of fun with it before settling on a setting and drifting off. (Turns out my sleep number is 35. Ladies?) Unfortunately, those who don't splurge on an executive suite (or aren't fortuitously upgraded) won't have access to this marvel of American ingenuity -- Select Comfort beds are not available in standard rooms.

Other nice features in the room: classy Japanese-influenced artwork, a Sharp flat-screen, reliable wired Internet (no Wi-Fi, though), Green Tree coffee and tea, and complimentary copies of Voyageur magazine and Time Out New York (great for staying apprised of what's happening in town).

The bathrooms are small but inviting, with marbled-tile walls, granite countertops, and soft 100-percent Egyptian-cotton towels. The hotel-brand bath products include the usual assortment, plus a "shoe mitt" and an "exfoliating oatmeal-almond bath bar" (aka soap).

My shower, however, looked better than it performed. The water pressure was weak, the shower head squeaked when it was on, and the tub filled faster than it drained -- by the end of my shower, I was standing in two inches of water.

The fitness center

The Martinique boasts many of the usual amenities of a business-oriented big-city hotel, but because of its location in Manhattan, where space comes at a premium, these features are modest by most standards:

• Business center features high-speed Internet access, along with printers, a copier, and a fax machine, but it only has three computers. Not surprisingly, they were all in use every time I walked by. (This must be worse in peak season, when the 500+ rooms are nearly filled to capacity.)
• If you want to get some work done in a spacious, comfortable environment, and you have your own laptop, your best bet is the executive lobby on the 17th floor. Officially it's only open to those staying in executive suites, but it's easy to sneak in.
• Independently owned and operated spa on-site called Spadium. It's worth noting that because it also has its own entrance next-door, the spa can be pretty easy to miss (to say nothing of the neon lettering reminiscent of the Korean beauty parlors all along the block).
• Small fitness center, but they pack a lot of modern, well-maintained equipment into the space: three treadmills, two ellipticals, and a bike in the cardio room; three weight machines/benches and a full set of free weights in the strength-training room.
• Standard-issue gift shop off the lobby

Given the Martinique's focus on business travelers, along with its traditional decor, it's not terribly surprising I didn't see any kids during my stay. Just European tourists and airline staff, and a few middle-aged men in town for college basketball's Big East Tournament. There's no reason, however, not to bring the family. The area is safe and wholesome enough, and the kids might get a kick out of the bell staff's antics. For instance, one night, on the way back to my room, one of the bellman performed a little "magic" with his hands, gesturing as if he were opening the elevator doors with telepathy. All I could offer in return was an awkward smile. But 25 years ago I would have found it hilarious.

• Cribs (free) and rollaway beds ($22 per night) both available, but call ahead to reserve
• Safe neighborhood, but avoid nearby Greeley Park at night
• For a roundup of the most kid-friendly hotels in NYC, click here.

If you're a dog lover, you might get a kick out of the fact that many of the contestants in the Westminster Kennel Club dog show, the most famous dog show in the country, stay here for the February event.

The whole property is very well-maintained. Even the vintage furniture in the lobby, which looks old, has nary a scratch.

Bi-bim-bap at KumGangSan

The hotel's restaurant, Cafe Martinique, is open all day long. For lunch and dinner, it's standard American/continental fare. The breakfast buffet is comprehensive -- French toast, pancakes, bacon, sausage, toast, bagels, fresh fruit -- and pretty tasty, and the table service is excellent. If you book your room via one special deal or another, breakfast might be included; otherwise it costs $16 per person.

A different, more exciting option is the Korean restaurant right next-door, KumGangSan, which is independently owned and operated but still affiliated with the Martinique. My meal was tasty, but it's worth checking out merely for its sheer size (two stories, rare for Manhattan) and cheesy decor: cliff-face faux-boulders, mini-pond, and a gleaming white piano. (All that was missing the night I went was Liberace, back from the grave, banging out Korean pop tunes.) And it wasn't a bad deal either: $32 for two pieces of sushi, a huge bi-bim-bap platter, and a beer.