Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers Rating: 3.0 Pearls

Midtown West, Manhattan, New York City

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Library Bar

The Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers is one of the largest hotels in New York. With three floors of meeting rooms and banquet halls, it's no surprise that the Sheraton plays host to several conventions and conferences every day. But through the wood-paneled and carpeted lobby, past the lines of business suits and name-tags, there are still some families with young children in tow trying to cut through the crowds.

Given the hotel's size, the familiarity of the Sheraton brand, and its proximity to both office buildings and New York's best tourist sites in Midtown West, it's no surprise that the hotel draws such a diverse crowd. (However, it does focus on conventioneers more than its sister hotel, the Sheraton Manhattan, across the street.)

As with any Starwood property, the company's popular rewards program also allows guests to use points from past stays to earn free rooms.

A hotel porter

The receptionists are perfectly nice, but with so many guests, the self check-in kiosks -- akin to what you'd find at the airport -- are often the easiest option.

In addition to the concierge, the hotel also has a desk dedicated to helping guests purchase theater tickets. It's a nice touch to have a real person walk you through the seating options.

On the flip side, it was impossible to get the attention of the servers at the Library bar. I had to body-block a waitress to get a drink.

View on a Larger Map

Located in Midtown West, a few blocks north of the Times Square lights and crowds, and only six blocks south of Central Park, the Sheraton Towers is one of the many hotels on Seventh Avenue catering to the Midtown business crowd as well as tourists flocking to Broadway shows. Aside from a few over-priced delis, you'll have to walk west to Eighth Avenue to find any restaurant that isn't part of some national franchise.

For access around the city, the hotel is an excellent subway hub. The B, D, and E subway station is just steps from its entrance; the N, Q, R, and W lines are four short blocks north at 57th street, and the 1 train is less than a five-minute walk away at 50th Street and Broadway. This stretch of Seventh Avenue might also be one of the most cab-heavy in the city.

The Traditional Guest Room

My Traditional guest room on the 32nd floor had an amazing view of New York's skyscrapers ... and dirty, spotted windows. The air-conditioning vents were filled with dust, crumbs, and all sorts of crud, and there were stains on the carpet. To top it off, someone had scribbled all over the magazines and left a number by the phone. As a huge hotel with a lot of traffic, minor issues like the worn leather desk chair are to be expected. But even with modern touches like the LG flat-screen TV and free individual packets of Starbucks coffee, the rooms at this Sheraton are a significant step below most other mid-range chain hotels, especially when compared to the Hilton Times Square or the fresh-built Holiday Inn on Sixth Avenue.

The hotel is predominantly composed of Traditional guest rooms, which average a fairly spacious 253 square feet. Rooms on the 44th-50th floors are known as Club-Level rooms, and come with more personalized service and free access to the gym (but the basic room is about the same). There are also suites of varying sizes throughout the hotel.

Even the standard rooms come with king-size beds, and the Sheraton brand is well-known for its Sweet Sleeper beds, which come with feather and hypo-allergenic pillows, a plush duvet, and quality linens. Unlike many N.Y.C. hotel rooms, the room was large enough to fit a full-size desk. However, wireless Internet is not available and the Ethernet cord in my room didn't work. For the hard-wired Internet, the hotel charges an extra $14.95 per day.

The bathroom was a little cramped, but able to fit all the basics -- sink, toilet, and tub. There was a nice selection of toiletries from Shine, a hotel brand made specially for Sheraton by upscale Bliss spa. The bathroom was smartly decorated with black-and-white striped wallpaper which, combined with the honeycomb tile floor, helps bring an edgy vibe to an otherwise-ordinary space. In March 2011, Sheraton New York began a $150 million renovation.

The gym

Though not available in the rooms, the hotel provides free Wi-Fi on the ground floor, which is really only accessible near reception or in the Library bar. The former is loud and crowded, the latter is loud and drunken -- at least after work hours.

The Atlantis fitness center in the lower lobby is an independent gym that just happens to be housed in the hotel. It's a decent-size center with separate cardio and weight-training areas with a number of instructors in attendance. There's also a steam room and sauna in the locker rooms. If you are staying in a Club room above the 45th floor, gym access is complimentary. If not, admission is $10 per day, or $20 for your entire stay. On the plus side, guests have free access to the swimming pool across the street at the Sheraton Manhattan, and there's a "Gym-in-a-Bag" workout kit in every room.

The Sheraton is known as a "convention hotel," and for good reason: it offers 43 different meeting rooms and its 15,000-square-foot ballroom can hold 2,500 people at a time. In 2008, the hotel won a number of awards for its meetings and convention services from Successful Meetings magazine. There is also a large business center with printing, faxing, computer rentals, and plug-in high-speed Internet. The renovations also saw an updated Sheraton Club Lounge, which offers free continental breakfast, evening hors d'oeuvres and beverages . The new lounge is equipped with extra seating, a business center and 24-hour access to an espresso machine.

The hotel also has an underground parking garage, where guests can keep their cars for $42/day. Though a separate company runs the garage, guests have the option of adding parking to their hotel bill.

Unlike the nearby Hilton Times Square or the W Times Square, the Sheraton allows pets under 40 pounds at no extra fee. Central Park -- about the best place to walk a dog in Manhattan -- is only six short blocks away.

Besides a few stains on the carpet and worn furniture, and some gross lint and potato chip buildup in the air-conditioning vents, the rooms were pretty clean. Many reviewers on TripAdvisor also complain about stains, trash, and worn-out furniture in their rooms.

The nearby pool at the Sheraton Manhattan

Rooms are a bit bigger than average (particularly for Midtown West) at 250 square feet, and plenty of rooms with double beds are available (it helps to call and request these in advance). Cribs are free, and rollaways are available for a rather steep $35/night. There are several affordable, kid-friendly food options within blocks of the hotel, from Dunkin' Donuts to the famed Carnegie Deli.

In addition, guests of the Sheraton share access to the swimming pool across the street at the Sheraton Manhattan -- a major rarity in New York. Of course, the hotel is also within walking distance of Central Park, Broadway shows, Rockefeller Center, and much more.

Library Bar

Since my stay, the new breakfast and lunch buffet, Hudson Market, has opened. Not even the Sheraton has much to say about it, simply touting it as "American" on its website.

The Avenue restaurant was the only restaurant open during my stay -- the Hudson Market was being renovated. Though the restaurant comes with a great view of Seventh Avenue, the $16 sandwiches tasted like they could have been made at the deli around the corner (for about one-third the price). Unless there's a torrential downpour outside, it's well worth your time, money, and taste buds to take a two-minute walk to one of the area's countless restaurants.