The Premier Rating: 4.0 Pearls

Times Square, Manhattan, New York City

The Premier Lounge

The 125-room Premier is supposed to be the luxe, boutique annex of the huge and generic Millennium Broadway, which is next door. But not enough sets it apart from its sibling to justify the luxury price tag. At 425 square feet, the rooms are unusually large, with floor-to-ceiling windows and clean, minimalist design. They're also bright and quiet, which are rare features in densely packed Times Square, and free breakfast and evening hors d'oeuvres are available.

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Located on relatively quiet 44th Street, between Broadway and Sixth Avenue, the Premier is half a block away from the heart of Times Square. It's close, but not so close that guests can't get a decent night's rest. There are a handful of hotels on this block, including Hotel Mela, a boutique property.

The block actually feels like transitional corridor between tourist-focused Times Square and business-oriented Midtown West. At the Broadway end of the block, you'll find the flashing lights of the multilevel Virgil's BBQ and the gigantic Times Square Toys "R" Us; at the opposite end, on Sixth Avenue, are the sedate offices of the Wall Street Journal.

More subway lines converge in this area than anywhere else in the city, all of them no more than two blocks away from the hotel. The B, D, F, and M lines are at 42nd Street-Bryant Park, while the 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, and R lines are at Times Square-42nd Street.

Valet parking is available, and a public garage is directly across the street. For discounted parking rates, guests must park two long blocks west, on 8th Avenue, at the hotel's partner lot.

Bathroom at The Guest Room

At 425 square feet, the standard rooms at this hotel are very large for New York City, especially forTimes Square.

• 32-inch flat-screen TVs, and have premium cable and pay-per-view movies
• Pillow top mattresses with 440 thread count linens
• In-room safes
• Clock radios are also standard in all rooms
• There are no iPod docks, which has become almost standard among luxury hotels
• Coffeemakers are only available in suites, but may be requested in rooms
• Suites and Club Rooms have minibars, work desks, free Wi-Fi, and access to the club lounge
• The club lounge is open 24 hours, and hosts a continental breakfast and evening reception, which used to be open to all guests

Fitness Center is next door

The hotel doesn't have its own fitness center, so Premier guests have to use the gym at the Millennium Broadway next door. At least that 24-hour fitness center is big and clean, with a respectable amount of modern equipment, including nearly a dozen cardio machines with TV screens and views of midtown skyscrapers, a variety of strength machines, and a full set of shiny free weights. In-room spa services can be arranged through the concierge.

• Free evening reception and continental breakfast are only available to suite guests
• The hotel as Wi-Fi and hard-wired Internet available, but is also only free to higher-level guests
• The 24-hour business center is free to use, and includes a Mac and a PC. Printing services are also available
• 24-hour concierge desk

The only thing family-friendly about this hotel is that they have cribs and rollaway beds available, but come a nightly fee. The Millennium Broadway next door has rollaways and double-bed rooms. Restaurant Charlotte has a kids' menu, but it's only open for breakfast.

Restaurant Charlotte

The Premier doesn't have its own restaurant, and Restaurant Charlotte at the neighboring Millennium Broadway is only open for breakfast. There is also a Bar Charlotte that serves a lighter menu during the day, as well as cocktails.

The Premier Lounge is open 24-hours and offers a small menu of American bar food like buffalo wings and a few inventive cocktails.

Room service is available for breakfast and dinner only, but there is somewhere to grab a bite at every turn in Times Square.