The Premier — Hotel Review Rating: 4.0 Pearls

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Oyster Hotel Review

Reporter: Janine Y.
Updated: September 8, 2009

 Scene

The 124-room Premier is supposed to be the luxe, boutique annex of the huge and generic Millennium Broadway, which is next door. But these days 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.

But several other distinguishing features have disappeared. Free breakfast and evening hors d'oeuvres, for example, were once served in the hotel's lounge, now an empty room without a reason for being -- it doesn't even have free Wi-Fi. And unique features such as the women-only floor have been discontinued, even though the promotion is still featured on the hotel's website. (In fact, the site is misleading on several fronts, from its list of complimentary services to its dining page, which features a restaurant that has been closed for months.)

If you're willing to be 12 short blocks removed from Times Square, the London NYC, a similarly priced luxury hotel with a boutique feel and large suites, is well worth a look.

 Service

Basic services -- check-in, concierge advice, calling a cab -- were delivered politely and competently. But for a hotel that's supposed to be the luxe arm of a large chain, service here was otherwise wildly, and disappointingly, inconsistent.

A room-service order arrived in a reasonable 15 minutes. But a toothbrush took an hour. And when I asked for help with the TV that wasn't working, no one came at all. I asked again an hour later, and an engineer responded within 15 minutes. And numerous services that were described on the hotel's website -- from the hotel concierge calling pre-stay to offer special services to nightly turndown -- failed to materialize.

 Location

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 V lines are at 42nd Street-Bryant Park, while the 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R, S, and W 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.

 Rooms

At 425 square feet, the standard rooms at this hotel are very large for New York City, especially for Times Square. And although it's been six years since the hotel's last renovation, the rooms remain in great condition.

The decor is less impressive. Ample light streaming in from floor-to-ceiling windows bounces off the blond wood paneling and frosted glass table surfaces. The hotel calls it a "muted color palette;" I'd say "bland" is a bit more like it. The overall look and feel is pretty inoffensive, even mildly agreeable -- but hardly what you'd expect from rooms in this price range.

The huge bathroom admittedly goes a long way toward dispelling that disappointment. The vanity seating area, soaking tub, and separate shower are nice treats. Bath products, including a loofah and bath salts (remnants, perhaps, from the women-only concept) are from LATHER.

Most rooms come with a queen-size bed. The mattresses are firm yet comfortable. It wasn't, however, a Sealy pillow-top mattress, as advertised on the hotel's website.

The 32-inch flat-screen TV offers 44 channels, including HBO. Pay-per-view movies are also available. There's free hard-wired Internet, though the connection was sporadic during my stay. Other amenities include a settee with a throw, a coffeemaker with complimentary Kobrick's coffee packets, a generous selection of Bigelow teas, three telephones, and a Panasonic CD player and clock radio. There was no iPod dock though, which has become almost standard among luxury hotels.

The minibar contains an array of refreshments including Vitamin Water, Belvedere vodka, and cranberry juice. I can't comment on the prices, because I couldn't find a price list.

 Features

Before budgets were cut, this hotel offered a lot of great features, including a complimentary breakfast buffet and evening hors d'oeuvres. Now the lounge where they were once served is just a sitting area -- no food or drink service, and no Wi-Fi either (although a free business center with one Mac, one PC, and one printer is just around the corner).

The hotel doesn't have its own fitness center, so Premier guests have to slum it at 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.

 Family

The only thing family-friendly about this hotel is that they have complimentary cribs. The Millennium Broadway next door has rollaways and double-bed rooms. Restaurant Charlotte has a kids' menu, but it's temporarily closed.

 Cleanliness

The impression of cleanliness you get has a lot to do with the adjacent Millennium Broadway. While the Premier is clean on its own merits, it looks absolutely sparkling next to the faded carpet and dated furniture of its sister property. The modern lobby has gleaming tiles, blonde wood paneling, and soft white lighting. Besides being in good condition, the fixtures are of a minimalist design that never fails to convey a sense of order and tidiness.

Perhaps to prove just how clean they keep their furnishings, the duvet on the guest room bed doesn't have a cover. It was powder white and stain-free.

I did spot some signs of wear in the bathroom, like the scratched glass counter. The shower tiles have unsightly caulking, which aren't a big deal except that they look like soap suds stuck in the shower crevices.

 Food

The Premier doesn't have its own restaurant, and Restaurant Charlotte at the neighboring Millennium Broadway is temporarily closed for lunch and dinner, with no plan to reopen anytime soon. Breakfast is still served at the restaurant between 7 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. A continental breakfast costs $19, and it includes a choice of juices, coffee, tea, croissants, fresh fruit, pastries, yogurt, Danishes, and bagels.

While the main restaurant remains closed, the lounge is open from noon until 11 p.m. offering a small menu of American bar food like buffalo wings ($13) and a few inventive cocktails, including the Broadway Honey ($15), a mix of Wild Turkey American Honey, pear liqueur, pear nectar, and apple juice.

Room service is available for breakfast only. Take note of the 18% gratuity and $3 delivery charge added to each order. While it's not an uncommon practice for NYC hotels, it's still jarring to pay $11.50 for a fruit smoothie.

For dining options on the block, there's a great French bistro across the street at the Hotel Mela. Nearby Virgil's serves Southern barbecue, and next-door Trattoria Dopo Teatro has decent Italian fare. Ask for a table in the downstairs garden.

For a great meal under $10, head to the Kwik Meal No. 1 food truck on the corner of 44th Street and Sixth Avenue, just a half-block away. Not too many lamb-pita carts can boast rave reviews from Gourmet magazine; this one is.

 Bottom Line

This upscale annex of the massive and generic Millennium Broadway hotel next door offers 124 large, quiet, and clean rooms and proximity to Times Square -- but not much else. One-time perks like free breakfast and a women-only floor have been discontinued, and the gym is shared with Millennium guests. All things considered, the Premier's prices are too high for what you get.