Midtown Convention Center Hotel

To be clear, this is an exceedingly basic hotel with zero scene to speak of. With that said, the new owners (the space was formerly a Best Western) have squeezed a tiny bit of flair into the lobby and cafeteria -- they could've gotten away with considerably fewer design touches, considering the hotel's primary function as a conventioneer crash pad. The lobby, which is nine steps below street level, features purplish-gray wallpaper with faux gold-leaf, a dark gray velvet couch with accompanying coffee table and four faux-leather ottomans, and a flat-screen TV. The two-room breakfast area has a six-seat high-top bar, oxblood banquette, red speckled pendant lights, and eye-catching black-and-white flooring. These decor decisions are where the hotel's style begin and end. But for the business and leisure travelers who prize the hotel's far Midtown West location, the limited style is no deal-breaker.

Between 10th and 11th Avenue on 38th Street, Magnuson Convention Center Hotel is located on a far-from-picturesque block that's home to a 24-hour taxi repair center, the facility where Central Park horses are washed, and the block-wide, Big Bird-yellow Gotham Mini Storage. It's a no-man's-land, for sure, but the area is slowly getting more amenities, like eating options, delis, and drugstores. The main reason to stay here is for proximity to Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, a seven-minute walk away. Plus, the hotel is just a short walk to the restaurants and bars of Hell's Kitchen (along 9th Avenue), and about a 20-minute walk to Times Square. The 8th Avenue A/C/E/ subway trains (at Penn Station 34th St.) are about a 15-minute walk from the hotel. Some travelers will appreciate Magnuson's proximity to Hudson River attractions, such as the Intrepid Museum, The BEAST Speedboat Ride, and Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises.

Rooms are plain, but provide the necessary comforts: three-drawer dressers, full-length mirrors, closet cabinets with a safe and ironing equipment, alarm clocks, phones, ice buckets, desks, tablet-arm chairs, and personal temperature controls. Behind the beds (which have memory-foam mattresses) are dark green-blue accent walls.Bathrooms that are past their prime come with shower/tub combos with grab bars, wall-mounted travel hairdryers, and lots of towels. Two mini Vaseline body lotions, Aromae Botanicals bars of soap, and makeup-removing wipes are replenished daily. Reports of faulty plumbing are not uncommon.

The Magnuson Convention Center Hotel scores low on the feature-o-meter, but nearly all of its guests are impressed with the reliability of its building-wide Wi-Fi and solid breakfast offerings. The dining room has a flat-screen TV, ice dispenser, ATM, and vending machines, and the lobby has a computer and printer station for guest use. Pets are not allowed.