Pros

  • Great Midtown location by the Theater District and Times Square
  • Comfortable rooms, many with LCD TVs and updated bathrooms
  • On-site Italian restaurant and bar open for lunch and dinner
  • Free high-speed Wi-Fi
  • 24-hour computer center
  • Concierge service available
  • Luggage storage and laundry service available
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Cons

  • Decor is worn and maintenance could be improved
  • Some rooms are small, and lack views and natural light
  • Lacking features, such as breakfast service
  • No in-room coffee- and tea-making facilities
See More Cons

Bottom Line

For theater lovers or those seeking a central base, the lower-middle-range Mayfair Hotel is an excellent value for its Midtown location: one block from the subway and a short walk to Times Square, Central Park, and dining. Dressed in dated vintage decor, the Mayfair is past its prime, but some guests find its throwback look charming. Some of its 78 rooms are small, dark, and viewless, but many are peaceful, and higher-category rooms offer updated bathrooms, LCD TVs, desks, and pullout sofas. The Mayfair is low on features (no breakfast, gym, or in-room coffee- and tea-making facilities), but there is an on-site restaurant and bar. As an alternative, the Howard Johnson Manhattan Soho offers more up-to-date contemporary decor and a hip, downtown location for a similar price.

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Amenities

  • Cribs
  • Internet

Oyster Hotel Review

Mayfair Hotel

Scene

Pleasantly quaint, quirky and comfortable -- but in need of TLC

Housed inside an early 20th Century building, the Mayfair Hotel sits in quiet contrast to its commercial theater neighbor. Past the Mayfair’s period facade, its dimly lit, Old World interior feels like stepping back in time. Art Deco-era timber paneling wraps the lobby from wall to wall (reception desk included). Black-and-white historic portraits of celebrities like Fred Astaire and Sammy Davis Jr. line the lobby walls, and a grand piano sits at the rear of the room. Tartan Chesterfield loveseats and slipper chairs, faux flowers, and brass floor lamps populate the lobby, while tattered carpet and shabby wallpaper line the hallways. The dated (and in many places worn) decor points to the property's golden days -- which have clearly faded. What remains, however, is a quirky throwback look that some guest find charming and others less so. The on-site restaurant and bar, Cielo, marks a saloon-meets-sports-bar departure from the rest of the hotel, with its rustic timber interior, and multiple flat screen TVs.

See More Scene

Location

In Midtown West, walking distance to Times Square and hit Broadway shows

The Mayfair is very centrally located right on the fringes of the Theater District in Midtown West, by some of the city's most iconic Broadway shows. The Eugene O’Neill Theater is right next door, and the Ambassador Theater is half a block away. Midtown landmarks that can be reached on foot include the Empire State Building (20 minutes), Central Park (15 minutes), the Museum of Modern Art (10 Minutes), and Rockefeller Center (seven minutes). Just three blocks south, or a five-minute walk, is West 46th Street, aka Restaurant Row, which is lined with eateries and bars, though many locals prefer dining in the bustling Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, a seven-minute walk away. To reach sights farther afield, guests can use the abundant public transportation. Two subway stops are located one block away in either direction offering the A, C and E trains and the N, Q and R trains, respectively. Port Authority Bus Terminal is 10 minutes on foot, and it's around a 25-minute walk or seven minutes in a cab to Penn Station. John F. Kennedy International Airport is a 45-minute drive away, and LaGuardia Airport is 30 minutes by car, without traffic. 

See More Location

Rooms

Comfortable, clean, decked out in vintage decor, and with surprisingly attractive bathrooms

The Mayfair’s Old-World tone continues into the guest rooms, where the excessive use of toile (in wallpaper, pillows, lamp shades, curtains, andlounge chairs) can feel either quirky-cute or overwhelming. But crisp white bedding breaks up the uniform look. Room layouts range from Single through Deluxe King Rooms, which offer pullout sofas. Lower-category rooms are on the small side, with barely enough room to store luggage. Deluxe Rooms offer desks and updated bathrooms (some of them marble). And throughout bathrooms are a highlight with checkered floors, free toiletries, and pedestal sinks sporting Art Deco fixtures (in most). Rooms at the rear are peaceful, apart from the coo of nesting pigeons, which can be heard from outside. But you’ll only get sunlight on the (noisier) street side of the building, where pulling back the drawn curtains reveals lovely views of the neo-Gothic chapel across the road -- albeit through dirty windows. All rooms are equipped with LCD TVs (except Singles with tube TVs), digital alarm clocks, irons and ironing boards, air-conditioning units, and safes. However coffee- and tea-making facilities are provided. Wi-Fi is available in-room for free. 

See More Rooms

Features

Italian restaurant with bar and 24-hour computer center

The Mayfair is low on amenities, aside from its 24-hour computer center and in-house restaurant and bar, Cielo Ristorante Italiano, which springs to life in the evenings with the pre- and post-show theater crowd and intermission drinks. (Guests can order drinks ahead of time.) Cielo isn’t open for breakfast, but lunch through dinner it serves up classic home-style Italian fare, such as antipasti, pasta, pizza, and cocktails from the bar -- convenient for a quick snack, dinner, or nightcap. The Mayfair offers free Wi-Fi throughout. Additional features include car service, laundry and ironing, concierge service, and luggage storage. 

See More Features

Oyster Hotel Review

Mayfair Hotel

Scene

Pleasantly quaint, quirky and comfortable -- but in need of TLC

Housed inside an early 20th Century building, the Mayfair Hotel sits in quiet contrast to its commercial theater neighbor. Past the Mayfair’s period facade, its dimly lit, Old World interior feels like stepping back in time. Art Deco-era timber paneling wraps the lobby from wall to wall (reception desk included). Black-and-white historic portraits of celebrities like Fred Astaire and Sammy Davis Jr. line the lobby walls, and a grand piano sits at the rear of the room. Tartan Chesterfield loveseats and slipper chairs, faux flowers, and brass floor lamps populate the lobby, while tattered carpet and shabby wallpaper line the hallways. The dated (and in many places worn) decor points to the property's golden days -- which have clearly faded. What remains, however, is a quirky throwback look that some guest find charming and others less so. The on-site restaurant and bar, Cielo, marks a saloon-meets-sports-bar departure from the rest of the hotel, with its rustic timber interior, and multiple flat screen TVs.

See More Scene

Location

In Midtown West, walking distance to Times Square and hit Broadway shows

The Mayfair is very centrally located right on the fringes of the Theater District in Midtown West, by some of the city's most iconic Broadway shows. The Eugene O’Neill Theater is right next door, and the Ambassador Theater is half a block away. Midtown landmarks that can be reached on foot include the Empire State Building (20 minutes), Central Park (15 minutes), the Museum of Modern Art (10 Minutes), and Rockefeller Center (seven minutes). Just three blocks south, or a five-minute walk, is West 46th Street, aka Restaurant Row, which is lined with eateries and bars, though many locals prefer dining in the bustling Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, a seven-minute walk away. To reach sights farther afield, guests can use the abundant public transportation. Two subway stops are located one block away in either direction offering the A, C and E trains and the N, Q and R trains, respectively. Port Authority Bus Terminal is 10 minutes on foot, and it's around a 25-minute walk or seven minutes in a cab to Penn Station. John F. Kennedy International Airport is a 45-minute drive away, and LaGuardia Airport is 30 minutes by car, without traffic. 

See More Location

Rooms

Comfortable, clean, decked out in vintage decor, and with surprisingly attractive bathrooms

The Mayfair’s Old-World tone continues into the guest rooms, where the excessive use of toile (in wallpaper, pillows, lamp shades, curtains, andlounge chairs) can feel either quirky-cute or overwhelming. But crisp white bedding breaks up the uniform look. Room layouts range from Single through Deluxe King Rooms, which offer pullout sofas. Lower-category rooms are on the small side, with barely enough room to store luggage. Deluxe Rooms offer desks and updated bathrooms (some of them marble). And throughout bathrooms are a highlight with checkered floors, free toiletries, and pedestal sinks sporting Art Deco fixtures (in most). Rooms at the rear are peaceful, apart from the coo of nesting pigeons, which can be heard from outside. But you’ll only get sunlight on the (noisier) street side of the building, where pulling back the drawn curtains reveals lovely views of the neo-Gothic chapel across the road -- albeit through dirty windows. All rooms are equipped with LCD TVs (except Singles with tube TVs), digital alarm clocks, irons and ironing boards, air-conditioning units, and safes. However coffee- and tea-making facilities are provided. Wi-Fi is available in-room for free. 

See More Rooms

Features

Italian restaurant with bar and 24-hour computer center

The Mayfair is low on amenities, aside from its 24-hour computer center and in-house restaurant and bar, Cielo Ristorante Italiano, which springs to life in the evenings with the pre- and post-show theater crowd and intermission drinks. (Guests can order drinks ahead of time.) Cielo isn’t open for breakfast, but lunch through dinner it serves up classic home-style Italian fare, such as antipasti, pasta, pizza, and cocktails from the bar -- convenient for a quick snack, dinner, or nightcap. The Mayfair offers free Wi-Fi throughout. Additional features include car service, laundry and ironing, concierge service, and luggage storage. 

See More Features

Best Rates

Amenities

  • Balcony / Terrace / Patio

  • Business Center

  • Cabanas

  • Cable

  • Concierge

  • Cribs

  • Dry Cleaning

  • Internet

  • Kids Allowed

  • Laundry

  • Meeting / Conference Rooms

  • Poolside Drink Service

Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.