Washington Jefferson Hotel

The hotel’s central location near Times Square and the Theater District attracts a diverse crowd, from business travelers to tourists, and even airline personnel. With no restaurant or central gathering point, guests tend to stick to themselves at this quiet hotel. The modest lobby has limited seating, but the decor is stylish, with attractive, on-trend modern furniture added to traditional decor, like mirrored walls with amber wood paneling, and an ornate, circular crystal chandelier. Guests help themselves to the free coffee and tea that's offered during the week, and to free daily copies of The New York Times. 

The hotel is located in a safe and relatively quiet area in Midtown West, on West 51 Street, between Eighth and Ninth avenues. Times Square, the Theater District, and Central Park are all within a 15-minute walk. Restaurants, shopping, and nightlife options are within a brief walk in any direction, and there's a subway station around the corner that makes connections throughout the city quick and easy. 

• Three-minute walk to 50th Street subway station (A, C, and E trains)
• Eight-minute walk to Times Square
• Nine-minute walk to Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall
• 11-minute walk to Columbus Circle and Central Park
• 12-minute walk to the Museum of Modern Art 
• 13 minutes to American Museum of Natural History via subway
• 15 minutes to Empire State Building via subway
• 23 minutes to Metropolitan Museum of Art via subway
• 32 minutes to Statue of Liberty ferry terminal via subway
• 32-minute drive to LaGuardia International Airport
• 40-minute drive to JFK International Airport

Guest rooms are tidy and pleasant, and contain some high-end amenities that raise the bar. Decor is contemporary and neat, with cream walls, white goose down comforters, and well-maintained espresso wood furniture. There are attractive writing desks with upholstered chairs, and small armoires to hang clothes, but storage space is at a premium. 

Standard amenities include flat-screen TVs, Frette linens, iPod docks, safes, and free Wi-Fi, but there aren't any kettles or mini-fridges. There's also AC, but they're window units, which can be a bit noisy. Bathrooms have attractive tile and traditional English-inspired fixtures, plus walk-in showers and small glass shelves that hold a generous sampling of luxe C.O. Bigelow bath products. 

The Petite Rooms with single twin beds are quite small -- about as big as a dorm room -- but still pleasant. Superior Kings and Junior Suites (Kings) include loveseats, and Superior Kings and Junior Suites have more spacious bathrooms with whirlpool jets as part of their shower/tub combos. The rooms are relatively quiet for central New York, but those facing the street tend to get more ambient noise.

There's no on-site restaurant or breakfast, but this hotel otherwise offers a solid lineup of amenities for a hotel in its category -- and throws in some nice extra perks. A small fitness center on the first floor has a treadmill and free weights, and there's free coffee and tea available in the lobby on weekday mornings. 

Concierge services include assistance with theater and sightseeing tickets, as well as valet dry cleaning and laundry. Free walking tours of the Theater District and Hell’s Kitchen are given every Thursday morning. Valet parking is available at reasonable rates, considering the hotel’s location. There's free Wi-Fi throughout, and free copies of The New York Times available daily in the lobby.