I called the hotel to see if I was hip enough to stay there after a bit of time on their website where I definitely felt out of the demographic pictured.  I didn’t quite ask that exact question but did ask “what is the mix of guest ages?”  The New York City hotel has a popular rooftop club and is a darling in the lifestyle hotel category for those who like to take selfies (there’s a selfie station in the lobby).  The friendly staff member on the other line laughed and said “it’s for everyone”.  I pushed further and he probably thought I was crazy – he sounded nice, a bit older like me (in his 40’s) so I decided to take a chance.  This was my first stay at a Moxy Hotel and the Moxy NYC Times Square Hotel, a stylish (almost boutique like) hotel from Marriott Hotels.  Having been Starwood loyal for my entire travel life, the recent merger has expanded my hotel choice and I was trying something new and with my points redemption, the Moxy Hotel Midtown Manhattan was it.

The Moxy Hotel Brand

The hotel space continues to blur the lines between boutique hotel, luxury, budget and affordable and The Moxy seems to straddle all of it. Marriott lifestyle brand is The Moxy, which it classifies as affordable luxury with a sense of play and design for what its guest’s value most.  You won’t find a coffee maker in the room or other space hogs (i.e. – desk, cabinets, closet, large furniture, etc.), the room has everything you need. If you fancy a foosball game, just go to the lounge on the 2^nd floor where you can also meet friends for cocktails or coffee chats.  It’s a hotel designed for you to stay, play and experience.  Each touch point is an experience for your senses.  At any age, we all like something new and fun.  I will concede that being solo didn’t make me brave enough to venture up to the rooftop bar when the comfy bed was calling instead.

NYC Location #AtTheMoxy

Located just two blocks from Penn Station, the Moxy Hotel NYC is in a great location to walk to/from much of midtown.  If you want to use the subway just go back to Penn Station for a plethora of options including the LIRR (Long Island Railroad) for easy to/from JFK Airport. The hotel address is 485  7^th Avenue (36^th & 7th Avenue), it is an easy walk on 7^th Avenue to Times Square at 43^rd Street.  While the Hotel chooses to have Times Square in its name, it’s actually about a 7-10 minute walk from 36th to 43rd (remember numbered streets are shorter distances vs. the never ending distance between the avenues).

Marriott Elite Arrival at The Moxy NYC

When I arrived at the hotel (entrance on 36^th Street), the expansive lobby ceiling art is the first thing I noticed along with the second floor loft lobby area that looks down below.  There were six staff attending their desks for a quick check in.  I was welcomed as an Elite member of the Marriott program and given an upgraded room from the double (lowest category) to the Queen room.  The rooms are snug to begin with so this was a welcomed upgrade.  I was provided a token (given to all guests as applicable) for a free glass of sparkling wine (or snack) at the second floor bar and given my room keys for the 8^th floor.  With a rooftop bar and second floor bar, I wanted a quiet option. If this is important to you as well – make it known in the reservation and when you check in.

The Moxy NYC Elevators

On the Marriott site, I had read a bit of grumbling about the elevators being odd and corralling all the folks into one car but when I arrived and learned more, I was really impressed by the elevators. There are four elevator banks (serving 612 rooms) and two video screens on either side.  You choose your destination – second floor restaurants/bar/living room, downstairs gyms, guestrooms, etc.  If you are going to your room or secure floor, you will waive your key card on the monitor and are the directed to an elevator number.

The second floor is open so no key card is needed (there are also stairs if you prefer).  When the elevator arrives, it has the floor numbers listed on the panel and you enter with no key to swipe, no buttons to press, the elevator has the directions and everyone on is off to their destination.  As I was on the 8^th floor, the elevators from my guest room floor were quick to arrive during my three day stay.  Overall, I liked the smart elevator technology.

The Moxy NYC Queen Room

Walking off the elevator and around a few turns, I found my room – it had an odd looking door with a frosted window. When I opened the door, it was just as I imagined from the photos online (a rare occasion that the online experience is the same as in person).  My bed was against the window (one way in) with the sink outside the bathroom. The vanity had multiple mirrors and shelves for your stuff.

The wall was filled with hooks/pegs (I really loved this) which held a foldable table and chairs to utilize the space. There is no closet in the room but the pegs/hooks more than enough made up for this (you’ll be surprised at how much you hang up on the pegs vs. throwing balled up clothes in your suitcase).

As I walked toward the bed, I saw the beanbag chair in the corner.  At the bed, I pulled out the lower drawer to reveal a safe.  Next to that was a compartment for your luggage or bags.    Opposite the bed was a flat screen television that would be lovely if I wanted to stay in bed all day with movies (free Wi-Fi means you can stream from your devices).  If you want to pull the shades down you needed to climb on the bed (a bit annoying but it was only me).

The only negative in the room was the loud air conditioner along the windows which seemed to go off every ten minutes to cool the room (it was an unusually hot, humid, sticky end of September).  If you are a light sleeper, you may want to use the ear plugs that are bedside (remember there’s a rooftop club that is open until 2 am during the week and 4 am on the weekends) or press the phone button for a night time story to help you prepare to sleep.

The 200 sq. ft. room felt perfect for one person and might be snug for two given that there is only one entrance to climb into the bed. Also if you are very tall, the configuration I had might not work for you as your feet might touch the television/wall so if that is a problem, tell the front desk staff.

The Moxy NYC Bathroom

The bathroom was subway tiled and a nice size with the walk in shower.  The water pressure was good and the toiletries by muk. (an Australian brand) were environmentally friendly and smelled great – sadly I wasn’t able to bring them home with me.

Other Moxy NYC Room Types

Other NYC Moxy room types include bunk beds, beds against each other and even a twin room for one person (you need to order that “crash pad” from the rooftop club bartender). If traveling in a group, with small kids or other configuration, there seems to be a room option for you at The Moxy NYC Times Square. If staying longer than 2-3 nights, definitely look to upgrade to larger room type.

The Moxy NYC Restaurant – Legasea

While I had a fancy opening party to attend for the conference, I know better than to go hungry so settled into the hotel restaurant Legasea Seafood Brasserie, owned by TAO Group, for a burger and fries.  The restaurant, which is gorgeously designed,  focuses on seafood but it also has comfort foods and appetizers served in the restaurant, at the bar and lounge area.

It was early (5pm) so the restaurant was empty whereas the Moxy bar area and living room lounge were crowded.  Despite ordering a sandwich, I was given fresh bread so of course, I would eat it immediately…..it was bread with sea salt on top – carbs and gluten be damned! Then my freshly made in house burger arrived with a cascading side of fries.  While I intended to save room for the recommended sea salted caramel chocolate cake (just typing that is causing a craving), it was not that day – I was happily full of burger, fries and a glass of wine.

Amenities  & Fun at The Moxy NYC

The lobby has a barber shop (the Blind Barber at Moxy) and access to the Egghead quick stop restaurant on 7^th Avenue (they do breakfast sandwich delivery to the room).

There is a basement gym, rooftop bar/club at Magic Hour (hotel guests get priority in the line) and mini golf (more for Insta photos).  None of which I was able to visit or experience given my schedule.  I was tempted by the foosball table and lobby games though!

Overall Impression – The Moxy NYC Hotel

My first Moxy NYC Hotel experience was quite surprising in a good way.  For such a long time, I had avoided Marriott hotels because they were bland and boring vs. the boutique hotels I’ve fallen in love with around the world but the Moxy NYC Times Square is quite the opposite of a Marriott.  It is an affordable design hotel with hints of boutique hotel.  With over 612 rooms with interesting room layouts, I can’t quite call this a boutique hotel but it does really deliver that boutique experience for guests of all ages which is quite the feat.

This is New York, so while you know the room will be smaller than most, it’s the service that will make or break your stay. At The Moxy NYC Times Square you get friendly staff that deliver a surprisingly high touch experience with a sense of fun – the lobby says it all – it’s a bit cheeky, has a selfie station, atrium art and games to play. Maybe that’s the biggest surprise at The Moxy NYC Times Square – it’s more than about a place to rest your head, its a reminder that you are never too old to have fun, laugh and smile.

 

Marriott Award Stay at The Moxy NYC Times Square

My trip to NYC was booked two days prior to arrival (for a conference) and since the city was hosting the United National General Assembly (traffic nightmare) it meant that most hotels, even budget ones, were selling for over $500 per night.  I was able to redeem 35,000 per night for my stay at the Moxy NYC so that was a great deal.  I booked my award reservation direct via the hotel app.