Tempo by Hilton squeezes wellness and calm into a chaotic corner of Times Square

According to the Hilton website, the company has around 68 hotels in New York City. As per Google, there are around 700 hotels in New York City (from 2021 – that number would have increased by then).

Based on those numbers, just under 10% of the hotels in New York City are branded under Hilton. Not only does that mean high-status Hilton Honors members can live exceptionally well in the Big Apple, but it also means you’ve got plenty of scope for Hilton’s many sub-brands. 

Whether that’s historic luxury like Conrad New York Downtown and the imposing Walford Astoria, or more approachable properties like the popular New York Hilton Midtown, the range is remarkable. 

Personally, I love the “sense of place” offered by “collection hotels” so I tend towards the Curio Collection hotels (the Martinique is fantastic) or Tapestry Collection. I think you can get so much more out of a city when you’re staying in a property that tells its stories well. But there’s so much surprising diversity sitting under the Hilton umbrella that all types of sensibilities and design preferences are catered for. 

Then you’ve got brands that I’ve not even heard of before. Motto by Hilton is one that I’m yet to go hands-on with. The other is even newer: Tempo by Hilton.

Tempo by Hilton Times Square is a fresh-faced addition to Hilton’s rich New York stock. Standing directly opposite Marriott’s swanky Times Square EDITION, this Midtown hotel is not even a minute’s walk from Duffy Square’s iconic red stairs.

But there’s so much more than location posturing Tempo by Hilton as one of the company’s most valuable to date, offering a great balance between affordability (for New York), contemporary design, comfort and location.

Location

The action-packed location offers the best of Times Square, which means direct access to the Theatre District, walking distance to Midtown’s heritage charms, and close proximity to the most well-connected Subway station in Manhattan. As with most hotels in Times Square, the value, especially for first-timers, of this location cannot be overstated. And while the tourist attraction runs dry fairly fast, the convenience is unmatched. Plus, it’s just nice being so close to the action, so you can choose privacy or chaos anytime you want.

Need more of a mental map? Central Park is a breezy 15-minute walk uptown, Rockefeller Centre is but five minutes away, and it won’t take you very long to walk through Hell’s Kitchen straight to the impressive (and underrated) Hudson River Park with its cleverly converted piers and endless options for team sports. This is the best of New York City.

Design

If Hilton’s signature brand is focused on business, Tempo by Hilton leans more towards the lifestyle side of things with a strong focus on the needs of modern leisure travellers such as highly considered wellness features and a clean, polished look that’s more minimal than monumental. Calm is the key to Tempo by Hilton’s design, and it’s seemingly informed everything about the property.

Similar to Hilton Times Square, this hotel’s first impression is sky-high. That is, you check in on the 11th-floor floor sky-lobby, designed beautifully with massive floor-to-ceiling windows bringing life into the building. A clever use of space shoots from the understated reception area through to numerous spaces. Most notably it leads to Highball, the restaurant and cocktail lounge that’s most useful when the doors are flung open to reveal a long, narrow outdoor terrace – the biggest in Times Square.

Modern design standards like terrazzo flooring and smart use of brass pepper the public spaces with that warm, welcoming palette that’s essential to the guest experience. Yes, the effect is intangible, but the psychological disconnect between the garishness of Times Square and the wonderfully relaxed pace of this hotel is significant.

Designers Wimberly Interiors moves away from New York’s usual demand for dramatic spaces and edges towards calm. That’s a smart move, especially since the hotel has such an admirable concept for its guest experience, hinged on the idea of “power up, power down.”

Rooms

The hotel has 661 rooms and 11 room categories, ranging from affordable entry-level rooms with around 21 square metres of living space to a penthouse suite and 31 “ball drop” rooms ideal for New York City’s famous New Year’s Eve celebrations. The latter category, as per the name, looks out exactly where the ball comes crashing down as one year peels into the next.

I unfortunately didn’t have time for a hotel tour during my stay, but reportedly the Presidential Suite is getting plenty of traction with the luxury set, while the premium rooms on the top three floors have extra design elements inspired by music and entertainment.

My King Bed Corner Guestroom is a generously sized 31 square metres with a large king bed facing two sets of floor-to-ceiling windows. Corner rooms are always my favourite as they afford a bit more living space, and this is the perfect size for two people.

The neutral colour palette is to be expected given the lobby’s muted tones, brightened by natural materials and wood flooring. Having a quiet design is, of course, completely contrasted with the bombast of Times Square which is pulled quite aggressively into the room as soon as the automatic curtains are peeled back. Coming back to this view at night is always such a magical way to end the day, planting you right in the centre of one of the USA’s most iconic urban sights.

I’ve only really stayed at older Hilton properties in New York before so expect old-school bathrooms with the tub-shower combo. It’s different here. This is considered a space with a large glassed-in shower enhanced by Brooklyn-based Apotheke amenities.

Most notable is the large circular mirror that has a controllable halo light to help with any glow-up. Strangely enough, it also has an integrated Bluetooth speaker that’s easy to connect so you can listen to some music while getting ready. That said, the speaker is physically limited and the sound is quite thin with barely any low-end. It’s still loud enough so is great for Podcasts.

It’s worth mentioning the hotel’s central guest experience concept: “power up, power down” as this informs much of the features throughout the hotel, especially the lighting. Guests can “power down” when it comes to bedtime with quality features like wireless phone chargers (encouraging screen-free time as the phone would need to stay on the pad), black-out curtains, room lighting that’s easy to control with a “relax” feature instantly switching to an ambient, sleep-friendly glow, and no in-room digital clocks.

The “power up” part comes for the focus on wellness and in-room exercise. A partnership with Peloton means that guests can opt to have an e-bike in their room for a workout enhanced by Times Square’s inescapable glow.

Food & Drink

Highball is the hotel’s stylish 11th-floor bar, ideal for a nightcap right before you saunter up to your room. The kitchen, however, is less visually appealing and relies mostly on the stunning open-air terrace. Lunch and dinner lean towards classic American fare but there are some light, clean options like salmon with udon noodles. The food here is casual and nothing overly impressive, but the reasonable prices and variety of options should be welcome to guests who aren’t keen on big, lavish meals every night they’re in New York City.

Amenities

Between a well-stocked 24-hour gym and the option to have a peloton in your room, Tempo by Hilton’s strong focus on wellness is admirable even without a spa or pool. Coupled with considered lighting and subtle ways of encouraging less screen time, there’s a sense that Hilton has put considerable time and effort into thinking about how to bring more modern wellness trends into the hotel so guests have that option.

If you opt for a “power up” room during your stay, you’ll get that peloton bike along with a yoga mat and hand weights.

Wellness features have become increasingly important for modern hotels when we start to think about the psychology of the guest experience. Short of having direct access to nature (although Central Park is just a 15-minute walk away – as is Bryant Park), the hotel does a fine job of having that framework of mental clarity. Again, the effect is even more pronounced because of that contrast with Times Square.

Service

Service is good but pre-occupied. This hotel has over 600 rooms, mind you, so the reception area will almost always be busy. Considering, staff are exceedingly polite and willing to help with directions or suggestions when needed. But that’s about the extent of my interaction with staff during my quick two-night stay.

Value

You’re looking at around US$319 per night, although I’ve seen rates as low as US$279 on the website. That’s a very reasonable price for a brand new four-star like this, especially one that’s smack bang in the action of Times Square. Again, the convenience is not necessarily because of Times Square itself, but because you’ve also got direct access to the well-connected 42nd Street terminal Subway station (tip: catch a train out to my favourite neighbourhood in Queens, Jackson Heights and work your way through the food carts) and the rest of Midtown including Central Park and Rockefeller Centre.

That price is going to jump around based on the season, but with such a strong focus on providing value, Tempo by Hilton could be the company’s best Manhattan hotel to date. And with the sheer amount of Hilton properties in town, that’s saying a lot.

FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)