Westin Times Square: Kid Friendly in a Perfect Spot

HOTEL:  The Westin New York at Times Square

LOCATION:  New York City, at 43rd and 7th

DATE OF STAY:  April 3rd, 2010

Easter Weekend was a very special one for my husband and son and I!  We decided on a whim the week before that since the weather was going to be absolutely gorgeous in the Northeast, that it would be fun to hop the Metro-North train down to New York City on that Saturday and stay overnight.  This was our little guy’s first trip into the Big Apple, and we couldn’t have been more excited about sharing that experience with him.  He just turned four a few weeks ago, and we are enjoying this age so much!  He’s still little enough that he finds pleasure in the simplest of things, but he’s old enough that we can pretty much take him anywhere and not have to worry about him having a total meltdown.  I swear that I would freeze age four if it were possible!

We knew that we wanted to stay in the Times Square area because we figured that it was a good, central location and that we’d be able to walk everywhere with our son, and our stroller.  He is getting a bit big for it, but there was just no way in hell that we were going to attempt to chase our little Energizer Bunny all through the streets of the Big City!  We needed him strapped down for sure.

My husband found us a great last minute deal through www.hotels.com at the Westin New York at Times Square.  He was able to secure us a deluxe king room for only $179 plus tax! That is pretty much highway robbery in Manhattan!  Since they only had king rooms left, my husband sent an email directly to the hotel requesting a roll-away bed for our son.  He received an email back from the property within 24 hours noting our request and letting us know that a $35 charge would be added on to our bill for the extra bed.  I was impressed that they responded to our request so quickly, and that they made us aware that there would be an additional charge for the roll-away bed so that we were not blindsided when we checked in.  I don’t mind paying extra for amenities as long as I’m aware ahead of time that there are additional costs for them.

We hopped a late morning train into the city and arrived a little after 12 noon.  We exited Grand Central Station at the 43rd street entrance and made our way towards Times Square.  The hotel was about five blocks from the station and was a very easy stroll for us.  When we reached the Westin, we were pleasantly surprised by how tranquil the ambiance of the lobby was.  The decor was very swanky and subdued, and made us feel like we had found an oasis in the hustle and bustle of the city.  It definitely had a high-end look, yet with a laid-back feel, which is just our style!

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We went to the reception desk to check in, and were greeted by a very friendly lady who asked for the name on our reservation.  She then took one look at us and our little man strapped into our stroller, clicked around in the computer a couple times, and then informed us that she had gone ahead and upgraded us to a deluxe corner room because she thought it would be much more comfortable for us with our son.  She also told us that our room was not ready yet, but she asked for our cell phone number so that she could give us a call when housekeeping was finished making it up.  I could kick myself for not jotting her name down, because I’d love to make her manager aware of how wonderfully accommodating she was to us.  She is obviously someone who cares about her guests and wants to give them the most pleasant experience possible at the Westin.

We stored our luggage with the bell hop in the lower lobby level, and then went out and about in the city to begin our little family adventure!  We had a wonderful lunch together at Rosie O’Grady’s, and before our meals arrived, the Westin called to tell us that our room was available.  We told them that we would be out for a while and they told us not to worry and that they had set our room aside and it would be waiting for us when we came back.

After lunch, we hit all of the places that appeal most to a four year old, including FAO Schwartz, Central Park, and Toys R Us.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen my little guy quite as overwhelmed and excited as he was in those two mega-toy stores!  He seriously couldn’t even believe it!  We wound up walking around the city for a good three hours or so, and it was close to 5:00pm once we got back to the Westin.

My hubby and I decided to divide and conquer, so he went upstairs to get our room key, and I went to the bell hop station to retrieve our luggage.  We met back up in the main lobby and hopped on the elevator up to the 22nd floor.  Our room number was 2229, and we couldn’t have been more pleased with our accommodations.

Upon entering the room, we were shocked to find that we actually had a hallway leading into our room that was lined with windows with views of the city.

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There was also a large closet complete with a mini bar and coffee maker.  The bathroom was on the side of the hallway and had a large tub and shower combination.  We were thrilled to find that our room included the Westin Heavenly Shower, which has not one, but TWO shower heads!  There was also a nice stainless steel sink and a ledge that spanned the width of the back wall of the bathroom so that we had plenty of room to store our toiletries.  The shower is all part of the Westin Heavenly Bath, which is meant to leave you feeling invigorated.  The travel sized toiletries that were provided by the Westin had a spa-like aroma and made us feel so relaxed and calm.  In addition to the Heavenly Shower, our room also had the Westin Heavenly Bed. This bed was so comfortable that we actually found it quite hard to get out of it the next morning!  And when we got home on Sunday, my hubby even commented to me that he wished we had the Westin bed in our own home!

The corner deluxe room is definitely the way to go when staying at this hotel.  We had windows all the way around the room and had views of both the Empire State Building and the Hudson River. There was also plenty of room for that roll-away bed that we’d requested for our son.  Housekeeping brought it up to us within minutes of when we checked in, and they also included a pile of extra towels.  Once again, this was not something that we had requested, but they thought that it would make our stay more comfortable.

(I would also like to note that after reviewing the guest book located in our room, I found that the Westin also has other amenities available to families traveling with young children such as diapers, wipes, diaper genies, bottle warmers, and cribs.  Traveling with a baby can be pretty tough, and they strive to make things a bit easier)!

After having such a busy day out exploring the city, we decided that it would be best to just stay in our room that night, order room service for dinner, and to order a movie off pay-per view for our son and have ourselves a little pajama party in the room.  The room service menu had some great items for kids, which is ideal because our son is a very picky eater.  We selected a grilled cheese sandwich for him and ordered entrees for ourselves off of the prix fixe menu.  The prix fixe menu was $38 per person and included your choice of soup, salad, and any of their sandwiches.  The soup arrived hot and in large bowls, and the salads were big enough to be entrees by themselves! After eating those two items, I actually only made it through half of my grilled chicken panini!  For $38, this menu is a great value.

Since we travel a fair amount each year with our son, we’ve found that it’s the little things that make a place stick out as far as being kid-friendly goes.  And as insignificant as this might sound to someone who doesn’t have children, the presentation of our son’s grilled cheese entree was nothing short of genius as far as pleasing a four year old goes!

For those of you who have young children, you know that sometimes they absolutely freak out if any one food on their plate touches another food.  This plate was perfect because of the dividers between the food!!  And notice how the sandwich is cut into triangles?  Perfect for our picky little man!  The entree also came with fruit, fries, and a brownie…a great deal for $12!

There were quite a few kid and family oriented movies to choose from to order on the TV, and our son wound up choosing “Planet 51″, a cute cartoon about a man who blasts off in a spaceship to an alien planet.  Our little guy couldn’t have been happier eating his grilled cheese, drinking chocolate milk, and watching a movie in his pjs in a hotel in the Big City with his parents.  It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

And waking up in that Heavenly Bed the next morning was nothing short of exquisite!

**FINAL VERDICT**:  The Westin New York at Times Square is a Kid Friendly Oasis of a Hotel in the Big City.  It’s the perfect place to call home while staying in the Big Apple, and I’m giving it the 100% Spy Mom Approved rating!

I will return to the Westin time and time again and will choose to stay there above other New York City hotels for these reasons:

1.  They made an effort to accommodate my family and make us feel comfortable and at home at their property, and they did so without any special requests from us.  This shows that they value their guests and they know that traveling with children can be a challenge, and they go the extra mile to make the experience as hassle free and enjoyable as possible.

2.  The value for the quality of the property is absolutely incredible.  The Westin is luxurious, yet affordable at the same time.

3.  You just can’t beat the location.  The Westin is right in the heart of Times Square, and is within walking distance to the Theater District, Central Park, Rockefeller Center, and numerous other hot spots in New York.

Disclosure:  All of the opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own and were derived from the experience I had at the Westin New York at Times Square.  This review is not indicative of other Westin or Starwood properties, though I’m willing to bet that they are all pretty consistent.  I conducted this review on my own time with my own money and was not compensated for my opinions in any way by the Westin Times Square or by Starwood Hotels and Resorts.  If you have any questions about this property or any other Westin or Starwood property, please contact them directly.  If you have any other questions about this review, please feel free to contact me via email at thespymom(at)gmail(dot)com.