Interested in your thoughts on the best value for a hotel near the theater district. My budget is in the $250-$300 range. Appreciate any info on rooms, amenities and location.

Michelangelo or Rhiga Royal.

Michelangelo, Sofitel, Muse, Chambers.

If you click "hotels" above, then "New York", then "customize these results", then select midtown west & a price range you'll get all the hotels with reviews & scores. I'd pick something with a score of 4 or better (out of 5). Everybody loves the Michelangelo.

Check for best prices on quikbook.com, hotres.com, travelzoo.com. Then check the hotel's own site.

Thanks for your responses. I'll check them out. I heard go things about the Benjamin (which is a little outside the 5-block range). Any comments about it?

We love the Doubltree Suites at 47th St and 7th Ave--it's beautiful and elegant, and a suite always feels special to us.

Here's a link to mostly rave reviews of the Benjamin. It goes on for at least 3 pages. Interestingly, one reviewer stayed at both the Benjamin & Michelangelo & liked the Michelangelo better.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR..._New_York.html

We also found the Doubletree Guest Suites to fit our bill on two different occasions...but I do not find it beautiful and elegant, rather good location and just right price for three or four people in one suite.

Hi!
We stayed at the Muse last summer and found it to be a wonderful hotel, very close to everything- especially Times Square and the theatre district- yet it was quiet and felt out of the way. I emailed their manager directly from their website and asked for a price that was considerably under what I saw on Expedia, etc (we couldn't afford over 200 a night) and he counter- offered what was a nice compromise. He also upgraded us to a suite since we were celebrating our wedding anniversary and son's bday. I think it was $170 or so a night. Now we went in July, which I am sure not a prime time, but we had a wonderful stay there. The staff was gracious and very helpful, the room was gorgeous and the bed and Philosophie bath products made you want to stay in the room! Good luck and I hope this helps.

Wow, I'm amazed at that review of The Muse. We stayed there just after it opened with an "opening special" of something like $250 a night. Our room was the size of a postage stamp and the bath was smaller. We couldn't hang a garment back in the mini-closet, thanks to the ironing board that filled it. There was no place to set out toothpaste and shaving stuff in the bath, the mini sink was filled with the "special" bath products. When you lowered the window shades it cut off the heat which was behind them. When you lowered those shades the room was pitch dark, but if you didn't lower them, the people in the building 20 feet away could see right into the room.
You couldn't see the TV from the only chair in the room, you had to sit or lie on the bed, which could only be gotten into from one side, the other side was against the wall. And my favorite thing of all -- the huge "fancy" collage or picture on the wall was permanently screwed to the wall -- upside down!!! On the other hand the doormen and desk clerks had really cool designer fashions and the doormen also wore headset, hand-free speaker phones. I felt The Muse is the type of place that gives "boutique hotel" a bad name.
Be glad you were upgraded, KandKmom.

k9, keep in mind the theater district covers a very large area so the 5 blocks is relative.

Check www.biddingfortravel.com and bid on Time Square area on Priceline.

Thanks all for your comments, particularly the one comparing the Bnjamn w/Mchlngelo.

I have look at all the review, and I think one post here points out the problem with that: One person gives raves for a particular hotel, while another says he'd rather stay in a prison. I guess I'll just go with the one that got the most raves -- Michelangelo.
Thanks again.