Hotel 414

The hotel is situated a little off the beaten track on West 46th Street between 9th and 10th avenues. The area may not hold a huge amount of interest however it is very quiet and you can be in Times Square or Central Park in 15 minutes by foot and the Port Authority bus station and subway is less than a 10-minute walk away. Just one street over is the famous Restaurant Row which has all manner of food, although if you are looking for haute cuisine, then you might want to search elsewhere. JFK is 17 miles away, La Guardia 10 miles and Newark 16.

Opened in 1999, the 414 is a privately-owned property. For those of you who are planning on staying for a while or who return regularly to the city, you may like to know that the hotel has a loyalty programme whereby a guest's 13th night at the hotel is complimentary. These nights do not have to be accumulated at once and there is no time limit on the offer. Just across from the hotel is a church where from time to time plays and other performances are put on - a great opportunity for returning tourist to see a different side to the city.

Tucked away amongst a row of brownstone buildings, the façade of the 414 is remarkable for its cute little front terrace complete with benches, pot plants and lanterns. The barbershop awnings protruding from above the windows on either side of the front door give the hotel a small town feel, even in the middle of this huge metropolis. The entrance hall-cum-breakfast room is equally homely with the reception desk to the left and a communal table to the right surrounded by a fireplace, buffet and a free-for-use PC. The space can be used during the day to relax and read the paper or research the next part of your trip and there is also a flatscreen television high up on the wall to catch up with the latest news. Adjoining the space is a kitchenette open to all guests from 7am to 7pm for tea and coffee and until 10am for breakfast (see ?Food and Drink'). Through to the back of the building is a corridor leading to an outside courtyard which can also be used by guests at their leisure and which during the summertime holds events such as mini concerts (the performers of which are sometimes plucked from the subway by the hotel's manager!) with platters of food provided by local restaurants.

The hotel is a very small property so there is no risk of getting lost or having trouble finding your room. There are only a few floors in the hotel, although there is no lift so if you have trouble climbing you should ask for a room on as low a floor as possible. The hotel is kept in very good condition and it is spotless and extremely quiet. Wifi is complimentary as is boarding pass printing.

The 414 offers 22 guestrooms in two brownstone buildings separated by the central courtyard. They are all pretty similar with no categories differentiating them. Spacious at around 26m², they have views of either the courtyard or of W46th Street. They are fairly somber in their décor but the colours are inoffensive. The rooms have either a queen or king bed dressed in white linens and have a studded suede headboard. On the bedside tables you'll find a telephone and iPod docking station while other furniture includes a chest of drawers and (in most rooms) a desk. Most rooms also have at least one armchair and there are black and white photos of iconic NYC buildings adorning the walls. The bathrooms, some of which are starting to show their age, are almost exclusively white and have a deep bathtub, a basin with lots of counter space and Eden Avenue toiletries. Other amenities in the room include a flatscreen television, iron and ironing board, safe, hairdryer and refrigerator.

The hotel offers a complimentary breakfast which is taken in the hotel's front lobby. Guests sit at a communal table, although other tables can be set up in the space if necessary. There is a cold buffet laid out which includes cereals, croissants, bagels, breads fruit and juices while in the kitchenette there is a large range of teas and coffees, a toaster, microwave and a dishwasher where guests place their used crockery. After breakfast finished, guests can use the kitchenette until 7pm to help themselves to drinks and to use the facilities.