New York hotels · head to head
Two Times Square four-stars a few blocks apart — 0.1 km against 0.2 km from the square — answering whether review volume or a pool listing should break the tie.
By Kaiser Khan · last reviewed
Rates for both move constantly, so nothing here quotes a price. Each full review carries the rate comparison for that property.
Same neighbourhood, same star class, substitutable addresses. When two hotels are this close the comparison is useful; pairing Times Square with Chelsea would not be.
We publish a handful of comparisons per city, chosen by an editor. We do not generate a page for every possible pairing: at thirty hotels that would be 435 near-identical pages per city, and at five hundred it would be 124,750 for one city alone — which is a doorway-page pattern, not a service to anybody trying to pick a hotel.
Should you book this hotel?
Riu if the 13,923-review sample and slightly closer pin matter; Margaritaville if a pool listed and soundproof rooms win — accepting Riu’s parking and room-size cons and Margaritaville’s inconsistent-amenity warnings.
Both are Times Square hotels. Riu puts the square at 0.1 km; Margaritaville at 0.2 km with Broadway at 0.3 km. Location scores 9.59 against 10 — marginal on geography, not on guest story.
Supplier ratings: 9 out of 10 from 13,923 reviews at Riu against 9.2 from 6,561 at Margaritaville, captured 6 January 2026 and 18 December 2025. Riu’s room quality 8.04 is weaker than Margaritaville’s 8.72; Margaritaville posts 10s on service and location while several other categories cluster at 8.72.
Facilities fork: Margaritaville lists a swimming pool, soundproof rooms and parking; Riu lists wheelchair-accessible restaurant and eco amenities. Pool availability is questioned in Margaritaville’s guest analysis — verify for your dates.
Cons: Riu names room size and parking difficulties; Margaritaville names small rooms, inconsistent amenities and breakfast expectations versus price without quoting a rate.
Verdict last reviewed . Rates, refurbishments and management change — re-check anything time-sensitive before booking.
4-star hotelTimes Square & Theatre DistrictRIU Hotels
A four-star Riu Plaza on West 47th Street — Times Square 0.1 km, Rockefeller Center 0.6 km — with the largest review sample on this page and room-size and parking complaints.
Third-party guest reviews: 9.0/10 from 13,923 reviews — as of
4-star hotelTimes Square & Theatre DistrictIndependent
A four-star Margaritaville on Seventh Avenue — Times Square 0.2 km, pool listed, soundproof rooms listed — with flat 10s on service and location and inconsistent-amenity complaints at 8.72.
Third-party guest reviews: 9.2/10 from 6,561 reviews — as of
Every row is checkable against the supplier data on the two property pages. “Level” is a real answer and is used — a comparison where one side wins every row is usually a comparison somebody wrote backwards from the conclusion.
| What is being compared | Hotel Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square | Margaritaville Resort Times Square | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official classification | 4-star | 4-star | Level |
| Position | 145 West 47th Street. Times Square 0.1 km, Rockefeller Center 0.6 km. | 560 7th Avenue. Times Square 0.2 km, Broadway 0.3 km. | Hotel Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square |
| Supplier rating (our hotel data provider, /10 — display only) | 9 from 13,923 reviews, as of 6 January 2026 | 9.2 from 6,561 reviews, as of 18 December 2025 | Margaritaville Resort Times Square |
| Location (third-party guest score, /10 — display only) | 9.59 | 10 | Margaritaville Resort Times Square |
| Room quality (third-party guest score, /10 — display only) | 8.04 — size issues in multi-bed rooms | 8.72 — small / cramped noted | Margaritaville Resort Times Square |
| Service (third-party guest score, /10 — display only) | 9.55 | 10 | Margaritaville Resort Times Square |
| What guests complain about | Room size; parking difficulties | Small rooms; inconsistent amenities; breakfast expectations | Level |
| Pool | Not in cited facility facts | Swimming pool listed — availability questioned in guest analysis | Margaritaville Resort Times Square |
| Soundproof rooms | Not in first 25 amenities cited | Soundproof rooms listed | Margaritaville Resort Times Square |
| Review sample size | 13,923 reviews | 6,561 reviews | Hotel Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square |
Rows taken: Hotel Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square 2, Margaritaville Resort Times Square 6, level 2. Counting rows is not how you pick a hotel — one row usually decides it, and the verdict above says which.
Every property we cover in New York, the areas they sit in, and the verdict on which area suits which trip.
Neighbourhoods, transport, what a day costs, when to go and what to skip — the long-form guide behind these hotel picks.
