Kimpton Theta New York - Times Square Hotel Review
Nonstop Dan rating
Kimpton Theta Times Square
A well-located Times Square option with nice spacious rooms, but not much more...
What to Expect at Kimpton Theta New York?
After my stay at the Kimpton Era Midtown New York, it was time to move to another Kimpton just a few blocks away. Gotta love New York, huh? Well, not really in this case, because most of the hotels are within a few blocks of each other, and if you want to stay in any of the actual fun areas, you're not exactly spoiled for choice.
Anyhow, today we're checking into the Kimpton Theta New York - Times Square by IHG, a hotel I've been wanting to check out for a while since it's nearby the InterContinental Times Square, where we usually stay when we visit New York. This Kimpton has always been a little more expensive than the Intercontinental, and the reviews have been worse, so I've never really seen a reason to stay until this visit. Why? Because I had a free night voucher from IHG that was expiring in just a couple of weeks, and it would cover a free stay here, so I figured why not finally give it a try!
Kimpton Theta New York hotel exterior
The Kimpton Theta is marketed as a luxury hotel. We'll see if you agree with that after this review. It was difficult to calculate an average price for this hotel since there are so many sketchy travel agencies selling stays here, but in general, you can expect to pay between $300 and $600 a night. Miraculously, the price was about $250, so we could have paid cash, but again, we had this expiring free night voucher, and we figured why not.
We were able to walk from the Kimpton Era over to the Kimpton Theta since it's literally just a few blocks across on 48th Street. This is a remodeled old hotel, but the building still looks decently modern, albeit a bit grim.
Kimpton Theta New York hotel entrance
When you pull up to the lobby, there's a nice wooden door and some flowers welcoming you, and inside we were very pleasantly surprised by this, dare I say, state-of-the-art modern lobby by US standards!
Kimpton Theta New York hotel entrance
Kimpton Theta New York Check-in Experience and Lobby
We were helped by a friendly, enthusiastic front desk team, and as I checked in, Oskar explored the other features of the lobby, such as this mini store with various knickknacks and snacks. This was a different experience from our stay at Kimpton Era Midtown New York, where check-in was handled through self-service kiosks, making the arrival process feel more traditional and personal.
Kimpton Theta New York hotel lobby
Kimpton Theta New York hotel lobby pantry
Kimpton Theta New York hotel lobby pantry
On the other side of the entrance, there's a social area where you can sit and work or grab a drink. If we were staying here longer, this is definitely something we'd utilize because it's really nice down here!
Kimpton Theta New York hotel lobby
Kimpton Theta New York hotel lobby
Kimpton Theta New York hotel lobby
Kimpton Theta New York hotel lobby
Kimpton Theta New York hotel lobby
The hotel even offers free bikes on a first-come, first-served basis if you want to get around the area more easily.
Kimpton Theta New York hallways
Upon stepping out of the elevator, we had to pause for a second and wonder whether we just walked into a horror movie. What on earth are these hallways?!
Kimpton Theta New York hallways
At least we've got an ice machine with the most depressed plant in the world next to it.
Kimpton Theta New York hallways
Kimpton Theta New York Room Features and Amenities
While we made it to the end, we found our scratched-up door and entered to find our surprisingly pleasant room. Again, I think our standards get a bit lower in New York, but this looks pretty chic, doesn't it?
Kimpton Theta New York corner king room entrance
We were assigned room 931, a corner king room on, you guessed it, the ninth floor.
Kimpton Theta New York corner king room entrance
To the right, we've got a small couch with a table, and beyond that are two bedside tables and our incredibly comfy king bed.
Kimpton Theta New York corner king room bed side table
Kimpton Theta New York corner king room couch
Kimpton Theta New York corner king room bed
Just like the Kimpton Era, this bed is plush and soft, something we didn't even experience at our favorite New York hotel to date, The Mandarin Oriental New York.
Kimpton Theta New York corner king room
Kimpton Theta New York corner king room
Further toward the window, we've got two chairs and a table, great for working or eating together, and then we've got another desk-like surface below the TV with a stool, and some storage, as well as free water, a snake plant, and, to the left of all that, a fixed luggage stand.
Kimpton Theta New York corner king room table and chair
Kimpton Theta New York corner king room TV
Kimpton Theta New York corner king room complimentary water
Kimpton Theta New York corner king room luggage stand
Kimpton Theta New York corner king room safe
A small note on cleanliness: while the room felt very clean overall, when opening the mini bar, we found a half-drunk bottle of champagne and a tipped-over bottle of water. Doesn't exactly scream luxury.
Kimpton Theta New York corner king room minibar
A functional, basic, and relatively clean room, all in all. One of the highlights, despite not being on a high floor, was the view, since we could see several Broadway theaters and there were bright sparkling lights outside around the clock.
Kimpton Theta New York corner king room view
In terms of the bathroom, again, it's pretty functional and modern. Although, to our surprise, the water pressure was so bad it was like showering in a light drizzle. Since we were only staying one night, we didn't bother asking anyone to come fix it, though. Sorry to the next guest!
Kimpton Theta New York corner king room bathroom shower
Kimpton Theta New York corner king room bathroom sink
Kimpton Theta New York corner king room bathroom
Kimpton Theta New York corner king room bathroom toilet
Kimpton Theta New York corner king room bathroom toilet
I like to see that they had a list of amenities that you could order on the sink, but it's not entirely clear if this stuff is free or not, right?
Kimpton Theta New York corner king room bathroom sink
Kimpton Theta New York amenities
Finally, outside the bathroom, we've got a microscopic closet which houses a few hangers and our bathrobes.
Kimpton Theta New York corner king room closet
Kimpton Theta New York corner king room closet
Kimpton Theta New York Dining Experience
There is a "Amalfi Coast-inspired" restaurant on property called BAR SPREZZATURA. That whole branding scared us off trying to eat dinner there, given that an Amalfi Coast-inspired restaurant in Times Square doesn't exactly inspire thoughts of genuine Italian food. We did have breakfast there, which was included as IHG diamond members.
Kimpton Theta New York bar sprezzatura signage
Kimpton Theta New York bar sprezzatura signage
Kimpton Theta New York bar sprezzatura entrance
Kimpton Theta New York bar sprezzatura signage
Kimpton Theta New York bar sprezzatura
American hotels are so funny because imagine anywhere else charging $38 for the buffet below! It includes free coffee, but if you want any of the other drinks listed on the menu, you'll have to pay extra. The same goes for hot chocolate, soda, and even water, although tap water is fine, of course, and free. They tried to upsell us to the $10 bottled water, which didn't go so well.
Kimpton Theta New York bar sprezzatura menu
The restaurant itself is quite cute, and the breakfast is pretty standard for an American hotel. The most luxurious thing was these massive vats of avocado and lox. Still, I've had better breakfast at Hampton Inns, which should say something!
Kimpton Theta New York bar sprezzatura buffet
Kimpton Theta New York bar sprezzatura buffet
Kimpton Theta New York bar sprezzatura buffet
Kimpton Theta New York bar sprezzatura buffet
Kimpton Theta New York bar sprezzatura buffet
Kimpton Theta New York bar sprezzatura buffet
Kimpton Theta New York bar sprezzatura buffet
Kimpton Theta New York bar sprezzatura buffet
Kimpton Theta New York bar sprezzatura fruit juice
Kimpton Theta New York Gym
The final thing for us to check out, since this hotel doesn't have a spa, saunas, or any other interesting facilities that Kimpton Era also lacks, is the fitness center, if you can call it that. Really, it's a tiny back room with the most depressing view you've ever seen! It contains:
- two treadmills
- two ellipticals
- two Peloton bikes
- a few free weights up to 50 lbs. with one bench
Kimpton Theta New York gym equipment
Kimpton Theta New York gym equipment
Good luck fitting more than a few people in here, though! This was the thing that made us happy, as we were only staying a few nights.
Kimpton Theta New York gym towel station
Is the service good at Kimpton Theta New York?
We'd read pretty bad reviews about the service at this hotel, but everyone from check-in to housekeeping were really friendly in our experience, especially considering that this is New York and friendliness is not something you associate with tourist-facing New Yorkers! Kimpton Theta also offers some nice perks, like free coffee and iced tea in the morning, which is common across many of their hotels and was advertised in the lobby.
Kimpton Theta New York complimentary iced coffee and tea
Kimpton Theta New York complimentary iced coffee and tea
Where is Kimpton Theta New York Located?
Now let's talk about the location. I'd say this is one of my preferred locations if you're going to be close to Times Square, and it's definitely better than the likes of the EDITION Times Square or W Times Square, where you're right in the middle of everything. You're close to a subway stop, right across the street from a Whole Foods, and a 10-block walk from Columbus Circle and Central Park. In fact, I'd say I even prefer this location to The London New York as well, so this hotel gets pretty good points there.
Kimpton Theta New York hotel exterior
Is the Kimpton Era Midtown New York Worth It?
So, what I recommend is this hotel, potentially if the price is right. Unfortunately, no benefits are offered for booking through a travel advisor here, so you're gonna want to use your IHG status benefits if you have any. Luckily, it's really easy to get status with IHG One Rewards through various credit card programs and other partnerships.
Kimpton Theta New York Detailed Scoring Breakdown
Room: 7/10
Bathroom: 5/10
Night’s Sleep: 9/10
Value: 7/10
Breakfast: 4/10
Condition: 8/10
Service: 3/5
Dining: 2/5
Location: 4/5
Amenities: 4/5
Wellness: 1/5
Pools: 0/5
Overall Feeling: 5/10
Final Score: 59/100. See how it compares to other properties in our full luxury hotel rankings.
Positives of Kimpton Era Midtown New York
Genuinely impressive, "state-of-the-art" modern lobby — nice wooden entrance door, flowers, a real first-impression upgrade
Friendly, enthusiastic staff across check-in and housekeeping, despite the hotel's reputation for poor service
Free bikes available first-come, first-served
Useful lobby extras: a mini store with snacks, plus a social/work seating area
Comfy plush king bed — one of the better sleeps of the trip, on par with (or better than) The Mandarin Oriental
Well-laid-out room: couch + table, two chairs by the window, desk/stool, minibar, luggage stand, free water, live plant
Standout view — Broadway theaters and bright lights, even from a lower floor
Kimpton perk of free coffee and iced tea each morning
Strong location for Times Square — near a subway stop, across from Whole Foods, ~10 blocks to Central Park, and preferable to being smack in the middle (EDITION/W Times Square) or even The London NY
Good value when the free-night voucher/right price lines up ($250 vs. typical $300–600 range)
IHG status is easy to earn via credit cards/partnerships, softening the lack of advisor perks
Areas of Improvement of Kimpton Theta New York
Hallways feel dated and unsettling ("horror movie" vibe), with a neglected plant and a scratched-up room door
Weak water pressure in the shower — described as showering in a drizzle
Unclear pricing on the sink amenity list (not obvious what's complimentary vs. chargeable)
Closet is tiny ("microscopic"), holds little beyond a few hangers and robes
Cleanliness miss: a half-drunk champagne bottle and a tipped-over water bottle found in the minibar
Restaurant branding ("Amalfi Coast-inspired" in Times Square) undercut confidence in the food, so dinner was skipped there
Breakfast is pricey ($38 buffet) with only coffee included — extra charges for other drinks, plus a pushy $10 bottled water upsell; quality was underwhelming ("better at Hampton Inns")
No spa or sauna; the gym is small, cramped, and has a bleak view, with fairly limited equipment
No travel advisor booking benefits at this property — guests need to lean on personal IHG status instead
