Hotel St. James

A family-run budget hotel located within a stone’s throw from the heart of Times Square, the two-star Hotel St. James offers a central location at a hard-to-beat rate.

The 148 guest rooms at the Hotel St. James are plain-Jane predictable, but they all have a telephone, cable TV and free Wi-Fi. Air conditioning is available in the summer months. The tiled bathrooms are simple and sparklingly, and many boast good-sized bathtubs (ask ahead). Pedestal sinks and mosaic tiles framing the mirrors add a little pretty. Toiletries are not provided but hairdryers are available.

The Hotel St. James is well and efficiently run. We liked the direct simplicity of the place, mostly because it’s one of the least expensive hotels this close to Times Square. It’s a straightforward tourist hotel in an in-demand location, and it gets points for relatively inexpensive rates.

Note that there’s a nice lounge in the back of the hotel, done up with sofas, chairs and books lining the built-in shelves.The lobby has an old-fashioned European air, with green marble floors, antique-looking armchairs and framed oil paintings. 

Location

This Midtown hotel is truly in the middle of town, just a block away from the spectacles and sounds of Times Square. Other major attractions near the Hotel St. James include the Broadway theaters, Bryant Park and the New York Public Library, Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Museum of Modern Art and the shops on Fifth Avenue.

Central Park and Grand Central Station are each about a 15- to 20-minute walk, and there are trains aplenty nearby to take you everywhere else. Plus, while the immediate area is not booming with restaurants, New York’s famous Restaurant Row—packed with just about every type of cuisine you might fancy—is close enough (46th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues) that you can roll home after you’ve stuffed yourself.

Transportation

Subways: The hotel is convenient to a number of subway stations. The nearest are 47-50th Streets-Rockefeller Center (B/D/F/M lines) and 49th Street (N/Q/R lines). The nearest entrance to the B/D/F/M lines is on 6th Avenue and 47th Street, and the nearest entrance to the N/Q/R lines is on 7th Avenue and 47th Street. The 42nd Street-Times Square Station (1/2/3/7/N/Q/R/S) is also close by.

JFK: Take the AirTrain to Sutphin Boulevard-Archer Avenue Station and then take a Manhattan-bound E subway train. At Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue, transfer to a Manhattan/Brooklyn-bound F train to 47-50th Streets-Rockefeller Center Station. Ride in the front car for the exit closest to the hotel.

LaGuardia: We recommend an airport bus service to Grand Central, where you can take advantage of the free midtown hotel transfer service. Or pick up the Q33 bus from outside the airport terminal and take it to Roosevelt Avenue-Jackson Heights where you can catch a Manhattan-bound F train to 47-50th Streets-Rockefeller Center Station.

Newark: Take the AirTrain to the NJ Transit station, and then any NJ Transit train into New York Penn Station. From here, it’s a short cab ride to the St. James. Alternatively, walk one long block east to 6th Avenue at 34th Street and take the M5 or M7 bus that drops off on 6th Avenue between 45th and 46th Street.