For more than a decade, I’ve made a career out of moving through cities—sometimes chasing breaking news, other times following the quiet hum of a new city. But there’s something about arriving in New York over a holiday weekend that feels electric, as if the city itself is leaning into the long pause right alongside you. Over Labor Day, I checked into the New York Marriott Marquis, the towering property in the heart of Times Square, to see how a classic Manhattan stay might redefine the way I approach long weekends.
Touching down at JFK, I knew better than to wrestle with yellow cab queues or app-based rideshares. Over the years, I’ve learned that the first moments in a new city can set the tone for an entire trip. Plus, I’d decided to go all-in on this trip and make it both posh and easy. So I booked a Blacklane ride—a service I’ve come to rely on when I want both reliability and comfort. My chauffeur was waiting with a crisp sign, a welcoming smile, and a smooth ride into Manhattan.
Sliding into the leather interior of a Blacklane vehicle has become one of those small rituals of luxury for me, the kind that tells me I’ve truly arrived. Watching the skyline sharpen from the backseat, coffee in hand, I was able to slip into New York on my own terms—unrushed, unbothered, and already at ease.
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Location, location, Times Square
Photo: Booking.com
The Marriott Marquis, with rooms from around $600 per night, sits squarely on Broadway, a short stroll from the iconic steps in Time Square. For some, Times Square is too much—too many screens, too much noise. But if you’ve ever wanted to be in the gravitational pull of the city, this is the place. From my room on the 18th floor, the city glowed beneath me in real time: the billboards, the cabs, the never-quieting stream of people.
The hotel’s centrality is its secret weapon. In one weekend I managed to walk to the Museum of Modern Art, stroll through Central Park, and be seated for dinner downtown without ever feeling far from my base. For travelers looking to maximize time over a holiday, the Marquis’ location is as quintessential New York as it gets.
Rooms at the New York Marriott Marquis
Photo: Booking.com
The Marriott Marquis is unapologetically big – the 51-story building houses some 1,970 rooms. Unlike so many New York hotel rooms, the rooms here reflect the grand stature of the property. My double king room was a reprieve from the city’s density: floor-to-ceiling windows framing Times Square, plush bedding, and enough square footage to remind me I wasn’t in a shoebox boutique hotel. My guest for the weekend—my mom—gave it her stamp of approval, and if it passes the mom test, you know it’s legit.
The design leaned modern without losing warmth—neutral tones, clean lines, and a workspace that made catching up on a few assignments surprisingly pleasant. One of the unexpected perks was the soundproofing. For all the chaos of Times Square outside, my room felt cocooned in quiet. After a day of traversing the city, I appreciated that silence.
Design & atmosphere at the New York Marriott Marquis
Photo: Booking.com
The lobby is a swirl of movement—guests checking in, Broadway fans ducking into the hotel’s theater entrances, families clustering by the glass elevators. Rising 49 stories, the hotel’s design is anchored by its massive atrium, a cavernous vertical space that channels the same drama as the city itself.
It’s not the understated minimalism you’ll find in boutique properties downtown. Instead, the Marriott Marquis leans into its scale. The design is about theater, about seeing and being seen, about amplifying the energy of Times Square rather than shrinking from it.
M Club Access
Photo: Booking.com
One of the highlights of my stay was access to the M Club, the Marriott Marquis’ exclusive lounge for elite members and select guests. Tucked away from the bustle, the lounge offered daily breakfast with fresh pastries, fruit, and espresso strong enough to power you through the long weekend. In the evenings, it became a haven for light refreshments and desserts.
For me, the M Club was less about the food and more about the atmosphere: an intimate perch above the fray where I could watch the city without having to fight my way through it. For travelers squeezing every ounce out of a long weekend, this access adds measurable value—time saved, comfort gained.
A decade into my career as a traveler and storyteller, I’ve learned that trips are often defined by balance. Luxury balanced with accessibility. Stillness balanced with the thrum of the city. Over Labor Day, the Marriott Marquis delivered exactly that: a front-row seat to the spectacle of Times Square, paired with the quiet comforts of spacious rooms and the refined touch of M Club access. The Marriott Marquis isn’t a retreat from New York—it’s a lens through which to experience the city at its boldest. For a holiday weekend in Manhattan, that’s exactly what I was looking for.
