Oh, so you just got totally sloshed at a Times Square party, you’re dead tired and now you think about where you’re going to sleep? Well, if you have 3 C notes and a box will do, select your choice - Red, Blue or Yellow. That, in a nutshell, is the Time NY hotel, located in the Theatre District a couple of blocks from times Square, and which supposedly offers refuge from the craziness of Times Square, with a near empty bar lounge and dinky boxes called rooms, which come in three colors - Red, blue and yellow - Take your pick, pay $300, head up to your room, sleep it off, get up and walk out. Worth it? Maybe….Let’s see what else they have to offer.

Well, for starters, it does look kinda trendy and chic. Especially the huge flat screen TV. And the lampshades tacked to the headboard above the beds. The half-windows which make it seem like you’re sleeping in a first class carriage in a train (which would likely be bigger than a room in the Time NY).

The workdesk set against the mirror is another good trick which a lot of designers are using nowadays. Makes the room look twice as big, with the bed and everything reflected right back at you, instead of a blank wall. the shower is like, really tiny, and if you’re a bit ‘healthy’, you might have a hard time turning around in there. But the bath products and the showerheads are neat. The overall effect, like I said, is a very trendy, very chic upscale hotel, and were it not for the size, or lack of it, this could have been a great hotel.

One word of advice - Stay away from the red rooms. Depending upon your state of mind, it’ll look like a B-grade horror film or a Bordello. Either way, you’re screwed. The yellow ones aren’t bad, but I’d rather not have bright yellow walls blinding me. Blues are good, neat and cool. But then, my favorite color is blue, so I might be biased, but still - Avoid the red rooms.

As it is, the rooms have a lot stuffed into the tiny space, with the flat screen TV and on-demand movies, a Bose music system, high speed internet, a mini bar, safe, iron & ironing board, and the workdesk. In terms of amenities, there’s not much to write home about other than the concierge and laundry services, a free copy of the New York Times and a complimentary overnight shoeshine. And the service is well…New York. Don’t expect too much, and you won’t be dissappointed. The Time Lounge, as the bar is called, is virtually deserted, and if you really want to get away from Times Square, and you have to duck into this hotel, then maybe you should first try to spend some time nursing a drink at the lounge, and then see if you still want a room.

As far as booking a room is concerned - Check-in, bath, sleep, bath, check-out. Less $300. Simple and uncomplicated. That’s the Time NY hotel for you. If you want a decent hotel actually located in times Square, which actually has decent sized rooms and baths, and where you actually can expect some service, then you might want to go through this list of New York family hotels.

Info: 224 West 49th Street New York Ny 10019; (212) 246-5252; Photos & Copyrights - Time NY hotel/Vikram Chatwal Hotels - www.thetimeny.com