If you walked past the corner of 8th Avenue and 44th Street a few years ago, you couldn't miss it. The Row Hotel New York City was a beast. It had 1,331 rooms. It was loud. It was neon. It was basically the epicenter of the budget-luxury "lifestyle" hotel movement that tried to make tiny rooms feel like a cool nightclub.
But things changed. Fast.
The story of the Row Hotel New York City isn't just about a place to sleep. It’s a story about Manhattan real estate, the fallout of a global pandemic, and a city-wide crisis that turned a tourist hotspot into a massive emergency shelter. Honestly, if you're looking to book a room there today, you're going to have a hard time. The hotel as travelers once knew it—with its City Kitchen food hall and "District M" bar—is effectively gone.
The Rise of the Row NYC
Before it was the Row, it was the Milford Plaza. New Yorkers of a certain age probably still have the "Lullaby of Broadway" jingle from their 1980s commercials stuck in their heads. It was the "M-m-m-milford Plaza!" for decades. Then, around 2014, it underwent a massive $140 million renovation to become the Row.
The designers went for an "urban grit" aesthetic. You've seen it: exposed concrete, street art-inspired murals, and very, very small rooms. It was built for the traveler who spends exactly four minutes in their room and fourteen hours exploring the city. It worked. For a while, the Row was the place to be if you wanted to be steps from the Lion King on Broadway without paying $600 a night at the Marriott Marquis.
Why the Location Mattered
You couldn't beat the spot. Seriously. 8th Avenue is gritty, sure, but you were one block from the subway and two blocks from the red stairs in Times Square. Travelers loved it because it felt like "real" New York, even if "real" meant dodging three Elmos and a guy selling knock-off perfumes on your way to the lobby.
The hotel leaned into this. They opened City Kitchen, which was actually a pretty great food hall. It brought in vendors like Luke’s Lobster and Dough, meaning tourists didn't have to eat at the Olive Garden nearby. It felt like the hotel was winning the battle for the "cool" middle-class traveler.
The 2020 Shift and the Humanitarian Crisis
Then 2020 hit. We all know that part of the story, but for the Row Hotel New York City, the impact was permanent. While other hotels reopened their doors to tourists in 2021 and 2022, the Row took a different path.
As New York City struggled to house an unprecedented influx of asylum seekers, the city government needed massive amounts of space. Small shelters weren't cutting it. They needed thousands of beds, and they needed them in central locations where services could be centralized.
The Row became one of the city's primary "Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers" (HERRC).
What it looks like inside now
It’s not a vacation spot anymore. The neon lights in the lobby that used to pulse for thirsty tourists now light the way for families navigating a complex legal system. The 1,300 rooms are occupied by people from all over the world, but they aren't there for a Broadway show.
Reports from inside have been mixed and often controversial. Some staff members have leaked photos showing food waste or crowded conditions, while city officials like Mayor Eric Adams have defended the use of these "mega-hotels" as a necessary, if imperfect, solution to a crisis that the city wasn't prepared for.
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Real Estate Reality: Who Owns the Row?
The ownership of the building is a tangled web of NYC real estate. It involves Highgate Hotels and the real estate investment trust (REIT) MCR Hotels, but the land underneath it is a whole different story. This "ground lease" structure is common in Manhattan, but it makes things complicated when a hotel wants to change its business model.
Investors have watched the Row closely. For the owners, the city's contract to use the hotel as a shelter provided a guaranteed stream of income when the tourism market was still shaky. It was a business decision. It kept the lights on. But it also effectively removed 1,300 rooms from the Times Square inventory, which is one reason why hotel prices in Manhattan have skyrocketed lately. Supply is down; demand is through the roof.
The Impact on 8th Avenue
Walk by today and the vibe is different. There are often lines outside, but they aren't for the concierge. There’s a heavy security presence. The local businesses on 8th Avenue—the pizza joints, the souvenir shops—have had to adjust. They lost the "weekend warrior" tourists and gained a permanent, though much lower-income, population.
Can You Still Book a Room?
Short answer: No.
If you go to the major booking sites, you’ll see "This property is unavailable for your dates" or a simple "Sold Out" message across the board. The Row Hotel New York City is no longer operating as a commercial hotel. It hasn't for quite some time.
Many travelers still get confused because the website is occasionally still live or old photos show up on Instagram. Don't be fooled. If you are looking for that specific "Row" experience, you'll have to look elsewhere.
Alternatives for the Row NYC Vibe
If you liked the Row because it was edgy and central, you have a few other options that are actually open for business:
- Moxy NYC Times Square: This is basically what the Row wanted to be. Very small rooms, very loud bar on the roof (Magic Hour), and a younger crowd.
- The Pod Hotels: There’s one in Times Square and one near Grand Central. If you just want a clean bed and don't care about floor space, this is the spiritual successor to the Row’s "lifestyle" model.
- CitizenM Times Square: A bit pricier, but the tech-forward, high-design vibe is similar, just executed a lot better.
The Future of the Building
Will the Row ever be a hotel again? Maybe. Manhattan real estate is nothing if not cyclical.
However, converting a building back from a high-intensity shelter use to a "luxury lifestyle" hotel is a massive undertaking. We’re talking about a full gut renovation. Every carpet, every piece of furniture, and likely the plumbing and HVAC systems would need a total overhaul to meet the expectations of paying guests again.
There’s also the "stigma" factor. In the fickle world of travel, a brand that becomes associated with a crisis—no matter how noble the cause—often finds it easier to rebrand entirely rather than try to go back to what it was. If the Row ever reopens to the public, expect it to have a new name and a completely different look.
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Actionable Insights for Travelers
If you’re planning a trip to New York and found yourself searching for the Row, here is what you need to do:
- Check the Status of "Mega-Hotels": Before booking anything in the Times Square or Midtown area that looks "too cheap," verify its current status. Several large properties (like the Roosevelt) are also serving as shelters and are off the commercial market.
- Look for "Ground Leased" Properties: If you're a real estate nerd, check if a hotel has a separate land owner. These hotels are more likely to pivot to government contracts because their financial pressure is higher.
- Prioritize Small-to-Mid-Sized Boutique Hotels: These were less likely to be converted into large-scale relief centers and offer a more consistent "tourist" experience right now.
- Watch 8th Avenue Closely: If you do stay in this area, be aware that the foot traffic and street dynamic have changed. It’s more crowded and the "vibe" is less about leisure and more about people trying to navigate their daily lives in a tough situation.
- Book Directly: Always check the hotel's official website. If they aren't taking reservations directly, third-party sites showing "availability" are often just outdated cached pages.
The Row Hotel New York City served as a snapshot of NYC in the 2010s—ambitious, slightly cramped, and very flashy. Now, it serves as a snapshot of the 2020s—a city trying to figure out how to handle a humanitarian crisis using the tools it has available. It’s a fascinating, if somewhat somber, evolution of a Broadway landmark.