See Inside A $459-a-night Room At Margaritaville Times Square, Including Epic City Views And Surprisingly High-tech Gadgets

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Margaritaville is the No. 1 resort in New York City, according to TripAdvisor.

As a New York City local, I decided I had to check out this hotel, given its high praise and the fact that it had been popping up on my TikTok all summer long.

I booked a room at the peak of the busy holiday season with a discounted media rate.

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The hotel is the brand's first outpost in New York and it has 234 rooms spread over 34 floors. The room types are standard, deluxe, and premium, or a king suite. The variations depend on bed size, square footage, and what floor the room is on.

Additionally, there is a two-floor Margaritaville restaurant, a Landshark Bar & Grill, the 5 O'Clock Somewhere Rooftop Bar, the License to Chill Bar, and the Joe Merchant's Coffee & Provisions coffee stand.

There's also an outdoor pool on the sixth floor, which has its own roof deck, and a fitness center in the basement.

The ground floor also has a gift shop.

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The rooms at Margaritaville are decorated to evoke feelings of being at the beach, with a beige, blue, and white color scheme.

My deluxe room was a step up from a standard room as it was larger and guaranteed to be on a higher floor. Mine was on the 21st floor, and I didn't hear any noise from below thanks to soundproof windows.

Standard rooms start at $169 a night, making the high-floor views much more expensive.

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More hotels should do this instead of the "Do not disturb" signs that are a waste of paper and can be very flimsy, and often fall off, defeating their purpose.

Instead, this panel was impossible to miss. A bright red light meant the housekeepers could skip right over my room.

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The guest room doors looked like they would lead to a cabana on the sand with the tropical teal color and beachy slats.

The runner through the hallway was also an oceanic shade of blue.

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The teal, white, and beige color scheme did, in fact, remind me of the sand, sky, and sea.

I was ready to feel crammed in, since everything in New York City runs on the smaller side, but the huge windows and the light colors made the space feel large.

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Since I was a kid, I've always found hotel carpets to be unappealing as they can often hold bacteria or dust.

Imagine my delight, then, when I realized this room had hardwood floors. It was much easier to see if the floors were clean, and I preferred them aesthetically, as well.

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The desk had a nautical look with the set of drawers resembling a steamer trunk.

On the desk was a QR code under a glass casing, telling me that the hotel was now accepting cashless tips for housekeeping.

Since I rarely carry cash, I appreciated this option.

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The metal hooks on either side of the wardrobe had rope detailing, reinforcing the beachy, nautical vibe.

The Keurig came with Tayst coffee pods. There were also water bottles and Margaritaville-branded cups and coasters inside.

The closed cabinets housed a mini-fridge and a safe.

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The chaise was perfectly situated for people-watching down below, but as it was rainy and cold, there wasn't much to see 21 floors below me.

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I didn't try to open the windows since it was rainy and cold, nor did I spot anyone using the pool in winter, but I did note this sign.

Of course, I did not plan to throw anything out the window, but I'd never seen a sign like that.

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In addition to the soundproof windows, closing the curtains made my room dark and quiet, which is not a luxury I always have in my apartment on the Upper East Side.

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I was impressed by the art and how it stayed on theme with the Margaritaville brand. It was a level of detail I wouldn't have expected from a hotel in the center of one of New York City's biggest tourist hubs.

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"Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes," released in 1977, was Buffett's breakthrough album. It features the eponymous song and "Margaritaville."

I thought this callback on the bed was a nice touch.

Behind the headboard was a decorative piece of art that looked like a patchwork of cabana doors, just like the door to the room. The bed itself was very comfy, and the linens were soft. I had a great night's sleep.

The light fixtures on either side emitted a warm glow, making the room feel cozy.

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Something I've encountered on my travels over the years is a severe lack of outlets, especially as the number of electronic gadgets I bring with me increases. 

I need a phone charger, a laptop or iPad charger, an Apple Watch charger, a charger for my headphones, and a way to charge my portable charger. And that's just me. If I'm with someone else, they need plenty of plugs, too.

Usually, I'm left scouring the room, unplugging lamps for more space.

Thankfully, each side of the bed had two normal outlets and a USB plug. There was also a clock that had two USB outlets, and more were scattered throughout the room. 

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Hitting the "Privacy" button was all it took to turn the red light on outside. Hitting it again turned it off.

Next to this panel was a digital thermostat for temperature control.

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Now that fewer people are using cable TV and instead stream all their TV needs, I was pleased to see a smart TV in my room that gave me the ability to cast what I was streaming on my phone onto the TV. I hope to see more hotels embracing this tech-forward approach.

I fired up Peacock on my phone, connected to the TV, turned on "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City," and relaxed.

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If you'll notice, the sink fixtures are whale tails in yet another nod to the beach.

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There was plenty of room for toiletries, without taking up precious counter space.

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The bathroom was fairly standard, continuing the teal theme, and adding a piece of Margaritaville-appropriate art: a cover from The New Yorker from the '80s. It's just one of many details throughout the hotel that pays homage to Buffett.

The bathroom door was a sliding, barn-style door, likely intended to save space.

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Having a place to put your phone in the bathroom is key. You don't want to touch it with dirty hands, but you also don't want to put it on the toilet directly, or on the floor.

Adding a shelf above the toilet paper is an easy fix — I've installed one in my own bathrooms in the past.

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The shower didn't have a door, which meant that water got all over the place when I used it. The hotel did provide a bath mat, but it wasn't enough.

Inside the shower were branded products from St. Somewhere Spa, which are the spas located inside certain Margaritaville locations, though not here in Times Square.

The name is a nod to Buffett's 28th album, "Songs from St. Somewhere," released in 2013 by his label, Mailboat Records.

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I've noticed in hotels over the years that full-length mirrors can be hard to come by. And even if there is a large mirror, the lighting can be terrible.

So I was glad to see that the one in my room had direct overhead lighting with perfect lighting in the entryway. I was able to get a good look before leaving.

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When the sky was clear, I could see across the city all the way to Hudson Yards, a neighborhood on Manhattan's west side.

I could even see The Edge, an observation deck on the 100th floor of a Hudson Yards building.

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Going into my stay, I expected it would be overly cheesy given Margaritaville's in-your-face beachy reputation combined with a location in the tourist trap known as Times Square.

But my room was quiet and clean, had thoughtful details, and incorporated technology in smart ways. 

In the future, I'd recommend a room at Margaritaville to any visitor who wants to balance touristy kitsch with higher-class amenities.