Upstairs, on the 11th floor, we walk into our large room. At first glance, it offers a charming combination of modern and art deco. A seating area for two with white leather armchairs is at one end of the room. A white cabinet opens up to a mini-bar and a television. Then there is the low-slung bed with the white and gold headboard. Right away, I notice some stains on the checkerboard carpet, but I shrug.

The real experience is to be gained only by staying in the room and using the amenities. First, we realized our remote control was gone, but a bellboy brought one up straightaway. Then, we tried to sleep on the bed, really a glorified futon. My partner woke up with everybody part "asleep", and we are both aching today. I rose first to take my shower, where I noticed some strange brown dust around the drain. At this point, it had definitely registered that the Paramount doesn't strive for cleanliness. The shower hardware is just like the kind I grew up with, that is, dating from the 1930s. How charming! Well, like the home I grew up in, the shower also doesn't draw hot water for about five minutes. Then you get five minutes of lukewarm water, and it's back to cold.

All these things would be acceptable in certain countries, where I might feel lucky to have hot water at all. They also would be fine if I were paying less than $100 per night. However, at $300/night, I would have liked something a little nicer. I'm not talking luxury, just a basic hotel where nothing is wrong. Every week, I stay in a spacious suite with a hot tub for $89 a night, where the housekeeping is impeccable. I realize I'm in New York right now, but I never realized how very little $300 could buy you.

Other parts of the hotel were also memorable. After a night on the town, the Paramount Bar provides a nice place for a nightcap. The crowd is a combination of tourists and hipsters, but we liked the vibe. The restaurant in the hotel is also worth checking out (the food is nice, and I liked sitting above the lobby, watching who came in and out of the hotel). Further, I liked the newsstand and the Dean and Deluca café (a fancy place to get some good coffee, muffin, bagel, juice, etc.) in the lobby.

Finally, the service and location were great. We had a few special requests, and they were always met with a smile and a quickness that we appreciated. Regarding the location, the hotel is a couple of blocks from the center of Times Square. It was cool to walk through at night, when Times Square was bustling...and a little surreal walking through the next morning, when Times Square was empty. Plus, the access to subways was fantastic. This was a good launching point for any part of the city.

The hotel is an old, renovated hotel, but very modern and designer-chique. The staff was very friendly and check-in was a breeze. They have a great lounge/bar area, but watch out on those drinks. A friend and I each ordered a martini...at $12 each.

The Paramount oozed cool...

Through the glass doors the Paramount presents the junior version of its west side Ian Schraeger counterpart, the Hudson. Dim lighting, soaring ceilings, modern décor, trendy/loungy furniture… all combine to create an ambiance that’s unmistakably "hip NY" but it’s clearly on a budget (at least Ian Schraeger’s version of a budget).

The staff was friendly and actually very helpful but you won’t be led around by the hand as you might in a more expensive hotel. The elevators, bathed in colorful, blue, purple or red hues, will deposit you at the appropriate floor where you’ll step out (at least on the 11th floor) to more dim lighting and a rather large wall of mirrors. The far left hand side of the mirrors features a backlit portion indicating the current weather (sunny, cloudy, hot, rain, etc.).

The hallways won’t overwhelm you and neither will the size of the rooms. I stayed in a room facing the back of the hotel - which I recommend, 46th street can be loud and I don’t think that the hotel is tall enough to provide much of a view from any of the rooms. My room was very white, contained a king size bed, a small table with 2 chairs, a small TV, VCR and minibar unit, an ENORMOUS silk screened headboard featuring Mary Cassat’s head and about 8 square feet of remaining floor space.

The standard rooms are TINY, there’s no denying this. Getting two people ready in this room would have been a challenge. However, the décor is modern and stylish, everything is clean, and the bathrooms have been completely renovated. The window unit air-conditioner was more than adequate for a hot day in late July and unlike most hermetically sealed NY hotels, a panel of the casement window opens to allow some fresh air in should that be desired.

I didn’t check out the hotel’s gym, but I did enjoy a drink with friends at the cozy Library Bar before heading out for the evening. Overall, my stay at the Paramount was everything I was looking for - clean, convenient and moderately priced. For theatregoers or 1st time sightseers, you could do far worse. Looking for a romantic weekend? Planning on spending substantial time in the room? I might recommend some hotels closer to the park or even the nearby Marriott, which boasts much more space but far less personality.