The Benjamin Royal Sonesta New York

Midtown, New York

Virgin rating

One Bedroom Suite
Deluxe Studio
Deluxe Studio
Deluxe Studio
Guest Room
One Bedroom Suite
Deluxe Studio
Deluxe Studio
Deluxe Studio
Guest Room

The hotel

The Benjamin Royal Sonesta Hotel, a landmark hotel located in Midtown Manhattan with it’s classic décor and intimate boutique setting provides a sense of sophisticated glamour in New York City.  Located at 50th and Lexington Avenue, The Benjamin Royal Sonesta New York exudes old-world Manhattan with oversized rooms and suites (many with kitchenettes). The hotel offers quick access to the best luxury boutiques on 5th Avenue, Rockefeller Centre and St. Patrick’s Cathedral and array of fine dining options. Fitness Center located on the 3rd floor open 24 hours. Laundry and pressing services available. Complimentary newspapers available in the lobby. The Cupboard conveniently located in the lobby provides snacks, beverages and sundries for purchase without going far.

Amenities

  • Fitness Centre/Gym
  • Internet Access
  • Laundry Service
  • Close to City Centre

Where is it

Situated on the corner of East 50th Street and Lexington Avenue in Midtown Manhattan; close to Fifth Avenue, Grand Central Terminal, the Rockefeller Centre and Bloomingdales. Transfer time from John F. Kennedy International Airport: 40 minutes.

Hotel information

209 guest rooms and suites, all of which have been recently refurbished as of July 2024. All with air-conditioning, 42” HD flat-screen cable TV, iPod alarm clock, kitchenette, mini-fridge, bathrobes, WiFi access*. 

Guest Rooms are 250–275 sq ft and have 1 queen-size bed, sleeping maximum 2 adults.

Deluxe Studios are 300–350 sq ft, and have 1 king-size bed or 2 queen-size beds, sleeping maximum 4 adults or 2 adults and 2 children.

One Bedroom Suites are 450–550 sq ft with a separate living area with 1 queen-size sleeper sofa, and 1 queen-size or 1 king-size bed in the bedroom, sleeping maximum 4 adults or 2 adults and 2 children.

The National Bar & Dining Rooms (classic NYC bistro dishes served for breakfast, lunch and dinner, temporarily closed). 

Winks’ Kidzzz Club. 24-hour state-of-the-art fitness room and steam room. 

Laundry/dry-cleaning services*. 24/7 reception team, concierge and shoe shine services. Complimentary WiFi in public areas.

This hotel has a facility fee of $39 plus tax, per room per day (payable locally, subject to change).

Fee includes: $15 daily credit to our Cupboard, complimentary Wi-Fi access, unlimited local/long distance calls (excluding international), complimentary use of the Fitness Center, a one-time $15 laundry credit for the stay. (inclusions are subject to availability and change).

One person must be aged 21 years and over in each room at check-in.

*Denotes local charge.

Please note: Building work will be taking place Weekdays, Monday-Friday from  8;00am – 5:00pm untill June '24.

Please note: Due to the temporary closure of the hotel restaurant and room service, staff will provide detailed information at check-in of local dining options for breakfast, lunch and dinner (including order-in options). There is also a lobby market available for guests craving a quick snack, with items including chips/crisps, cookies, nuts, water, assorted soft drinks and juices.

Rating summary

  • Location Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Sleep Quality Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Rooms Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Service Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Value Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Cleanliness Image of the Tripadvisor rating

Traveller rating

  • Excellent (2114)
  • Very good (887)
  • Average (335)
  • Poor (130)
  • Terrible (96)
Image of the Tripadvisor rating The very definition of average at a premier price.

Sep 18, 2024 craigF6808HV Washington DC, District of Columbia

Sonesta did precisely what I suspected it would do when it purchased the Royal Benjamin. It ruined the hotel's charm without any meaningful upgrade. It is now the very definition of average. The design is stunningly stupid. There were only four hangers in the closet of a suite , largely because they put the dresser in the closet. There's no… Read more
Sonesta did precisely what I suspected it would do when it purchased the Royal Benjamin. It ruined the hotel's charm without any meaningful upgrade. It is now the very definition of average. The design is stunningly stupid. There were only four hangers in the closet of a suite , largely because they put the dresser in the closet. There's no space to hang more than four items, and obviously, the hotel is aware of that. Moreover, the doors were terrible scratched, the furniture was uncomfortable and tacky, and there's no space in the bathroom bor bath towels. I found them on the bed. Sonesta didn't renovate the hotel; they chepened it. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Outstanding Facilities, Luxury Service

Sep 16, 2024 H1500QEtimothym

Spent four nights for my 25th wedding anniversary - wish it could have been much, much longer! I will admit that I was a little apprehensive about booking this hotel, due to some prior reviews. However, we booked a terrace suite on the 24th floor, and the views and the room simply could not have been more spectacular! Courteous staff;… Read more
Spent four nights for my 25th wedding anniversary - wish it could have been much, much longer! I will admit that I was a little apprehensive about booking this hotel, due to some prior reviews. However, we booked a terrace suite on the 24th floor, and the views and the room simply could not have been more spectacular! Courteous staff; immaculate lobby; and location, location, location, right in the heart of the City. We had thought to use ride-sharing, but ended up walking to most of our destinations. There is no restaurant on-site, which is a bit of a downer; but there is a cafe literally next door with excellent food; and two doors down is an elegant sidewalk Italian restaurant. I had heard that NYC is an eater's paradise, and my waistline certainly agrees! I wanted to extend an extra special "shout out" to Anya, the concierge. We were so busy running back and forth the entire time that we did not get the chance to meet her in person; but Anya was like the "Ghost of Christmas Present" in the background making certain that our room was perfect for us, with extra special touches that literally took our breath away. We saw so many, many beautiful things during our trip; but the Sonesta is the one constant that we keep referring back to as perhaps the absolute highlight of our stay. We simply could not have been any happier. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Great room and friendly staff

Sep 9, 2024 Wander21094129823 United Kingdom

Just returned from a 9 night stay - we had a lovely, spacious terrace suite on the 20th floor. Room decor had just been refurbished, so it was great to have nice clean rugs and an immaculate sofa! (Esp as we were using the sofa bed!) All the staff were incredibly friendly and helpful - at all times of the day! Housekeeping also lovely when we… Read more
Just returned from a 9 night stay - we had a lovely, spacious terrace suite on the 20th floor. Room decor had just been refurbished, so it was great to have nice clean rugs and an immaculate sofa! (Esp as we were using the sofa bed!) All the staff were incredibly friendly and helpful - at all times of the day! Housekeeping also lovely when we wanted a kettle to make tea! As someone else commented, the bathroom was fairly small but the shower was great and a decent size. And all very clean. However the toilet roll holder was randomly located and it meant you couldn’t actually sit straight on the loo!! lol. We just worked around that by taking it off and then all good - but wouldn’t be ideal if not petite as it was a squeeze! (The holder def could do with being relocated!) But that’s the only small thing from the entire trip - as we really enjoyed our stay and the location is great. We love to walk and have been to NYC many times - this hotel was well placed for lots of amenities and close to Grand Central for getting to the US Open! Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Benjamin Hotel just so so if you want a tad bit of luxury.

Sep 8, 2024 TGskier

Went for the US Open. Great location to catch the train and walking around. Rooms are VERY spacious which is the good news but the bathroom is VERY tiny. Waaaaay too small to have 2 people in the room with both having toiletry stuff - not enough counter space. Rooms need to be updated for sure and they yet to have their restaurant done and… Read more
Went for the US Open. Great location to catch the train and walking around. Rooms are VERY spacious which is the good news but the bathroom is VERY tiny. Waaaaay too small to have 2 people in the room with both having toiletry stuff - not enough counter space. Rooms need to be updated for sure and they yet to have their restaurant done and I have stayed the past 2 years in a row. They use the cheapest version of a Keurig coffee maker and coffee brand so it’s terrible coffee. The least they can do is leave a small milk carton in the fridge for fresh milk. Room price is very fair but you get what you pay for - trying to keep the room price cheap and charging $20/day for wifi is not right. Include it in the room price so we don’t feel we are getting ripped off for wi-fi. I will not stay there again until there is more updating and free wi-fi Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Fantastic Hotel, massive rooms, excellent staff, perfect location

Sep 1, 2024 Safari47113269897 Warrington, United Kingdom

We had originally booked the Virgin Hotel as it had a swimming pool. Once we found out that there was a charge for this, we called Virgin and they allowed us to change hotel. We are so happy that we chose the Royal Benjamin. I rarely leave reviews, but I feel that the Benjamin deserves the praise. 1- The room. We had a queen suite. This is a… Read more
We had originally booked the Virgin Hotel as it had a swimming pool. Once we found out that there was a charge for this, we called Virgin and they allowed us to change hotel. We are so happy that we chose the Royal Benjamin. I rarely leave reviews, but I feel that the Benjamin deserves the praise. 1- The room. We had a queen suite. This is a separate bedroom, a kitchenette and a ‘living room’ that was the kids bedroom. There we two big TVs with cable, so plenty of news and sport on. There was two large closets that had hanging space and also had plenty of room for the suitcases. Our room attendant, Christine was amazing, room was cleaned brilliantly every day, fresh towels, coffee pods refilled etc. We were on the 11th floor and could only hear the fire engines at night (you get used to the noise in NYC) it wasn’t an issue and was a fairly quiet room. 2- The Hotel. It is undergoing renovations and I am confident to say that once these are all done, this will be classed as a top, top hotel in NYC. The size of the rooms, the service we received etc was perfect. The gym was adequate for a holiday work out and had fresh towels and water. The doormen were always friendly and were happy to store our suitcases on our departure day. We were given $15 credit a day as part of the hotel fees you pay, we got 4 Pepsi bottles a day ($4 dollars each) so just paid the extra $1. Essentially paying $1 a day for 4 soft drinks was great. 3- Location. Perfect location, about 5 blocks away from The Roc, 10 min walk from Grand Central and a subway station on the corner. A $12 pizza was a 5 min walk down Lexington Avenue, which was handy after a 30,000 step day! I can’t praise the Benjamin enough. It was a perfect hotel for a perfect stay. We are so glad we chose this hotel, and if you are reading reviews to help sway a decision to stay there, I would highly recommend you take the chance and stay. This hotel will be classed as a top, top hotel once renovations are complete Read less