Stay & Play
ROW NYC
by Randy Mink
Whenever I travel to New York City, I stay close to the Times Square theater district, the beating heart of midtown Manhattan. Home base on my recent trip was the 1,331-room ROW NYC, which reopened on May 1, 2026, after an extensive renovation that has transformed the Eighth Avenue landmark.
The 28-story, brick-and-terracotta building began life in 1928 as the Hotel Lincoln and has undergone various name changes over the years. Though the place isn’t exactly new, it seems like it is. Redesigned guest rooms and public spaces sparkle. Everything, from carpeting to bathroom fixtures, seems so fresh and new. I had stayed at ROW NYC about 10 years ago and liked it then, but now there’s that extra glow.
One morning for breakfast in the lobby, my companion and I snared window chairs overlooking car-clogged Eighth Avenue. It was fun watching the street life as we enjoyed muffins and coffee from the morning-to-night cafe and bar. Our perch rested atop a tiered, stadium-style seating section. The “bleachers” are perfect for viewing sporting events on the cafe’s giant-screen TV, and for just hanging out. During our June visit, the stepped space was thronged by soccer fans watching FIFA Cup action.
Guest rooms, typical of Manhattan hotels, are rather compact. They come in more than 20 categories and offer Hudson River or classic skyline views. Our 19th-floor nest, freshly painted in a calming sage green, made for a quiet retreat well above the traffic of Eighth Avenue.
