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Dock Your iPod at the Westin Times Square

Where: 270 West 43rd Street, At 8th Avenue [map], New York, ny, United States, 10036

The Westin Times Square pleasantly surprised us with their tech-savvy iPod/radio/alarm clock that sits on your nightstand. The gadget takes both 60gig video iPod and a Nano without any dock adjustments.

The rest of the hotel pleasantly surprised us as well. The spot caters largely to business travelers with tons of rooms devoted to conferences and other meetings. (Indeed, the lobby was bumping at 7:15am with people all pumped for the morning meetings.) But the rooms were fairly spacious and complete with the Heavenly Bed, the dual-headed Heavenly Shower and a few Heavenly bath towels. There was a great-looking flat-screen TV as well and some killer city views (i.e. no brick walls or air shafts.) The only downside in the room is the frighteningly loud toilet flush. It is very scary-sounding, like someone was screaming while drowning scary.

The fitness center is also spacious with a bunch of different machines--cardio and lifting--and views of the Hudson. There's a spa next door to the gym as well and even WestinWORKOUT rooms on the 23rd floor which have fitness equipment rooms inside.

The staff is friendly, professional and efficient which is probably necessary in a hotel this massive (another plus is the hotel's funky architecture.) Room service is ridiculously expensive ($10 for cereal) and there's also a restaurant, Shula's, inside the hotel but we didn't check that out. We were just thankful for the Starbucks located across the street.

There's free wireless internet access in the lobby which is nice but the lobby, while enormous with plenty of seating, is often loud and full of people coming and going. This is why it's so frustrating the hotel charges $14.95 a day for internet in your rooms and not even WiFi, just ethernet. But we promised we wouldn't get too mad about that. For a Westin property, free internet in the lobby is a big step.

More room photos post-jump.