A new Holiday Inn Express opened up in May on 48^th St, adding to the pile of hotels that have opened up past 10^th Ave in that area:

177 rooms, just down the road from the Intrepid, and of course “near” Times Square. It’ll probably be a hit. This is the second Holiday Inn to open in (roughly) the area this year alone, after the earlier outpost near Herald Square. The beginning of a trend?