XPOSRE Media

[ Venue notes ]

Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel

Opened in 1962 as the Americana of New York, designed by Morris Lapidus and billed as the world's tallest hotel. Today it has 39 event rooms on four levels and one ballroom much taller than the rest.

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Last checked November 12, 2026; each fact shows its source and the date it was checked. Official site: marriott.com/en-us/hotels/nycst-sheraton-new-york-times-square-hotel/events/. XPOSRE hasn't photographed an event here yet; this page is research, not a portfolio.

[ The building ]Four event levels and a side door

The event rooms sit on four levels. The Conference Level, opened in 2015 as the hotel's executive conference center, has its own entrance on West 52nd Street, so a board meeting can arrive without crossing a lobby full of tourists.

4Event levelsHotel Cvent listing (room levels), November 12, 2026
21.9 ftMetropolitan Ballroom ceilingSheraton Times Square events page and capacity chart, November 12, 2026
12.4 ftTallest of all the othersSheraton Times Square events page and capacity chart, November 12, 2026
Where the event space is in the Sheraton Times Square Schematic drawn by XPOSRE Media from published meeting-space information. 5: Madison Suites 1–6 · Park Suites 1–5 (8 ft); 3: New York Ballroom · Riverside · Carnegie · Liberty Suites; 2: Metropolitan Ballroom · Empire · Lenox · Central Park; Conf.: Conference Level, 13 rooms · own entrance on W 52nd St. 44 Club Lounge (guests only) 6–43 Guest rooms 5 Event space Madison Suites 1–6 · Park Suites 1–5 (8 ft) 3 Event space New York Ballroom · Riverside · Carnegie · Liberty Suites 2 Event space Metropolitan Ballroom · Empire · Lenox · Central Park Lobby Lobby Conf. Event space Conference Level, 13 rooms · own entrance on W 52nd St Seventh Avenue: main lobby (lobby renovation permits issued in 2025)
Schematic drawn by XPOSRE Media, not to scale. Floors from Hotel Cvent listing (room level names) and the hotel's capacity chart, November 12, 2026. Whether the Conference Level is below the street or at grade on 52nd St isn't published; ask the hotel.

[ The rooms ]The rooms, drawn to one scale

The Metropolitan is the big room; everything else is a mid-size ballroom or a meeting room. Drawn at one scale, the long, narrow New York and Empire ballrooms stand out. A camera at one end of a 175-foot room is a long way from the other end.

Main rooms of the Sheraton Times Square drawn to one scale Rectangles at each room's published length and width. Metropolitan Ballroom 153 by 95 feet; New York Ballroom 175 by 47 feet; Empire Ballroom 147 by 47 feet; Central Park East 67 by 63 feet; Lenox Ballroom 62 by 54 feet; Riverside Ballroom 51 by 41 feet; Bowery 45 by 40 feet; Madison Suite (each) 24 by 22 feet. Metropolitan Ballroom 153 × 95 ft · 16,576 sq ft New York Ballroom 175 × 47 ft · 8,333 sq ft Empire Ballroom 147 × 47 ft · 6,345 sq ft Central Park East 67 × 63 ft · 3,178 sq ft Lenox Ballroom 62 × 54 ft · 2,791 sq ft Riverside Ballroom 51 × 41 ft · 1,731 sq ft Bowery 45 × 40 ft · 1,829 sq ft Madison Suite (each) 24 × 22 ft · 352 sq ft 50 ft
A rectangular comparison from each room's published length and width, all at one scale: not a floor-plan footprint. Where a venue's area figure doesn't match its dimensions, the table gives the venue's area. Drawn by XPOSRE Media.

One ballroom has 21.9 feet. Every other event room in the building is between 8 and 12.4. If your general session needs rear projection, an IMAG screen or a lighting truss, start with the Metropolitan, and confirm clearances with the hotel.

Ceiling heights in the Sheraton Times Square Metropolitan Ballroom: 21.9 ft; New York Ballroom: 11.1 ft; Empire Ballroom: 10.8 ft; Central Park East: 10.7 ft; Lenox Ballroom: 11.1 ft; Bowery: 12.4 ft; Riverside Ballroom: 9.1 ft; Madison Suite (each): 8 ft, next to a 6 ft person for scale. 6 ft 21.9 ft Metropolitan 11.1 ft New York 10.8 ft Empire 10.7 ft Central Pk E 11.1 ft Lenox 12.4 ft Bowery 9.1 ft Riverside 8 ft Madison Ste
Published ceiling heights next to a 6 ft person. Lighting rigs, chandeliers and soffits hang lower.
Main event rooms at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel
RoomFloorSq ftSize (ft)CeilingTheaterBanquetDaylight
Metropolitan Ballroom216,576153 × 9521.9 ft1,7001,600Not stated
New York Ballroom38,333175 × 4711.1 ft800600Not stated
Empire Ballroom26,345147 × 4710.8 ft650480Not stated
Central Park East23,17867 × 6310.7 ft75250Not stated
Lenox Ballroom22,79162 × 5411.1 ft100150Not stated
BoweryConference1,82945 × 4012.4 ft180130Not stated
Riverside Ballroom31,73151 × 419.1 ft110110Not stated
Madison Suite (each)535224 × 228 ft3024Not stated

Source: Hotel capacity chart, November 12, 2026. "Not stated" means the venue doesn't say.

[ Before you book it ]The Americana years

Before it was a Sheraton, this was the Americana, the Tisch brothers' bet on the 1964 World's Fair. Some dated moments:

  1. 1960A hotel for the World's Fair

    Laurence and Preston Tisch of Loews build the Americana for the crowds expected at the 1964–65 World's Fair, and for business and convention travel. Stanley Turkel, "The Americana of New York (1962)", Hotel Online, November 12, 2026

  2. 1962The world's tallest hotel

    The Americana of New York opens in September, designed by Morris Lapidus (of the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach). For years it is promoted as the tallest hotel in the world, and it's the first 1,000-plus-room hotel built in New York since the Waldorf Astoria in 1931. Stanley Turkel, "The Americana of New York (1962)", Hotel Online, November 12, 2026

  3. 1962Built in concrete

    At completion it's the tallest concrete-framed building in the city. Stanley Turkel, "The Americana of New York (1962)", Hotel Online, November 12, 2026

  4. 1967The Emmys come to town

    The Americana hosts the New York portion of the Emmy Awards in 1967 and 1968. Stanley Turkel, "The Americana of New York (1962)", Hotel Online, November 12, 2026

  5. 1968Apple Corps

    John Lennon and Paul McCartney announce Apple Corps at a press conference at the Americana on 14 May. Stanley Turkel, "The Americana of New York (1962)", Hotel Online, November 12, 2026

  6. 1974The NFL Draft

    The 1974 draft is held here. Stanley Turkel, "The Americana of New York (1962)", Hotel Online, November 12, 2026

  7. 1979Sheraton takes over

    Sold to Sheraton and Equitable and renamed the Sheraton Centre. In 1991 the original 1960s base is re-clad in squared granite, so the podium you see is not Lapidus's. Stanley Turkel, "The Americana of New York (1962)", Hotel Online, November 12, 2026

  8. 2001An office for Lehman Brothers

    After 9/11 the bank turns lounges and 665 guest rooms into temporary offices. Stanley Turkel, "The Americana of New York (1962)", Hotel Online, November 12, 2026

  9. 2013Donuts on the ceiling

    The Metropolitan Ballroom is redesigned with color-changing LED chandeliers "shaped like big, sleek donuts". It had hosted election nights for 51 years. Overnight New York, 22 Apr 2013, November 12, 2026

[ Venue facts ]Sheraton Times Square at a glance

XPOSRE Media venue notes: Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel
FactDetailSource and date checked
Address811 Seventh Avenue at 53rd Street; the hotel runs the whole Seventh Avenue block from 52nd to 53rdHotel Cvent listing, November 12, 2026
Size1,780 guest rooms; 39 event rooms and 61,808 sq ft of event spaceSheraton Times Square events page and capacity chart, November 12, 2026
Largest roomMetropolitan Ballroom, 16,576 sq ft, 153 × 95 ft, 21.9 ft ceiling; theater 1,700, banquet 1,600, reception 2,500Sheraton Times Square events page and capacity chart, November 12, 2026
OwnershipSold by Host Hotels & Resorts in 2022 to MCR and Island Capital Group; it carries the Sheraton flag as a franchiseConnect CRE, November 12, 2026
In-house AVEncoreHotel planning resources page, November 12, 2026

[ Photography and production ]What to plan for

What the hotel publishes, and what it leaves to the event manager.

Photography and production considerations at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel
TopicWhat we foundSource and date checked
Ceiling heightsOnly the Metropolitan Ballroom is taller than 12.4 ft, so it offers by far the most headroom. Confirm clearances and rigging points with the hotel before assigning rear projection, truss or a camera riser to any roomSheraton Times Square events page and capacity chart, November 12, 2026
ArrivalsWhen it opened in 2015, the Conference Level was announced with its own entrance on West 52nd Street, apart from the main lobby; confirm it's in use for your datesMeetings Today, 20 Mar 2015, November 12, 2026
Shipping kitThe hotel's 2024 receiving form (check for a newer one): send the form 10 days ahead, label boxes "Hold for" the event and on-site contact; fees by weight, pallets only if space allows; packages held up to five business daysHotel shipping and receiving form, 2024, November 12, 2026
Not publishedLoading dock, freight elevator sizes, outside-AV fees, union rules and insurance requirements for vendors. Ask the event manager in writing before load-inSheraton Times Square events page and capacity chart, November 12, 2026
Lobby worksCity permits for a lobby renovation were issued in 2025, so older photos of the lobby may not match what you'll findNYC DOB NOW permits (block 1005, lot 1), November 12, 2026

[ Shot list ]Frames this building gives you

Ideas for a shot list, worked out from the building's layout. They're suggestions to check on a walkthrough, not photos we've taken here.

  1. The color of the room

    The Metropolitan's LED chandeliers change color. Ask whether they can match the event's brand color for the gala; it changes every wide shot of the night.

  2. Arrivals without the crowd

    The Conference Level's own 52nd Street door gives a clean arrival frame for an executive meeting, away from the main lobby.

  3. Tight rooms, close moments

    Most rooms here are 8 to 12 feet high. That suits close, candid breakout coverage with bounce flash, and rules out big overhead angles. Plan the look around it.

  4. The long ballrooms

    The New York Ballroom is 175 feet long and 47 wide. Cover a speaker from the side aisles, not just the back, or the stage ends up tiny in the frame.

[ Around the building ]What's around, for planners

The Sheraton shares its neighborhood with the Hilton Midtown, one block east. What a planner needs nearby:

Getting there

  • 7 Av at the corner, computed

    B, D and E with an entrance at Seventh Avenue and 53rd, the hotel's own corner. MTA E line map, November 12, 2026

  • 57 St–7 Av about 2–3 min, computed

    N, Q, R and W, two blocks north. MTA N line map, November 12, 2026

  • 50 St about 4 min, computed

    The 1 train at Broadway and 50th. MTA 1 line map, November 12, 2026

Overflow and VIP hotels

  • New York Hilton Midtown about 4 min, computed

    Sixth Avenue at 53rd–54th; 1,878 rooms and the city's largest hotel ballroom by its own claim. Our Hilton venue notes, November 12, 2026

  • Park Central New York about 3–4 min, computed

    870 Seventh Avenue at 56th; about 761 rooms per Travel Weekly. Travel Weekly listing, November 12, 2026

  • Warwick New York about 5–6 min, computed

    65 West 54th, Hearst's 1926 hotel; about 426 rooms per a hotel directory. Five Star Alliance listing, November 12, 2026

  • New York Marriott Marquis about 8–9 min, computed

    Seven blocks south on Seventh Avenue and Broadway; 1,971 rooms for a second big block. Our Marriott Marquis venue notes, November 12, 2026

Off-site dinner or reception

  • Gallagher's Steakhouse about 2–3 min, computed

    Theater District steakhouse on West 52nd Street, open since 1927; private rooms for up to 95 at dinner or 125 for cocktails. Gallagher's, November 12, 2026

  • The Modern at MoMA about 7 min, computed

    Inside the Museum of Modern Art; private room over the sculpture garden, buyouts up to 250 standing. The Modern, private dining, November 12, 2026

The group photo outside

  • 810 Seventh Avenue plaza across Seventh Ave

    A public plaza on the southwest corner of Seventh and 53rd, directly across the avenue. Permit: Private property kept open to the public: ask the building's management before an organized group shot. From the city sidewalk, a handheld camera or tripod needs no permit. (MOME) NYC Planning, privately owned public spaces (updated 5 Nov 2026), November 12, 2026

  • Central Park, south end about 7 min, computed

    Six blocks north at Central Park South. Permit: Commercial shoots go through the Conservancy's request form, then a city permit; allow a week or more. (Conservancy) Central Park Conservancy, November 12, 2026

Distances are walking estimates. Where the venue publishes its own times we use them; otherwise we count Manhattan blocks from the addresses. Places listed are suggestions, not partners; nothing here is paid placement. Permit rules change and depend on what you plan to do: confirm with the property or agency before scheduling a shoot.

[ Official plans ]Floor plans from the source

The venue's own drawings are the ones to plan from. We link to them rather than copy them:

[ Related ]Planning an event here

More on events in New York City. Other venue notes: Javits Center · Marriott Marquis · Hilton Midtown · Convene 360 Madison · Pier Sixty. Services: Conference Photography · Corporate Event Photography · Trade Show & Exhibit Photography · Conference & Corporate Headshots · Onsite Photo Printing · Event Videography.

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