When you set foot in an EVEN Hotel for the first time, your initial instinct might be to gaze, peek, and poke around — wondering if you've somehow stepped out of the present and into a futuristic set from Logan's Run. The architecture is sleek, the crowd is energized, and the whole place hums with an intention you simply don't encounter in most hotel lobbies.

If you're of a certain vintage, you might assume EVEN was built purely for Millennials. A quick look around does confirm a healthy twenty- and thirty-something crowd — but look again. You'll also spot guests who've been around four decades or more, and they look perfectly at home. EVEN, it turns out, is for anyone who refuses to let travel wreck their routine.

EVEN Hotels are the hospitality industry's most thorough answer to a growing question: what if a hotel was designed, from the ground up, around keeping you well? Not just comfortable — well. IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) launched the brand as their dedicated wellness concept, and the result is a stroke of genuine conceptual clarity that has only grown stronger in the years since.

Four colors. One clear idea.

Every EVEN property is organized around four brand pillars, each assigned a color in that distinctive rectangular logo on the building facade. It's not mere decoration — it's a daily operating philosophy, and once you know it, you start spotting its influence in every design decision throughout the hotel.

New York's Garment District — as central as it gets

The gleaming steel-gray exterior  ·  Photo: RoverTreks

Hop off a train at Penn Station — just 1.5 blocks away — and you're at the door. Or take a taxi, Uber, or subway; it almost doesn't matter how you arrive. The property at 321 West 35th Street is one of the most accessibly located hotels in Midtown Manhattan, putting you within easy reach of Hudson Yards, Madison Square Garden, and the broader fashion and garment districts.

The building announces itself with a gleaming steel-gray facade and that unmistakable EVEN logo — orange, blue, green, and brown rectangles stacked in deliberate balance. It doesn't try to blend in with the Midtown streetscape, and it's all the better for it. This is a hotel that knows exactly what it is.

Reception, games, dining — nothing here is just one thing

At the entrance, a floor-to-ceiling stone wall behind the reception desk meets a peekaboo glass panel revealing the game room beyond. Check-in is efficient and genuinely warm — the staff appear to have internalized the hotel's no-stress philosophy in their own easy manner.

Reception — EVEN Hotel, 321 West 35th St  ·  Photo: RoverTreks

Behind the front desk, four crescent-shaped wooden stair seating areas form an informal social hub. Throw pillows in red, blue, and gray invite you to sit, linger, and — rare in any New York hotel — actually slow down. It's a space that quietly tells you: you don't have to be anywhere right now.

The sit-and-chat gathering space  ·  Photo: RoverTreks

The game room — ping pong awaits  ·  Photo: RoverTreks

Around the corner: an open recreational room with ping pong and table soccer. These aren't afterthoughts tucked into a corridor. They're central to the experience. EVEN wants you to move, play, and step back — even briefly — from the relentless forward march of the business traveler's day.

The chat space overlooks a dining area that doubles as a low-intensity business center. Stone-faced pillars add warmth without heaviness. Dining tables serve equally as laptop workspaces. Two smart-card pedestals let you order from a digital menu and pay directly — no waiting on staff, no awkward restaurant formality. In a hurry? A self-serve station provides a quick fix. Forgot your computer? Two complimentary iMacs sit on a circular table nearby, and two sofa chairs face a tiered newspaper rack for the analog-minded.

The dining area from the level above  ·  Photo: RoverTreks

Complimentary iMacs in the dining area  ·  Photo: RoverTreks

One small detail captures the brand's personality perfectly: every room number in the hotel is even. Glance at the sign below — they didn't accidentally skip the odd numbers. They never had those rooms to begin with.

Every room is even-numbered — by design  ·  Photo: RoverTreks

Cork floors, medicine balls, and a bed that actually sleeps you

The guestroom is where EVEN's concept earns its keep. The most immediately striking feature is the cork flooring — and once you've thought about it for a moment, it makes complete sense. Cork is an insulator, so floors stay warm underfoot at 6 a.m. It's a natural cushion, softening every barefoot step after a long day on the pavement. And it's antimicrobial — suppressing bacteria and repelling dust and small particles to create a genuinely cleaner sleeping environment. For a brand built on wellness, cork is not a design quirk. It is, in the most literal sense, a commitment you feel underfoot.

Cork flooring — warm, cushioned, and antimicrobial  ·  Photo: RoverTreks

Rooms are compact but efficient — a quality more valuable in Manhattan than square footage. A sliding glass door with mirrors separates the bathroom from the combined sleep-work-workout zone. A swing-arm wall mount lets you rotate the TV toward the bed. USB ports flank the nightstands alongside dimmable, repositionable halogen reading lights. The carpet even carries the EVEN logo's rectangular pattern in its weave — the brand thinking is that total.

The king room — cork floors, tranquil palette, carpet echoing the EVEN logo. USB ports and adjustable reading lights are positioned above the side table.  ·  Photo: RoverTreks

The in-room workout setup is where things get genuinely clever. A medicine ball, floor-to-ceiling exercise bar with cables, ropes, and floor mats make it possible to complete a meaningful training session without leaving the room. A comprehensive workout manual is provided — no guessing, no searching YouTube. EVEN has done the programming for you. And if you prefer company when you sweat, the full athletic studio downstairs is a proper facility with current equipment — not a token row of treadmills tucked into a utility room.

The athletic studio — a full facility, not a footnote  ·  Photo: RoverTreks

Cork & Ale: Fresh food, thoughtful presentation, no sticker shock

The Cork & Ale restaurant offers one of the most pleasant surprises in any hotel we've visited: genuinely good food, thoughtfully composed, at prices that don't require a corporate expense account. The menu is fresh, the presentation considered, and the atmosphere is relaxed without being negligent. When we first visited, the menu's most expensive item was $15 — a figure that drew more than a few double-takes. We recommend checking current pricing directly with the property, as menus have evolved since our original visit.

The Cork & Ale menu from our original visit — verify current pricing with the property directly  ·  Photo: RoverTreks

EVEN Hotels in 2025: a national footprint, growing globally

When we first published this review in February 2018, EVEN Hotels numbered just six properties — all in the United States, and we described ten more “in the pipeline.” The growth since has been substantial. As of late 2024, the brand counts more than 33 hotels globally, with 26 locations across 16 U.S. states, and first international openings now underway — including a property planned in Quanzhou, China in 2025.

The brand's strongest U.S. presence is in Florida, with five locations, followed by New York and Texas. Recent additions include EVEN Hotel Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport in Montana, EVEN Hotel Portland–Beaverton in Oregon, EVEN Hotel Waco–University Area in Texas, and EVEN Hotel Miami–Doral Area in Florida. If you're an IHG One Rewards member, EVEN Hotels earn and redeem points like any other IHG property — a worthwhile consideration when choosing between comparable options on your next trip.