Manhattan, NY — The Hampton Inn Empire State Building, located at 59 West 35th Street, received a Grade B following a health inspection conducted March 17, 2026, according to records released by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) on March 20, 2026. The restaurant scored 24 points, placing it near the upper boundary of the Grade B range and within four points of the Grade C threshold.

What Inspectors Found

Inspectors documented one critical violation during the March inspection:

  • Code 06D: Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

This violation falls within the category of food contact surface sanitation — one of the areas most directly tied to foodborne illness risk. Food contact surfaces include cutting boards, prep tables, utensils, and equipment that comes into direct contact with food during preparation or service. Failure to properly clean and sanitize these surfaces between uses can allow cross-contamination between raw and ready-to-eat foods.

No non-critical violations were cited during this inspection.

Food Safety Context

Under NYC Health Code Article 81 and consistent with FDA Food Code standards, food service establishments are required to wash, rinse, and sanitize all food contact surfaces after each use and after any event that could introduce contamination. The three-step process — wash with detergent, rinse with clean water, sanitize with an approved solution — is considered a foundational food safety practice.

A score of 24 sits near the top of the Grade B range. While the establishment met the threshold to avoid a Grade C designation, the score reflects a meaningful accumulation of points. DOHMH assigns points based on the nature and severity of each violation, with critical violations typically carrying higher point values than non-critical ones.

Inspection History

The Hampton Inn Empire State Building's recent inspection record shows variability in performance:

  • November 13, 2024: Score 9 (Grade A)
  • May 7, 2024: Score 23
  • November 14, 2022: Score 10 (Grade A)
  • April 11, 2022: Score 29

The establishment earned Grade A scores in both 2022 and 2024, demonstrating a capacity for strong compliance. The May 2024 inspection also resulted in a score within the Grade B range. The current score of 24 is consistent with that intermediate pattern, though it represents the highest score recorded in the available inspection history.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City's letter grading system assigns grades based on inspection scores:

  • A: 0–13 points (posted immediately)
  • B: 14–27 points (establishment may request re-inspection before grade is posted)
  • C: 28 or more points

Grade cards are required to be posted in a visible location at the restaurant entrance. Consumers can look up full inspection records, including individual violation codes and inspection dates, through the DOHMH's public restaurant inspection database at nyc.gov/health.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for Hampton Inn Empire State Building including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.