The Pod Hotel

230 East 51^st Street

Neighborhood:                    Midtown East

Vibe:                                    Hip, Mod

My Room/Bed/Bath:          Single (aka twin bed) with private bathroom (there are only 8 of these type of rooms in the hotel)

WiFi:                                    Free

Price:                                   I booked my room through Venere.com 4 days before my stay the second week of January 2012 for a total of $109.97 (includes tax.)

Photo from The Pod Hotel web page photo gallery.

Feeling a bit like a scene from the 70s cartoon series The Jetsons, this hotel’s pod-like quarters lie in a quiet neighbourhood, nestled between some residential high-rises and the shopping glory of Fifth Avenue. Convenient subway access provides access to any of the hipper neighbourhoods in the city. An on-site cafe is open till 10 p.m., and there’s also a French bistro right through the hidden, un-marked door under the flatscreen in the lobby that’s open until 4:00 a.m.  Where as the GEM Hotel (see previous post) felt a little more grown-up, The Pod Hotel (http://www.thepodhotel.com/) feels more youthful...cooler than thou. 

Vibe:  The youthful hipness of this place, is (dare I say) tasteful.  With kind of a funky vibe – from the piped in music in the elevators (and the areas where you got on/off the elevators – more on that later), to the stainless steel sink/mirror station in the room that came straight from an airplane or train lavatory – this place definitely has a cool factor.  The rooms were Ikea-esque, but didn’t feel cheap.  Good use of space, including a small desk, iPod dock, flat screen tv, windows that opened wide...all good.  In the lobby there’s actually a concierge desk, unusual for hotels in this price range.  If I were a little more daring (or simply had a warmer coat) I would have checked out the roof-top terrace – I’d bet it’s awesome.

Quiet: Even though my room was around the corner from the elevator bank, you could still hear the faint sounds of the piped in music coming from the elevator waiting area.  Not the worst thing in the world, I suppose.  Neither was the hum of street noise from five stories below (I slept with the window open).  It didn’t wake me out of bed like the garbarge trucks canvassing 2^nd Avenue at 2:30 in the morning did.  (I stayed at the hotel on a Monday night... it appears that Tuesday morning is garbage day.)  If I go again, I would ask for an interior court-yard facing room, away from the elevators.

The in-room AC unit was moderately noisy, but acceptable.

Neighbourhood:  For a neighbourhood that seems a little blah, I’ve got quite a bit to say: Midtown East doesn’t carry the hipness, grittiness or wonder that other NYC neighbourhoods do, but it does offer some pretty good stuff.  Here’s my inside scoop...

Generally a quiet neighbourhood, gthe 51st Street near 2nd Avenue location is wedged between office buildings, residential towers, and the bustle of Rockefeller Center and Fifth Avenue shopping. There’s a firehouse and a police precinct right down the street (hopefully you’ll need neither) that oddly make this otherwise commercial zone feel more like a neighbourhood. 

Part of my reason for staying at Pod was an appointment that evening at Bliss. 12 57^th Street, 3^rd floor – about a 15-minute walk away.  This is hands-down (and dollars-down) the best spa in New York City.  I HIGHLY recommend Yaffa for waxing.  (I’ve forgotten her last name, but seriously, how many Yaffa’s could there be?)  She is an expert at her craft!  Apparently not everyone had a similar experience.  On check-out, a fellow patron complained to the manager about a less than optimal facial with someone named Nicola – I left before it was resolved, but consider yourself warned.

If I were a real tourist instead of an accidental one, I would DEFINITELY take a spin on the Roosevelt Island Tram. For the price of a subway ride each way, you’ll get the most amazing view of Manhattan, the East River and the 59^th Street Bridge if you’re feeling groovy (shameless Simon and Garfunkel plug.)

And speaking of spectacular transit options in New York, I encourage you to spend some time in Grand Central Terminal.  The Grand Central I remembered from my youth (dirty, disgusting, disfigured) was rescued from the wrecking ball and proposed parking garage in the early 1990’s and  rose from the ashes in 1998 after years of renovation.  The astronomical ceiling of the main concourse, complete with twinkling stars, never ceases to amaze me. GCT has a pulse that energizes.  Check it out.  If you’re heading to GCT from the Pod, take a left out of the hotel and take another left onto Park Avenue.  Pass through the arched, galleria-style arches of the Helmsley Walk between 47^th and 46^th street on either side of the Helmsely building at 230 Park Avenue.  Cross 46^th street via the large crosswalk midblock (not at the intersection), and enter GCT through the revolving doors there (between Naples 46 on the left and Cafe Centro on the right)... walk straight through, and after another set of interior revolving doors, take the escalator down to the Main Concourse – for a spectacular view.  Don’t forget.... stand to the right, walk on the left on the escalator!

Rockefeller Center is worth a closer look, and I recommend the Art & Archtecture Tour (which includes a pass by my favourite Banana Republic in America (at 626 5th Avenue). Look above the main entrance before you walk in for a special architectural treat).  

Restaurant: A few restaurants just a few doors down (as well as adjacent to) the Pod Hotel look like serviceable options for French, Sushi, Thai or Belgian.  I opted for Belgian at BXL East, 210 E. 51st – which was simply delightful.  On a quiet Monday night, I was perfectly comfortable dining alone at the bar (the Boucheé a la Reine was perfect comfort food:  Puff pastry with chicken, mushroom and bacon in a cream sauce); nice selection of beer and wine, too.

Access to the Subway:  The E and M are a 3 minute walk north; the 6 is a 3 minute walk to the West. (I find the M the most confusing subway line in NYC... it only runs on weekdays and at certain times.... and I can never tell if its running uptown or downtown since it starts in Queens and ends in Brooklyn. Anyway that’s my baggage.)