Yotel

Straight out of Austin Powers this futuristic hotel with its excellent “Latin Asian tapas” restaurant and robotic bellman makes Yotel a Disneyland for super-groovy adults at the corner of 10^th Avenue and 42^nd Street.  And don’t let this location put you off... there’s a boatload of modern conveniences and restaurants nearby, and access to the subway is just a couple minutes’ away.

A sofa that turns into a bed with the push of a button is just downright cool (even if it’s not all that comfortable).  A glass wall separating the sleeping quarters from the shower and bathroom is fun;  but you may want to think twice before sharing a room with a casual acquaintance.   I knew the Yotel airport franchise from my time in Europe (London Heathrow and Amsterdam Schiphol were the sites of the first Yotels) but this was my first stay.  
Click here for hotel details and full review.

Hotel Lola

29 East 29^th Street

Neighborhood:	Midtown East or somewhere between Murray Hill and Flatiron
Vibe:	Swanky: Urban sophistication with old school undertones
My Room/Bed/Bath:	Superior Queen, private bath
WiFi:	Free
Price:	$147.60 ($173.87, including tax) in late January 2012.  Booked via the company's website Hotel Lola about two weeks in advance.

The Hotel Lola is the blessed love child of two midtown stalwarts:  as cool as the W was a dozen years ago, blended with the simple luxe style of the Grand Hyatt.  While not all the rooms are as spacious as my “superior” queen, the hotel is new, comfortable and chic.  You’ll find a little bit of luxury here, too.  In a good, somewhat quiet, neighbourhood there is no shortage of excellent restaurants, brasseries, steakhouses and pubs within walking distance. You’ll also be about a block from the Subway – and your ticket to everything New York City has to offer.  The hotel was recently renovated (in mid- to late- 2011) from top to bottom, and even the name is new; it used to go by Hotel Thirty Thirty.  While a few minor (very minor) details have been overlooked, Lola is a showgirl!

What an entrance!  Hotel Lola makes a great first impression
with a lobby that doubles as a swanky cocktail lounge.

Vibe:  Hotel Lola has an air of mature sophistication with a stylish lobby that doubles as a cocktail bar, fine details and a pleasant staff.  Comfortable beds with a down duvet above you and featherbed below you are as “high end” as they come.  Stylish decor – including simply mod wallpaper in the corridors and bedrooms – felt both old school and contemporary.

I inspected a “Standard Queen” room, as expected all of the comfy details, but scaled down and more typical size for hotels in this price range.  The Standard Queen or even a single room would have been quite luxurious for the price, but the extra $25 for the “Superior Queen” – if you can get one, there are not many – is worth the upgrade.

My room (709), like all the Superior Queens, was tucked away in the corner of the building, at the end of the not-too-long corridor.  It was well appointed and above all spacious. The sleeping quarters measured roughly 12 feet by 18 feet and housed the queen bed, a couple night stands, an upholstered leather chair and desk with lots of room to spare.  For travellers spending more than a couple days, or those who haven’t packed light, a Superior Queen at Lola is a great option. 

 

The bathroom was as wide as the room and about 4 feet deep – long and narrow, spacious and spa-like.

The staff at the front desk was helpful and accommodating.  Other perks included vending machines on the 10^th floor for late night snacks, a restaurant (Zana) on site, and a gym on the lower level.  The lobby/cocktail lounge was tres chic!

 

Now a couple of nit-picky details that bugged me.  As someone who is the process of remodelling a home, I can’t understand why anyone would go through the effort of painting anything without removing or sanding down bumps left from old paint or glue.  But there, on every single freshly painted door, was the outline of where the old room number had been, before the number was relocated to the wall.  Every. Single. Door.  Such inattention to detail cheapens a place.  Another overlooked detail was smudged grout in the shower – I don’t fault the hotel for shoddy workmanship, but these are details that would have cost nothing more to do right (or fix).  Also the glass shower wall wasn’t ample enough to keep the fantastic showerhead’s spray in the shower area – nothing a bathmat can’t fix, though!



My room indicated by the red dot
in the upper left is bigger than most.

Quiet: My room, a Superior Queen, was tucked into the corner on the 7^th floor, away from the elevators.  I did hear a neighbour’s door slam once during the night – but other than that, peaceful and quiet. 

Neighbourhood:    A low key neighbourhood featuring the towering New York Life building, apartment buildings, small shops, the ubiquitous Starbucks, and a few oddities, like the Gershwin Hotel and the Museum of Sex.  With such close proximity to the wonderful Jazz club, The Jazz Standard, and its upstairs neighbour, barbeque joint Blue Smoke – there is no excuse NOT to spend an evening there.

A few steps away from the hotel, at 419 Park Avenue South at 29^th Street, is Bread & Butter, a bakery/gourmet grocery/hot food take-away/salad bar/fruit&veg/flower/deli/beer&wine store and cafe.....and they deliver.

Restaurant: I struggled with my restaurant choice on my recent visit.  I was tempted to go to Blue Smoke (again), but was also secretly wanting to check out I Trulli, an Italian place specializing in the food from the Puglia region of Italy, where my mom is from.  I scoped out a few local restaurants, the crowded Hillstone, the hip modern Italian SD26, Primehouse steakhouse, modern Mexican Dos Caminos, modern southeast Asian Prana – all seem worth trying, but the place where I’d probably go if I do it again:  Resto, a Belgian gastropub.  Also, if word of mouth is any indication, also worth visiting (and I hear, suitable for the solo traveller) Eleven Madison Park and the Gramercy Tavern.  (I won’t officially recommend any place I haven’t personally experienced....but these two ARE on my list!)

I decided on I Trulli – thinking it might be a place my mom might enjoy on her next visit to The City.  I opted to sit at the small, marble bar in the more casual Enoteca off to the side of the regular restaurant.  As much as I would like to say nice things about this place, I’m ashamed to admit that both this restaurant and I have Puglia in common.  Service was shoddy, everything was overly expensive, the orecchiette was so tough that I thought they accidentally served me gnocchi. (I couldn’t help but think, I would have had a much better meal at a fraction of the price – and served by the stunning barkeep, Oliver –  at the lovely and low key Cucina de Pesce, a place I know well, on East 4^th Street.) As for I Trulli, I wouldn’t recommend it, and I would never go back. Enough said.

Access to the Subway:  The 6 and 4 are just a two minute walk away at Park Avenue and 28^th Street





A parting shot.  The back wall of the lift --
stunning late-60s early-70s photo.  So chic!







Stay. Hotel

157 West 47^th Street

Neighborhood:	Time Square West
Vibe:	Stylish
My Room/Bed/Bath:	“Double room with Queen bed”, private bathroom
WiFi:	$9.95 per 24 hour period
Price:	$101 plus tax ($119.57 total) in late January booked two weeks in advance via www.venere.com

Just steps away from Times Square, Stay is certainly a treat for those who envision this raucous patch of neon as quintessential New York. Reasonably priced, stylish and with a dash of whimsy, Stay offers an oasis in the heart of the most buzzing and twinkling part of The City.  Its got a big heart, too:  On a rainy evening, the big, bright “loaner” umbrella from the front desk was a life saver.  Other amenities and services often found at hotels way above The Stay’s price point – such as room service, overnight shoe shine, concierge, business center, laundry service, and complimentary access to NY Sports Club – makes this hotel is a perfect tourist destination, but also serviceable as a business hotel.  As with all New York hotels in this price range, Stay is best suited for those who travel light – rooms are small, but the extras make up for it.

Vibe:  A stylish oasis in the heart of Times Square.

Quiet:  Just the white noise of the city below.

Neighbourhood:    Tourist and theatre destination; Times Square and the bright lights of Broadway. 

Restaurant:  Though not sampled on this stay, the Aspen Social Club, which is part of the hotel, gets good reviews, as does the lounge/bar it turns into after hours.  Room service is also an option as are a gazillion places in Times Square and environs. 

Access to the Subway:  Access to 8 Subway lines (1, 2, 3, 7, N, R, Q and the S/42^nd Street Shuttle) at the Times Square Station, located under Times Square, where 42^nd Street, 7^th Avenue and Broadway

Guest Post, courtesy of Guest Blogger Rajene:

At the Stay.

First impressions mean a lot, so I was a little disappointed at the location.  It’s not a great block for atmosphere.  At the heart of Times Square lunacy and blending well into the background of a busy city street from the outside, the Stay. could easily be missed.  Lobby windows are sequestered behind dark glass.

Arriving just after 7 PM I found the reception area empty.  No one to greet me.  A few guests sat in the back near the business center speaking softly or quietly absorbed in their electronic toys.

Finally a young lady popped up at the window and began her rehearsed speech to check me in.  I asked for a room away from the elevator and soon was on my way to Room 316 and a night of quiet curiosity.

  

The wall-size flat screen was on, but after a few moments of channel surfing I clicked it off.  A Bose radio on the nightstand held my attention.  I love music and was happy to have such a prideful machine at my disposal for the evening.  Nicki Minaj “Super Bass” and a few rap songs later I was calmly enjoying WQXR, my old favorite classical radio station.  Superb!

The room was small and overtaken by the queen sized bed.  Comfy and cramped, New York style.  Peeking out the north-facing window to the bright city lights, I wondered if all the workers had gone home and how pretty Barclays looked in the evening.

My excursion for the evening took me along Sixth Avenue to Pazza Notte, an Italian restaurant with martini specials, noisy, upbeat crowds and great wait staff at 6^th and 56^th.  Yes, I walked in the rain from 47th to 56th street, and why?  It was fun to maneuver through traffic and tourists with my super duper, deluxe bright, bright orange Stay. umbrella.  I felt encapsulated and dry.

The view from under the big, bright umbrella courtesy of Stay.

  

Several hours later I sip warm rum and coke.  The evening night’s quiet punctuated by persistent white noise, a machine somewhere beyond my walls.  Lights out reveals a flickering smoke detector above my head that could easily double as disco ball for ants.  Otherwise agreeable, morning came on time and New York ready for the new day.

Downstairs at check-out, I had a moment to appreciate the floor-to-ceiling fish tanks in the dark lobby.  Muted motion inside a crazed city.

They, and the Stay. were okay.



The fish tank in the lobby of Stay.



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.)

Budget hotels: The Jeep Wrangler of urban adventure

I got into a bit of a debate with a friend the other day about this blog – and the reason for it.  He said, “Small rooms, noisy surroundings. Sorry. I'll pay the extra to upgrade my stay.”  But the truth is, you can pay a lot for a hotel in New York City (or Paris, or London, or Warsaw, or Nice, or Rome or elsewhere) and still get a small, noisy room – and have a much lighter wallet.

Then it dawned on me.  My friend, who vowed never to stay in the “shitholes” that I write about, drives a Jeep Wrangler.  Small, noisy, cold in winter, no convenience features and not particularly comfortable.  Why did he choose that vehicle to get him from point A to point B over, say, a Ford Explorer? For just 20% more he could have had a bigger, quieter, better handling car, that is more comfortable for longer rides, has nicer features, and sports and a longer wheelbase that would handle significantly better.  Why didn’t he pay extra to upgrade his ride?  Certainly he could afford something bigger and “nicer”.

In an article by Jim Walczak: “The Jeep Wrangler is definitely not for everyone. It largely depends on your personality (and your sense of adventure)... a Wrangler is definitely a "no frills" vehicle. It comes with very few "extras", and some of the most basic things (carpet, steel doors, rear seat) are considered options.”  You can easily replace “Jeep Wrangler” with the name of any given budget hotel.

Just like my friend probably cannot rationally justify the allure of the Jeep (he’d probably say something like “they’re cool” or “I’ve always wanted one” or "they're different") when he could be driving something much more luxurious and comfortable.  Similarly, I cannot justify why I’m fascinated with budget hotels, when I could easily afford (and enjoy) something more expensive.  Maybe it’s the sense of freedom or adventure that both his Jeep and these hotel rooms embody – its what they stand for (off-roading in the outback or exploring the streets and nuances of a great city) and the experiences and satisfaction beyond just “transportation” or “a night’s sleep” those things bring us.

Maybe we shouldn’t try to define it at all, and chock it up to je nais se quois – that certain something that we can’t quite express.

The GEM Chelsea

300 West 22^nd Street, New York

Neighbourhood:                Chelsea

Vibe:                                 Boutique, not budget

My Room/Bed/Bath:        Double room/queen bed with private bath

WiFi:                                 Free

Price:                                I booked my room 3 days before my stay the first week of January 2012 for $129 ($153, including tax).

The GEM Chelsea feels way more boutique than budget.  On relatively quiet W 22^nd Street near 8^th Avenue in Chelsea, the place really is a gem (the odd mannequin greeting you in the lobby notwithstanding.)

From the hotel brochure, “The GEM Hotel honors individuality and offers an authentic approach to guest serves.  We aim to offer a one-of-a-kind experience for the urban adventurer looking to connect with something elusive:  the real New York.”    They live up to their claim.  I highly recommend The GEM Chelsea.

Vibe: Definitely a boutique hotel – with an unexpected attention to detail... from funky-packaged shampoo and body lotion in the bathroom to a hip-flask style of spring water to the great-thing-of-all-great-things, an in-room coffee maker!  Remember, I’m staying in budget hotels once a week not because I have to, but because I want to... The GEM’s amenities rival some hotels I’ve slept in at three times the price.  But this is still a budget option – so expect your room to be tiny (as you should with any New York budget-minded hotel) – but the room was large enough to comfortably hold a queen size bed, plus a small wardrobe (with an iron and ironing board inside!  Hooray!)

Quiet: I had asked for a quiet room at check in and was granted a room on the 14^th floor, away from the elevator.  Of course, even with those precautions, you can’t avoid noisy tourists coming in after a night on the town... some corridor noise cannot be avoided (this is a great city that must be enjoyed!  I can’t fault those that do, even if I do have to be up early for work in the morning.) The in-room air conditioning unit was moderately noisy, but it wasn’t really a necessity during my stay in early January. 

Neighbourhood:  The GEM is in a nice part of Chelsea neighbourhood, which I find interesting but less less hip (in a good way) than Greenwich Village.  The GEM feels like its truly a part of the community, too... with local recommendations on the chalkboard in the lobby, complimentary iPods preloaded with walking tours, and text messages about neighbourhood happenings....I didn’t take them up on any of these things, but it was nice to know they’re there.    I also didn’t take the frontdeskmen’s suggested dinner option when I asked for a restaurant with healthy-ish food.  More on that below.

My favourite shopping haunts in the area are my beloved The Container Store at 629 Sixth Avenue at 19th Street; Muji at 16 West 19th Street; Fish’s Eddy  at 889 Broadway at 19th Street and Paper Presentations at 23 West 18th Street (there’s also an entrance on 19^th Street)

Restaurant:  The nice man at the front desk recommended Muscle Maker Grill at 92 8^th Ave for dinner.  By the name, I could tell it wasn’t for me....remember, I’m staying in budget hotels, but I splurge on my dining experience. After walking past what might have been a few suitable options nearby on 8^th Avenue, I opted instead for a place I know well, and knew I’d be comfortable dining alone.  Sala One Nine, 35 West 19^th Street. I’d been there before with friend Caroline... its a great Tapas restaurant, and a little quieter (and more comfortable for the solo diner) than the also excellent Boqueria, (which I can also recommend) at 53 West 19^th Street.

By the way, Sala delivers!  If you’re interested in room service (or semi-room service) they might be worth a shot.  Phone them directly @ 212.229.2300 to place your order or use one of NYC’s delivery aggregators to order online:  seamlessweb.com, delivery.com, allmenus.com.

Access to the Subway:  The A/C/E and 1/2 are just a 2 – 3 minute’s walk

The Jane Hotel

I’ve got a thing for flop houses. They’re liberating. I firmly believe that you should sleep cheap and eat well. This blog is all about one night stands (not of the sexual kind, but of the hotel-night kind), but I’ll admit I gave The Jane Hotel a couple of shots. I stayed at the hotel for three one-night stands between Thanksgiving and Christmas 2011. I wanted to love this place, I really did.

From the minute you walk into the lobby, you get the feeling that you’re someplace familiar. I wanted to call this place home. Apparently some people do. As the hotel transformed from a flop-house to a YMCA (or vice versa) some of the permanent residents stayed as the place was renovated a few years ago. While the hotel is all newly decorated in shabby-chic style with a nautical twist, you can tell the permanent residents’ doors because they’re just plain shabby. The nostalgia of this place is pretty cool, and I’ll admit a part of me wanted to stay here just for the mere fact that survivors of the Titanic stayed here. (There’s a good article about the hotel in the Real Estate section of the New York Times.)
For the $99 rate on the first visit and the $125 rate on subsequent visits for the standard cabin got me a twin bed (a.k.a single) bed and shared bathroom down the hall.

Some people don’t like sharing a bathroom, but for intrepid travellers it really isn’t a big deal. There are plenty of bathroom facilities, at opposite ends of the hall, they are private (full doors) and were kept very clean. Not much different than college dorms.

You’ll see from the hotel’s website (http://thejanenyc.com/) that the rooms are small, but they are also well designed, so there really is room for everything. The space was ideal for one person who just needed a place to crash. I think that if you had anything larger than a carry-on bag, and were to stay for more than two or three nights, you’d feel a bit claustrophobic.

On the negative side:- No hangers (just hooks for your clothes, which might be o.k. for jeans, but not for professional business attire for the nex day)
- Extremely hot room (at least was the case with room no. 535....heat radiated from the wall, making the room unbearable. I had thought that maybe I could combat the heat by turning on the air conditioning before I went to bed, but the A/C was just too noisy, I opted to open the window instead.... but eventually the heat accumulated in the room setting off the smoke alarm at 5:00 in the morning!)
- Noisy – no soundproofing where you need it. The way the cabin beds are set up, your head is at the outside wall – you can hear every voice, every door closing, the turbo-air hand dryer in the bathroom.....every little thing. I’m not exactly a light sleeper, but the hallway noise level just wasn’t acceptable.

On the plus side:
+ I really like the location on a quiet street very close to the Meatpacking District and a couple of great restaurants (the Spotted Pig gastropub is my favourite in the area)
+ Its a short walk (about 7 or 8 minutes) to a subway station (8th Avenue at 14th Street for the L, A, C and E)
+ iPod docking station
+ Free Wi-Fi+ Flat screen TV+ Bottled water in the room is a nice treat
+ The bathrobe and slippers are a nice touch
+ Rooms and bathrooms are very clean... spotless even. Common areas wear shabby-chic well.
+ The small cafe off the lobby offers room service, which was a nice treat – the food was quite good!
+ A 24-hour pharmacy/chemist just a few blocks away, which is reassuring.
+ I hear the bar/club is among the best... though I haven’t experienced it firsthand.

A couple of other things to note: Around Thanksgiving time, their phone was out of order for over a week. I couldn’t confirm my reservation before arriving. I also couldn’t call to let them know I left a favourite scarf in my room, so that they could hold it for me. (When I asked about my scarf on my next visit a week later, it could not be found.)

This hotel is a take-it-or-leave it. It was also the inspiration for me to sleep around the city....so, I may come back and edit this review...when I've got a few more budget hotels under my belt.

If you go, ask for high floor and an inner room for as much quiet as possible.... in the middle of the floor is good, too... away from the bathrooms, elevators and stairwells.

Leave a comment if you have any questions or thoughts about The Jane!
CD