Ich habe von meinem Bekannten aus den USA ein schreiben von eiinem billigen Hotel in New York bekommen.
Vielleicht hilft es jemanden weiter, bei der Hotel suche.Ich habe leider noch keine erfahrung damit.Es würde mich aber freuen wenn ich Antwort bekomme könnte wie es war.
MFG
Sparky
For any budget travelers going to the Big Apple.
NYC's Pod Hotel: Little Rooms, Big City
Sunday, March 18, 2007; P07
It took all of five minutes at the Pod Hotel to see that its designer knows
how to use space. The shower, desk and wash basin tucked neatly in corners.
A pull-out drawer underneath the bed. Tiny hooks for jackets arranged along
a wall.
At this new Midtown Manhattan property, efficiency is the mantra. The 347
diminutive guest rooms come in several smartly executed configurations. A
compact rectangle with a twin bed would be fine for a solo traveler. Bunk
beds (each with its own tiny television) are cool for pals on a road trip.
Townhouse suites with fridges, queen-size beds and futons would be a nice
fit for a small family. Guests can choose a room type and book it on the
hotel's Web site or through the reservation desk.
New York hotel rooms tend to run smaller than in other American cities, and
Pod rooms are on the snuggest end of the spectrum: They average 100 square
feet, compared with an average U.S. hotel room size of 325 square feet
(according to PricewaterhouseCoopers, a global services company).
But it's the rates -- among the most affordable in New York for lodging of
this quality -- that give the Pod book-it-now appeal. Double rooms with a
private bath start at $109 a night, plus taxes, and a single with a shared
bath goes for $89. Prices may fluctuate according to season and demand,
front desk manager Lee Schlesinger said, but he added that the Pod aims to
remain cheaper than the competition. The average cost of a night's hotel
room in New York was $240 in 2006, by PricewaterhouseCoopers' account.
The Pod is proof that you can be hip on a budget. The rooms are all equipped
with iPod docking stations, LCD televisions and free WiFi. The bright lobby
is dominated by an illuminated seafoam reception desk. The guest-room decor
is an inviting mix of mod and 1950s retro styles -- dotted bedspreads,
chrome bathroom fixtures and rain-style showerheads. More edgy features are
planned, including self-service check-in kiosks in the lobby, a rooftop bar
and an in-house blog where guests can swap travel tips.
Nonetheless, the hotel -- which lacks a bar, restaurant and comfy couches in
the lobby -- is clearly better for travelers seeking a launchpad for
exploring than a place to lounge around. The Pod was conceived with youthful
adventurers in mind, Schlesinger said. The other guests I ran into in the
lobby were part of that scene -- a 20-something office manager from North
Carolina visiting Manhattan for the first time, a young couple from Spain on
a shopping trip, four girlfriends from Connecticut in town for a Broadway
show.
The surrounding streets also have appeal. Near the corner of 51st Street and
Second Avenue, the hotel is far enough from the Times Square hoopla to be
quiet but still only a 20-minute walk to Broadway theaters. The Museum of
Modern Art is a few blocks away. Several cheap eats, including Pax Wholesome
Foods, a chain property featuring healthy selections at affordable prices,
are within a few blocks. Montparnasse, a French bistro-style restaurant next
door, offers a three-course pre-theater dinner for $22.95. Venturing around
the city? The Lexington Avenue subway is a couple of blocks away.
Among the downsides: Almost half the rooms have shared baths, and the walls
are thin enough that you hear doors shutting down the hall. Recently
transformed from the outdated Pickwick Arms, the hotel is still in a state
of transition. And you can't have much of a party in the lobby.
But that's small stuff. The Pod helps make a weekend in New York a little
more affordable for travelers watching their budget.
-- Gary Lee
Pod Hotel, 230 E. 51st St. between Second and Third avenues, 212-355-0300,
http://www.pickwickarms.com.