Location: 356 West 58th Street, New York City, NY 10019
Dates: 12/26-28/2006
Price: $140/night (on priceline.com)
Rating: 
I’ll be the first to admit that this isn’t the hotel for everybody… but I thought it was a really fun, cool place to stay. I felt really “immersed” in the hotel experience and the public areas were too cool for words. But the rooms are SMALL! So let’s get that out of the way right now. If you want a place where you can relax in your room, stay somewhere else!
I was pretty reluctant going in as I won this hotel on priceline and the reviews for it were pretty terrible. But it was mostly people complaining about the size of the room. And I did notice that people who got good deals (like I did) seemed to be complaining much less. So I went into it with a positive attitude. It was only for two nights and the price was right.
As you approach this hotel on 58th Street, there is no sign. I had read reviews and looked at pictures so I knew that when I saw the trees and the funny yellow windows, I was probably in the right place. The subway station at Columbus Circle is about a block and a half away so not too bad even if you are lugging bags and such (as we were). When you enter the hotel, you go up a LONG escalator (very cool) to the lobby area. The lobby is very large and open and includes lots of greenery. Nice touch if you ask me. Check-in went well and we were ready to go up to our room.
When you get off the elevator, your eyes might have to adjust a bit as the hallways are very dark. No troubles for us, however once we got more used to it. Our room was, of course, way at the end of the hallway as seems to be our luck after long train rides! Anyway, when you enter the “room”, you may be taken aback a bit! It is tiny. And I don’t mean “kindof small”. It was difficult to even get into the room so that takes some adjustment. But really it gives you everything you need in New York — a bed, a bathroom, and the noise of the city outside your window! The bed itself seemed to be of pretty good quality and was very comfy. After running around New York all day, you are going to sleep soundly no matter what you get!
The bathroom is even smaller than the room. You have to be a bit acrobatic to get around but you’ll make do. My 61-year old mother had no troubles once she got used to it. There is even a curtain if you want your companion to see you in the shower (although i’m not sure why). In any case, it was very modern looking and more importantly quite clean. Overall, I would say that even though the room was small, it was laid out quite well and sufficed just fine for our stay. Mom and I agreed that it was our favorite hotel of the trip (we stayed in three)!
So if you are looking for a nice place to lay your head, and don’t mind really cramped quarters, take a look at this hotel. It might not be “luxury” but it certainly is a lot of fun.
Perfect if you aren’t planning to spend much time in your room
I never do!!