Pod Hotel

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In 2007, the owners of the Depression-era Pickwick Arms gutted the building and updated it to attract a younger clientele. Starting with the sea-foam-green reception desk in the lobby right up to the geometric-patterned bedspreads in your room, the retro-contemporary aesthetic might recall an episode of Star Trek, but if space is the new frontier, it’s also at a premium here. The 100-square-foot “pods” are incredibly tiny and resemble cruise-ship berths with their round, nautical windows and sparse white walls. Sinks are travel size; drawers are tucked under bed frames; bunks with individual, cabineted flat screens are accessed via narrow stainless-steel ladders. In the 152 guest rooms that share baths, an airplane-style light glows when the WC’s vacant. That’s just fine with the young backpackers who flock here. Families and business travelers might not be as interested in the desks made of indestructible Trespa, but they’re likely to share the target demographic’s enthusiasm for the prices. — Candace Taylor

The sleek, stylish accommodations are astoundingly cheap.

Cons
The rooms are very small, and more than 30 percent share baths.

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Featured In

• Seven Hotels for Under $200 a Night. In New York. (7/23/07)