Watch Out for Yotel

The 669-room pod hotel, Yotel New York at Times Square West, opened this month at 10th Avenue and 42nd Street. I stopped by last week to check out the latest competitor in a heated hotel market. From this editor’s perspective, Yotel just might be the smartest thing to hit New York in a long time.

What makes the Yotel concept work so well? The brand, led by Yo! Company founder Simon Woodroffe, got its start in airport locations in the United Kingdom and Amsterdam, owing to the need for the basics—shower and a bed—but done well for weary travelers. Everything is designed with functionality in mind. We’ve heard that before, but Yotel’s proprietors mean it—from touch-screen check-in to fold-out beds.

Jo Berrington, marketing director for Yotel, showed me around the hotel. We started our tour on Four, the social hub of Yotel. Literally the fourth floor of the hotel, all of the meeting space, food-and-beverage and front desk operations (Mission Control) were here.

The design of the space is minimalist, but lively. Color and light helps accomplish this. The meeting rooms are all pod-like, glass-fronted spaces that frame the lounge, house tables and booth seating. Elsewhere on the floor, guests used restaurant-style booths for eating, chatting and working.

Jo told me the Yotel concept borrows from Japanese design. The Dohyo restaurant uses Japanese style seating that allows the tables to be lowered for use as a stage. The Studyo facilitates yoga sessions, overflow from the bar or separate group space. It’s essentially a room full of modular seating, but the studio-style mirrors and red and orange fabrics give it vibrancy.

Jo will be on property for another two weeks to get the team on board with Yotel’s philosophy of accommodation. She also said the hotel will be implementing early check-in and late check-out options soon. Rather than charging a guest for another night, the fee will likely be US$50.

Next on the tour was the guestroom, or “cabin” as it’s called at Yotel. It’s an accurate description, as the room is reminiscent of a cruise ship cabin. The first thing you notice is the amount of storage offered. The TV is surrounded by a unit of cubbies that immediately became home to my cellphone, RFID keycard and wallet. What is usually a fold-out luggage rack or bulky ottoman in a normal hotel room, doubles—triples—as drawer unit and coat rack. The room was similar in size to others I’ve stayed at in Manhattan (about 200 square feet) but was so much … smarter. There was ample lighting and simple surfaces. The bathroom takes up half the space—larger than most Manhattan hotels I’ve seen—and the extra room was appreciated. Each guestroom floor has a Galley, which offers free hot coffee, filtered water, refrigerator and microwave.