Pod Times Square

I've been wanting to visit NYC in December. But normally the hotel rates are too high! Research, including Tripadvisor.com, gave the Pod Time Square a good rating. 1. Location-This hotel is in the best location if you want to be close to Time Square. In fact, the hotel is actually located one block away from the massive Port Authority Terminal. 2. Places and Distance-I walked to the following places from this hotel. Rockefeller Center was a 25 minute walk. Brian Park was a 10 minute walk. The Hudson River area including the aircraft carrier Entrepid is about a 15 minute walk. The edge of Central Park was a 45 minute walk. Time Square was less than a 12 minute walk. So there are lots of tourist friendly places near by. 3. Restaurants-Big and small there was restaurants and shops within a 12 minute walk from the hotel. This included major chains as well as places like Chik Fil A, Canes Chicken, Burger King, McDonald and specialty local restaurants with breakfast, greek food, chinese food, thai food, and more! 4. Appearance-It is just a big monolithic building. You catch an elevator up from to the lobby, where there is a small check in area. Nothing fancy, just functional. 5. Rooms-I got a bunk room, which has two bunk beds in it. If you stretched your arms totally out once you walk in, the room is only about two feet wider than your arms extended. However, it has a small walk in shower, sink and accessories. Cleanliness- My room was basic, but quite clean and I've spent around $250 for it, although I've seen it as low as $130 on some nights. There was not much space to store stuff, but it was more than sufficient for one person. 6. Beds-This bed was not plush, but it was comfortable. Sleeping in a bunk bed as an adult is a little weird, but I could sit up on the lower bed without my head hitting the bottom of the top bunk. 7. Security-There is a safe in the room, but I didn't use it! My overall view is that with other hotels running $350 to $1000 a night, if all you need is a place to lay your head, the Pod Hotel Time Square is perfectly priced and perfectly located. Its puts you right in the middle of things, so you don't have to go far to see a lot of the city. Any negatives- Yes, with the temperature outside being about 25 degrees, I could never get the room warm enough to my liking, which is 70 degrees. With no real blanket in the room, I had to throw my jacket over the top sheet to sleep warmly! Bottomline-If you need a nice, but cheap place to stay in New York, this place is perfect for a short visit