Last week I attended a conference in Manhattan that had me looking for an affordable hotel room in the 50s. Most value-priced hotels in Midtown have spotty reputations for cleanliness, so when I came across POD 51 with its minimalistic, clean rooms, I decided to give the place a try.

After a tiresome day at my conference, I walked down to POD 51 and immediately, the place put a smile on my face. Young, trendy guests lounge around in the room adjacent to the lobby and onto the outdoor terrace. These two areas are called The Café and it offers a communal space for guests to congregate, grab breakfast from the restaurant (home-baked goods and homemade yogurt anyone?) or an adult libation in the evening. Many of the guests hang out listening to music on their iPhones/MP3s, watching shows from their various tablets or simply reading a book. Very cool space.

Now, the room. I selected the “Single Pod” since I was traveling alone and it was super. There’s a comfortable single bed, an open closet, a sleek work desk and a spotless bathroom. Well, it’s not exactly a “bath”room, it’s a shower and a toilet, but it’s absolutely spotless and features a high-end rain showerhead. Everything has a European, modern, simplistic vibe that I loved. The room has a flat screen TV and offers WiFi. The place has a sense of humor – check out this sing on the back of the room door.

POD hotels offer several other types of rooms including a room with bunk beds and one with called the “Townhouse” with a queen bed, walk-in closet, bathtub and walk-in closet.

I didn’t make it to the rooftop lounge but understand it provides gorgeous views of Manhattan. Will catch it on my next visit.

There’s a second POD New York location at 39^th and Lexington that’s just as perfectly-located.

Address: 230 E 51st St, New York, NY 10022

Phone: (212) 355-0300

Happy travels,

Veronique