At some point in our lives, hostelling begins to lose its appeal. Sure, it’s cheap, the community is great and often times the locations are unbeatable, but sooner or later the needs for some personal space and some quiet time begin to outweigh the need for low budget accommodation. But the desires to stay somewhere unique and somewhat social and maybe even save a few bucks are still there.
The Jane hotel in New York City mixes these two worlds perfectly. As a boutique hotel in Greenwich Village (lower west side,) the Jane offers the quiet and comfort of single, private rooms while mixing in a communal washroom, a jaw dropping bar and plenty of community activities. The result? A clean, chic hotel in one of the best corners of the city that you can book for under a hundred bucks a night.
So what’s it like? Is sharing a washroom that big of a deal when you’re paying half the rate of another Manhattan hotel? Does extra foot traffic in the hallway make the rooms noisier? Lets take a look around.
%Gallery-67612%
The Rooms
When you check into the Jane, you’re given a large, metal keyring with your magnetic door key and a long metal rod. As the elevator attendant will show you when you reach your room, you insert this rod into a slot in the room to turn on your electricity.
It’s just one way that the Jane conserves money and makes your stay less expensive. Among other efficiencies they’ve implemented are shared liquid soap in the showers and no desks or tables in the rooms.
Conversely, each room has a robe, towels, an iPod dock and a bottle of water for purchase.
Rooms are small and cozy. As a former sailor’s housing unit, much of the architecture and style have been historically preserved. Wood detailing surrounds each room, and with the bed built into the wall, the feeling of being in a ship’s cabin is strong. Each room is designed for one person with a single bed, though rooms with bunk beds and even rooms with queen beds and bathrooms are on tap for later this year.
Despite the heavier hall traffic, rooms are quiet and cozy, though if you’re particularly sensitive to this, ask for a room that isn’t near the hallway doors.
The Washrooms
Although it’s a little unnerving passing a stranger wearing a bath robe in the hall, community washrooms are a perfectly logical concept. Each is well maintained, with classic tiling on the walls and private stalls for toilets and showers. It’s true that you’ll have to (or you should) put pants on to walk to the end of the halls, but this shouldn’t bother most people. The fact of the matter is, much of your savings on this hotel booking are because of the shared washrooms, and if they’re an important part of your experience you should either book another hotel or wait for the larger rooms to open up.
Can we tell you about the bar?
One of the Jane’s biggest strengths is their amazing bar. Comprised of one main bar just outside of the lobby, an adjoining, high ceilinged lounge in the next room and a balcony above, the massive Jane Bar is a great place to sit back on a soft, comfortable couch, stare at your surroundings and drink in the opulence. Many people come to the bar whether or not they’re staying at the hotel, and if you come home late in the evening you’ll have tell the bouncer your room number.
Outside of drinking hours, the Jane Bar also hosts movie nights, private parties and other fun activities. You can check the local schedule when you arrive.
In Summary,
The Jane Hotel fits into the perfect niche between hostel and hotel, giving residents a taste of both worlds at a damn good price. If you’re all about being pampered, numerous amenities and vast personal space, this place isn’t for you — but for those of you who are looking for a clean, chic place to stay with a bumping nightlife, you can’t go wrong.