Charming hotel in Murray Hill. Easy walk to Grand Central and all the subways there. Rooms are tiny! But the beds are comfortable, everything is fresh and clean, and I slept like a rock there. Virtually no privacy between the bathroom and the bed, so be ok with that if you’re staying with someone else in the room. Perfect for single travelers. Only the basics in the room. No fridge, coffee, ironing board, lotion. But you’re in midtown Manhattan so everything is at your doorstep anyway. I will definitely stay here again.

Knowing I would spend little time at the hotel itself, the price, & trying a new location somewhat close to Central Station, are the main reasons I chose Pod 39. The check in process was time consuming when the young desk clerk refused to accept numerous photos of the following on my iPhone since I do not carry these unless traveling abroad; drivers license, passport, work badge, etc, clearly identifying me, a 70 y/o nurse, the most trusted profession per polls. I finally found my Global Entry-TSA pre-check card after digging through my main luggage to satisfy his demand for a physical photo ID. In this day & age of technology & online check in at most hotels, update your process for efficiency. It also takes a while for the elevators, so be patient & make sure you allow time for waiting. The room was smaller than expected, but clean, although the lobby toilet in the basement needs attention. As a light sleeper, I requested a corner room away from the elevator noise on a high floor, & this was mostly honored, although still lots of street noise 24/7 because the windows are not sound proof like most hotels, & even open surprisingly. No restaurants in this hotel, but not a high priority as I never eat at hotels anyway. They did have coffee & sweets in the bar for breakfast, but I found the bagel place next door much better with better prices. It was almost comical when I needed a "glass" made of glass to mix my medication in, & the 3 bars in the hotel refused, On my last attempt in the bar facing the street next to the lobby, I succeeded. I initially explained my need to a young waitress, yet she returned with another plastic cup, the same as supplied in my room. The bar tender that apparently understood rocket science, rolled his eyes & handed me a glass. The charges on my credit card before arrival, at check in & check out were confusing, & although the hotel swears this is normal for all NYC hotels, I've never experienced this before on numerous trips to NYC, or anywhere else for that matter. Eventually the charges were corrected. Overall, the hotel was acceptable, but I will go back to my Citizen M hotel on future trips to NYC. I've traveled to over 120 countries & slept in hammocks in the jungle, tents in the desert, yurts, train births, & some pretty seedy guests houses, so not a picky person. However, when paying these prices in the USA, one expects better.

There's a lot of things Pod 39 doesn't have, if you're looking for a full service hotel, but none of that matters. The rooms are functional, without a lot of thrills, comfortable, and quiet. They serve the purpose of offering a nice place to sleep and escape the city for a moment. On the other hand, the staff is better than most full service hotels. They are friendly, helpful, always willing to accommodate, knowledgeable and friendly. They treated me, and it seemed the same for other guests, incredibly well. They knew my name, they inquired about my stay, and always with a smile. It was nice to know that after a day walking Manhattan, there was someone there to make sure everything was okay. I'll certainly be back.