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MBO NYC :: NYC Hotels

The Jane Hotel, NYC

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Last Updated: November 24,2008 3:49:36 pm

Typically, the word "cozy" doesn't rank high on lists of enticing hotel attributes. However, the still-developing Jane Hotel might prove a strange exception.

Completed in 1908, the building that houses the Jane is a certified landmark. Since its erection, it has enjoyed/endured a number of guises. Beside the Hudson River on the west side of the West Village, its waterfront location has given it much of its charm and functionality. In 1912, it famously housed Titanic survivors and continued to accommodate seafarers -- as a Seaman Relief Center -- in the ensuing years. Then, in 1944, it became a YMCA. Later, during the 1980s, the Jane took on a new life as a boho hotel of the Chelsea ilk.

Now, thanks to new owners and months of renovations, the Jane has metamorphosed yet again. This time, it has become a unique mélange: part hostel, part rooming house, part budget abode, and part pod hotel (I don't know if you got the "part" emphasis).

The micro-hotel trend -- with ventures like last year's Pod Hotel -- continues and, as a de facto genre distinction, the Jane falls into that realm. However, unlike its brethren, it doesn't aim for designer chic. As a byproduct, it doesn't have designer chic prices. Rooms begin at $99/night; they're cozy.

Rooms begin at 50 square feet (i.e. about the size of a queen-sized bed). Given the location and the inherently unique confines, that's still a pretty solid deal. It's a budget hotel of the truest ilk.

Jane soft-opened a couple of months ago, is still not fully ready. It will continue to add rooms and amenities through the autumn. Completed rooms ape ship lodging, with a surfeit of wood and clever storage solutions (i.e. under the bed). When finally finished its revamp, Jane will have 200 rooms. Though some will be as large as 250 square feet, bathrooms will remain communal. As such, its aura should evoke an all-private-room hostel. In the amenities department, Jane has plans to add an in-house swimming pool, room service, and free WiFi.

Jane is soft-open now, though evidence of the renovation still abounds. Therefore, you might want to wait until completion -- toward the end of Autumn -- before booking a room.