Yotel to open in New York City

(YOTEL)

Pod hotel chain Yotel is to open in New York City next year, the firm announced March 1, its first expansion outside of airport locations.

Yotel Times Square, to be located at 42nd Street and 10th Avenue, will feature 669 cabin rooms, making it the largest hotel opening planned for New York in 2011. The firm says that it will feature a restaurant, bar, meeting rooms, Club Lounge and the largest outdoor terrace space of any hotel in New York.

"YOTEL will bring a unique mix of fun, excitement and luxury to New York and all at an affordable price," said Simon Woodroffe, founder of the YO! Sushi chain and Yotels.

The hotel's rooms will be a compact 16 square meters, featuring luxury bedding, "monsoon rain" showers, purple mood lighting, a flatscreen TV and complimentary wifi. The new property will be by far the largest Yotel property, which currently all have fewer than 60 rooms and are situated at London Heathrow, London Gatwick and Amsterdam Schiphol airports.

Although Yotel was the first chain to successfully port the Japanese-style "pod hotel" concept outside of Asia, it won't be the only - or the first - compact hotel in New York city. The Pod Hotel, which opened in 2007, offers 347 guest rooms, some of which have shared bathrooms to save space.

Website: http://www.yotel.com

Website: http://www.thepodhotel.com