Chic & Cheerful Hostel: NYC’s Best Bargain

Chic & Cheerful Hostel is NYC’s Best Bargain in Down Economy

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Up till now, anyone familiar with hostels in Europe usually associates this type of lodging accommodation as a Spartan respite to sleep and squirrel away one’s backpack. However if anyone was to check-in to the hostel situated at Broadway and 101st Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, they would be pleasantly surprised to find a much hipper and trendier experience…at affordable rates to boot!

The one-time Columbia University dormitory, now the Broadway Hotel & Hostel, developed and owned by Hank Freid has recently undergone a major facelift to include such upscale amenities as plasma TV’s, computer kiosks and a movie screening room.

Freid’s boutique ‘chic hostel’ concept is an integral part of the Impulsive Group’s overall vision to bring style and panache this segment of the lodging industry, at affordable pricing. “I am trying to do with hostels what I have been able to accomplish in the hotel sector,” said Freid who also owns and manages the Marrakech Hotel, also located on the Upper West Side, and the Portland Square Hotel, situated in the heart of the Times Square district (soon to become the Sanctuary, a four-star boutique in the fourth quarter of 2009).

The Broadway Hotel and Hostel offers 450 beds (25 of which are private guestroom accommodations). The dormitory rooms with shared baths are appointed with such creature comforts as bed linens, ceiling fans, in-room vanities, titled floors and a Mediterranean color palette. The private rooms were upgraded to include flat panel LCD TVs, comforters, down pillows, Ecco Natural bath products, shower massage heads & Asian-themed furnishings.

The expansive Guest Lounge with over 2500 square feet of public space is stylishly designed with exposed brick walls, accent lighting and cherry wood finishings throughout. It boasts a sitting area where guests can relax, read a book or chat with other guests in a fashionable setting. A surround-sound theater room with sofas and a plasma TV (replete with special movie nights and popcorn) a dining room conducive for communal meals and an expanded lobby that offers coffee and hotel chocolate service. The 8 computer kiosks and all the public space are available with complimentary WIFI connectivity.

Hostel guests do not have to sacrifice hotel amenities and services as rates at the Broadway will remain a bargain throughout the Winter Season with per bed rates starting as low as $34 in December, 2008 and $26 in January and February, 2009 ($199 in December and $119 in January and February, 2009 for a private room). While they last, these rates are by far the best Manhattan has to offer!

With the success of the Broadway, Freid is taking his boutique ‘chic hostel’ concept to other parts of the country, including Florida and California.

The Broadway Hotel & Hostel is conveniently located on the corner of Broadway and 101st Street, just two blocks from the No. 1 & 9 Subway lines, and steps from Central Park, Columbia University and the Cathedral of St. John the Devine, the world’s largest gothic cathedral. Eclectic dining is available at more than 50 nearby restaurants and eateries, ranging from Latin to Italian to Middle Eastern. From designer apparel to name brands to local shops, you’ll find it all along Broadway Avenue. In addition, rare books and book bags can be bought in our neighborhood, at many one-of-a-kind shops and street vendors. Flea markets and street fairs are also available on weekends, while nightclubs and world-renown entertainment venues are within minutes and include China Club, Pink Elephant, Marquee, Copacabana, Crobar, Pacha, Webster Hall, Birdland, Blue Note, Dangerfield's, Carolines, Gotham Comedy Club, and Dillon's.

ENDS

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