Stay in New York on the Cheap

HCC: For those of us on a backpackers’ budget but who want to stay within walking distance of New York’s trendiest neighborhoods, The Jane Hotel opened its doors this fall. The restored waterfront building has rooms for just $99 a night and is next to the legendary Meatpacking District, West Village, and Chelsea.

Granted, these rooms—modeled after luxury train or ship cabins—are only 50 square feet and have communal bathrooms down the hall. Still, what they lack in space they make up for in character (the building was once a sailors’ stomping ground, after all). Plus, each room comes equipped with free Internet, air conditioning, and flat-screen televisions.

There’s another upside to the meager room size: Guests are more likely to get out and mingle in the lobby. More upscale than the hostel scene, the space was once a ballroom before being converted into the Jane Street Theater. The owners, who also created the chic Bowery and Maritime Hotels, are replacing the lobby’s wall of windows with a French-door lined terrace, as well as adding a sauna to the tiled pool in the basement. And for those who crave a little more sleeping space, you can opt for one of the 50 rooms at 250 square feet with private bathrooms—for about double the price tag.