New York - forget the bellhop. Meet the luggage robot

It's the first of several high-tech, sleek amenities guests encounter at the Yotel, a new hotel that aims to provide a trendy stay at an affordable price. Purple lighting, throbbing music in the elevators and futon-like sofas that transform to lie-flat beds at the touch of a button help set the mood. Or maybe they just distract you from the tiny size of the rooms. At 170 square feet, perhaps "room" is too generous of a term. Yotel prefers to call them cabins.

Aircraft designers were hired to make the rooms feel larger than they are. The tiny desk doubles as a nightstand. An overhead shower fixture delivers water like rain, perhaps to make the stall(no tub) seem more spacious. Of course there's no room for a fridge or minibar. But guests aren't expected to hang out in their rooms. Yotel's massive fourth-floor lobby includes four bars, a 7,000-square-foot outdoor terrace and a restaurant.

The New York hotel is the first non-airport location and the first Yotel outside of Europe. At 669 rooms, it is also the largest hotel to open in New York since 2002, according to the city's tourism authority.

Everything here is self-serve. The 20-foot-tall robotic arm at the entrance automatically stores bags in lockers for guests who want to wonder around the city after the 11 a. m. check-out time (and no, you don't have to tip the robot). At checkin, airport-like kiosks spit out room key cards and an invoice.

But the real heart of the hotel is the action-packed terrace, already fast on its way to become one of this summer's hottest outdoor bars. The varied tapas-style menu of small plates is tasty but the tab can quickly add up. The Yotel throws in free Wi-Fi, domestic phone calls, morning yoga and muffins and coffee for breakfast. For the really budget-conscious, each floor has a communal kitchen area with a sink and microwave.

Дата добавления: 2015-08-17