It is clean and generally comfortable for a quick overnight stay and may be a good budget option for a longer trip. The bathroom was small, but updated. The hallway from the elevator was like a labyrinth and unexpectedly required that I maneuver my suitcase down a half flight of stairs. The rooms have high ceilings, but are otherwise very small (my double was so small; in fact, I had to crawl across the bed rather than squeeze through the 12-inch space between the end and the wall) and surprisingly stuffy (I had to run the overhead fan all night). It also turned out that ALL of the rooms permit smoking. While there was no odor or other evidence of smoking in my room (other than the ashtrays and matches), upon leaving in the morning, I was shocked by the smell of smoke in the hallway, which made the long trip back to the elevator extremely unpleasant.

One of the greatest joys of living in New York is being able to stay in the city overnight. And both Chuck and I did that a lot. If both of us were working for a stretch of time, or if we wanted to spend an entire weekend here, we''d make reservations and off we went.

The first time we went to the "Cosmo" as we affectionately called it, we got a duplex room. This means that the bed was upstairs in a kind of alcove; watch your head in this type of situation. It was actually very different from anything we had ever experienced. There was a TV upstairs, but it did get a bit tricky if you had to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Stairs were steep. The hotel was exceptionally clean, and provided the necessities. We did come equipped however, with our luxuries. That means soaps, bath gels, shampoos, conditioners, and a hair dryer.

The closet provided was a bit small, but adequate for a couple of days'' worth of clothing. There is a small desk with a light and one armchair. In addition to the A/C, they have overhead fans which are heaven in the summer months, as it does get quite hot. The people patronizing the hotel were mostly young tourists. The people at the desk were always super friendly and polite. No room service, no restaurant on the premises: however, you are literally surrounded on all sides there by cafes, restaurants, a green grocer across the street that had fresh flowers. On one occasion, we did get a "normal" room where everything was on the same level. Wasn''t as much fun actually, and there was no view of the street, but rather a wall. It''s one of New York''s greatest bargains!

If you are driving, parking is murder. What we did is find a spot, and left the car there, and took the subway wherever we wanted, except when we would be going to a night club. The World Trade Center is a stone's throw from here.

For other New York hotels:

Essex House