Yotel: Luxury in a nutshell
Yobot , the luggage robot
Yobot, the luggage robot is the first of several high-tech, sleek amenities guests encounter at the Yotel, a new US hotel that aims to provide a trendy stay at an affordable price. Purple lighting, throbbing music in the elevators and futon-like lounges that transform to lie-flat beds at the touch of a button help set the mood. Achingly cool and chillingly efficient YOTEL offers its guests a perfectly designed 16sqm (170sqft) of private space in which to relax, refresh, connect and sleep, a true haven of calm. Luxury bedding, rejuvenating monsoon rain showers, relaxing purple mood lighting and YOTEL’s ‘techno wall’ with flat screen TV and complimentary WiFi are waiting to welcome those visiting the Big Apple.
Aircraft Design 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 bathroom seem more spacious. Designed with the ethos of airline seating in mind, Yotel operates to a philosophy of functionality, so you won't find fripperies such as bathrobes, slippers or minibars in any of the rooms. Instead, there's free fast-connection Wi-Fi, complimentary continental breakfast, and guest fridges in the galley kitchens on each floor.
Largest outdoor terrace in New York
There’s no room for a fridge or minibar in the room, but Yotel's massive fourth-floor lobby includes the largest outdoor terrace in New York, and it features two bars, pagodas, and warming fire pits for crisp autumn air. There are other eating and drinking destinations inside, including Dohyo, a restaurant named after the Japanese sumo wrestling ring, and where, like the cabin beds, the central bench tables are motorised, sinking into the wooden floor after service ends to form a dancefloor. The Asian-fusion menu is made up of small sharing plates – pork belly tacos, spicy tuna sushi, seared scallops and salt-and-pepper calamari. With the atmosphere of an upmarket Wagamama, Dohyo deserves to be a destination in itself.
