Nu hotel Brooklyn — Hotel Review Rating: 3.0 Pearls

Oyster Review Summary

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Oyster Hotel Review

Reviewer: William B.
Updated: May 20, 2010

 Location

NU Hotel is located on the corner of Smith Street and Atlantic Avenue, two streets that contain dozens of fun shops and eclectic restaurants, tucked into an otherwise unassuming streetscape. It's a safe area of Brooklyn -- as safe or safer than any of the major tourist areas in Manhattan, that is -- and many New Yorkers actually perfer the slower-paced, treelined charm of these streets to the constant noise, trash, and traffic throughout much of Manhattan. And like anywhere in New York, all of the city's famous sites and attractions are easily accessible by subway (three different stations are within three blocks of the hotel).

• Three blocks from B, D, F, N, Q, R, V, and W subway lines; four blocks from the 6 subway line
• 45-minute subway ride to Central Park; or you can take a 30-minute subway ride to Prospect Park, Brooklyn's bigger, similarly designed sister to Central Park
• 35-minute subway ride to Times Square
• 35-minute subway ride to the Empire State Building
• 20-minute subway ride to the ferry terminal to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
• 40-minute subway ride to Rockefeller Center
• 40-minute subway ride to the American Museum of Natural History (one transfer)
• 50-minute subway ride to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the "Met") and 40-minute subway ride to the Museum of Modern Art (the "MoMA")
• Yellow Cabs are scarcer in Brooklyn. If you need a car, you'll likely have to call a car service. Because these cars are typically unmetered, be sure to get a price quote in advance.
• If you want to take a Yellow Cab back from Manhattan, jump in the car before explaining where you're going. Some drivers are hesitant to drive to Brooklyn, but they are required by law to take passengers anywhere within the five boroughs of New York City.

 Rooms

• NU Standard rooms are about the average size for a hotel in this price range in New York, and have either two twin beds, a queen-size bed, or a king-size bed.
• NU Friends Suite rooms have a queen-size bed and a set of bunk beds in an alcove; a great option for families.
• Unique, NU Urban Suites have a three-sided alcove with padded-walls with a recessed bed in the middle, plus a hammock.
• Stocked minibar
• Electronic safe, large enough for a laptop
• Alarm clock with an iPod hookup
• Sprout bath products and rainfall showerheads
• Bathrobes in suites
• Fun, chalkboard walls in the bathroom for jotting down travel notes and to-do lists
• Free Wi-Fi
• Eco-minded features, like cork flooring, organic Baltic 100-percent cotton bedding, and FSC-certified recycled teak wood furnishings
• Large, 32-inch flat-screen TV with HDTV and Time Warner Cable (a better cable provider than what you find at most New York hotels)
• "Jack packs," to dock audio, video and computer
• Free copies of USA Today newspaper available in the lobby
• No smoking rooms available

 Bottom Line

For the cost of a simple, 30-minute subway ride into Manhattan ($2.25), you can considerably upgrade the quality of your New York hotel by staying at this 93-room gem in Brooklyn. New electronics, environmentally sustainable cork floors, organic sheets, free breakfasts, an on-site bar, a 24-hour gym -- all this, and more, for less.