Off-Soho Suites Hotel — Hotel Review Rating: 2.0 Pearls

Oyster Review Summary

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Oyster Hotel Review

Reporter: William B.
Updated: October 30, 2009

 Location

Surrounded by a blend of warehouses and old tenement buildings, the Off-SoHo Suites are just outside SoHo (which, vaguely, begins on the opposite side of the Bowery). The hotel itself is on a relatively isolated part of Rivington Street in the Lower East Side, a short walk from bars, clubs, and small-scale music venues, including the Bowery Ballroom, as well as the some of SoHo's upscale restaurants.

• One block from the J, M subway lines; two blocks from the F, V subway lines; about five blocks to the 6 line; six blocks to the B, D lines -- easy access to any Manhattan neighborhood
• 30-minute subway ride to Central Park
• 20-minute subway ride to Times Square
• 15-minute subway ride to the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center
• 20-minute subway ride to the ferry terminal to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
• 25-minute subway ride to the American Museum of Natural History
• 35-minute subway ride to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the “Met”) and a 25-minute subway ride to the Museum of Modern Art (the “MoMA”)

 Rooms

• Full kitchen in every guest room (with pots, pans, plates, everything), but you have to share the kitchen with another guest room from the Economy Suites
• Economy Suites, or "S2," are about average size for a New York City hotel room (220 square feet).
• Deluxe Suites, or "S4" for "Suite for Four," are much larger (600 square feet) and have a separate living space that can sleep another two guests.
• 32-inch flat-screen TV
• Free Wi-Fi
• Electronic safe, large enough for a laptop
• Pets allowed in Deluxe Suites, but not the Economy Suites
• No minibar

 Bottom Line

Near bars and music venues in the Lower East Side (not SoHo), the 38 clean, stylish guest rooms at the Off-SoHo Suites have either shared or private access to a fully equipped kitchen. It's a fair pick, for the price, but it's rates often near those of fancier hotels on hipper blocks.