Unique artwork that's part of an ongoing artist-in-residence program
Great location with easy access to several iconic parks
Three blocks to the subway
Affordable rates, discounts for longer stays
Communal, bohemian vibe
Free Wi-Fi
Not all of the rooms have private baths
The rooms and baths show visible signs of wear
No on-site restaurant, room service, TV, phones, or housekeeping
Five flights of stairs and no elevator
Some of the rooms have enclosed views of neighboring buildings
Rooms facing Third Avenue receive street noise
The Carlton Arms is a funky, art-driven 46-room budget hotel with unique, but very basic, rooms and few amenities. Part hotel, part hostel, some of the rooms come with private baths, the rest share showers and water closets on their designated floor. The hotel's location on the corner of busy Third Avenue and the quiet, pedestrian-only section of East 25th Street, is convenient to some of Manhattan's most desirable areas --Gramercy, Madison Square Park, the Flatiron District, the Empire State Building, and Union Square.
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Scene
A funky, art-focused budget hotel with a laid-back, bohemian vibe
The brawny brick-clad, five-story hotel erected at the turn-of-the century was once a speakeasy, a hotel for welfare recipients, and a sleazy hang-out for drag queens, prostitutes, and drug addicts before becoming an ongoing art project during the 1980s. Today it is a popular spot for budget-conscious travelers, free spirits, and artists.A nondescript peach-colored gate next to a Chinese restaurant serves as the entry. (You must ring a buzzer to get in.) Once inside, it hits you — an assault of artwork that covers nearly every inch of space from floor to ceiling in a swirl of color. There’s no porter or elevator to help get your luggage up the steep stairs to the lobby, but a sign instructs guests to deliver the resident cats back up the stairs if found lingering by the door.The tiny, trinket-filled second-floor lobby and adjacent sitting room, which holds a sofa and desk, do not offer much room for gathering, but it is not unusual to see guests lingering on fire escapes or wandering the halls to observe the artwork. Each floor represents a different scene created by resident artists and former hotel employees.
Location
In Manhattan's Kips Bay neighborhood, adjacent to Baruch College and close to Madison Square Park, Gramercy Park, Union Square, and the Flatiron District
The hotel’s location, adjacent to the towers of Baruch College, benefits from being on a pedestrian-only block of East 25th Street, a courtyard-like atmosphere where college students gather around cafe tables over books and lunch. Part of the hotel also fronts Third Avenue, a much noisier, bustling thoroughfare with Irish pubs, restaurants, and thrift shops. The greener environs of Gramercy Park, Madison Square Park, and Union Square Park are all within a 10-minute walk. The 4 and 6 Subway lines, which run along Manhattan's east side from the Bronx to Brooklyn, are three blocks away.- 6-minute walk to the 4 and 6 subway lines at 23rd Street
Rooms
The artwork is the focus in the bare-bones, basic rooms, which lack TVs, phones, and room service.
Ethereal, macabre, and abstract are all accurate descriptions for the rooms at the Carlton Arms. With each of the 54 spaces designed by a different artist, it's best to check out a few rooms before checking in. Murals range from saturated garden scenes by Jean Michel Verret and Dominique Lagneaux to nude femme figurines by Andrea Clinton that appear to be floating on pale lavender walls. Even Banksy, the famous graffiti artist, is represented here. He created a room and hallway scenes for the hotel in 1999.Artwork aside, the rooms are simple and more akin to hostel accommodations. The hotel classifies its rooms into two groups — those with private baths and those without. Rooms with shared bathrooms have sinks and access to separate toilet and a shower rooms, located along the hallways on every floor. Single rooms hold one twin bed while larger rooms are equipped with two singles or one or two double beds.Neat freaks will not feel comfortable at the Carlton Arms as the rooms show visible signs of wear and in some instances appear dirty — water stains on the ceilings of bathrooms, grime around the door knobs, worn carpets, missing light bulbs, creaky beds, and sputtering window air conditioners.
Features
Great location, budget prices, and uniquely designed rooms
The Carlton Arms is the opposite of branded budget hotels. It lacks traditional services such as a gym and business center and amenities such as coffeemakers, toiletries, and robes. What it does offer is thought-provoking artwork, a communal bohemian vibe, affordable rates, and an ideal location that’s close to the subway and many of central Manhattan’s desirable neighborhoods.
