There’s a common trope that just because something is affordable, it’s not as good. This bias definitely exists when it comes to hotels—the less expensive, the lower the quality. Right?
But the reality is that so often there are so many frills and unnecessary things in hotels (old and new) that there’s room for things to be less expensive and a great stay.
After all, we’re mostly just looking for a cute, comfortable, and quiet room in a good area. On all of those is Sister City, a new streamlined hotel on Bowery in the Lower East Side from the folks at Ace Hotel, a match.
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The hotel, which opened earlier this year, is the latest selection for our series The New Room with a View on exciting new hotels around the world. The motto of the new Sister City concept is “Less, But Better,” and it pretty much delivers.
The decor is simple yet cute, with cherry wood accents and furniture in the rooms. The terrace rooms (which is what I stayed in) have incredible views given the height of the 200-room hotel in a largely low-scale area. Once in the room, it’s pretty much a take care of yourself situation. (For instance, refilling your glass water bottles can be done at the fountain in the hallway.) This is something I’ve come to appreciate in some hotels, as there are just some destinations where I’d rather be left alone.
There were no closets. Instead, there was a contraption attached to the wall that lowered down where you could hang your clothes up. (The same goes for a desk.) While the tile in the bathroom wasn’t my cup of tea, the showers themselves had great pressure.
The hotel has also done a great job with its public spaces, from the entry courtyard that acts as a soothing transition from the busy road, to the chic cafe, lobby, and rooftop. Given those, and its location on Bowery straddling the Lower East Side and Soho, it’s a hard spot to beat for the young and social (which, really, is who NYC is for).
In fact my only criticism might be that the attempt at streamlining the check-in process with technology might be more trouble than it’s worth, but take that with a grain of salt given I’m not exactly known for my patience.
So, basically what we’re saying is, don’t be fooled by room rates that sometimes start in the low $100s.
