NEW YORK (AP) — A New York hotel with luxury sheets and state-of-the-art audio for less than $100 a night? All you have to sacrifice is a bit of privacy and a little — well, a lot — of space.
Moving beyond budget accommodations to an idea that borrows from a ship's berth or a train's sleeper car, developers are gambling that in tough times travelers looking for a little pampering at lower prices will embrace micro-hotels.
The concept of an entire hotel room the size of a suburban bathroom has spread across Europe in recent years. And as the U.S. economy deteriorates, interest in the idea has grown, especially in high-priced markets like New York City — where there are fewer options for budget travelers.
"It's certainly the right product for the times," said Tom Botts, a specialist in the hotel and travel industry at Hudson Crossing, a strategic advisory firm.
The trick, says Sean MacPherson, co-developer of The Jane hotel, is to make its 150 tiny single rooms — about 7 feet wide by 8 feet long — feel "charming and special" rather than simply cramped.
With no room for extra furniture, guests at The Jane — which is opening in stages between now and the end of the summer — stash suitcases and clothing in storage spaces above and below the narrow bed. A large mirror and a small window help stave off potential claustrophobia.
The "micro-luxury" touches at what was originally, in 1908, a hotel that rented cabin-like rooms to sailors for just 25 cents a night include 350-thread count sheets, a 23-inch flat-screen LCD television, DVD player, iPod dock and free wireless Internet.
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