As you enter the hotel, you immediately board an escalator and head high above sea level.  When you disembark, you notice that you are in a new world.  Your new world is dark, and it plays music without words.  Fauna hangs above as you head to the front desk, and as you glance over your shoulder you notice that bar.  The Hudson Bar is where you are going to want to spend your evenings. Some nights the Hudson Bar is the white-hot center of it all, and even on its worst days, it is still a sweet hotel bar.

Journeying further in the dark lobby, you will find two separate wings complete with two extra amenities.  The first wing is the Library room, complete with a small bar and a pool table.  The second wing houses the Hudson Cafeteria, a great place to chow down before heading to the Hudson Bar.

As you head into the lift, do yourself a favor and press "15".  If you do so, you will arrive at the sky terrace.  The sky terrace avails you the opportunity to hang out high above NYC looking down at the Hudson as you sip on your afternoon beverage.

Those are the highlights folks; this place is what you make it.  If you are looking for an urban ultra hip adventure, check this place out. But should you stay here overnight?  Well before you rush off to book this hotel, you need to understand what the rooms are like.

The rooms are tiny.  Envision a closet, a swank closet, but a closet nonetheless, because that is what you are getting.  You walk into your cubby hole and almost immediately run into the bed.  On each side of the bed are two wall length mirrors (for the illusion of largeness?) and some sort of sheath netting separates the bed area from the bath area (calling the remaining area a "hallway" is just wrong).  Don't get me wrong-- the rooms are clean, creatively decorated and all that jazz, but I have seen larger coffins, so don't fool yourself into thinking you are going to get a spacious room.

Final reminder:  If you stay here, you are staying here because you want the experience.  Apparently, the Hudson is adding a pool and a spa in the very near future which will make this property an even bigger destination hotel.  Sure you can play it safe and book a room at a different hotel closer to Times Square, and just go to the Hudson Bar, but if you are looking for a true New York City adventure and don't mind sleeping in a closet, sign up for the Hudson experience.

[Editor's Note: by markj: The Hudson and other Schrager is offering some winter packages.  Check them out.]