HotelChatter

Check In
One girl runs the check-in desk and she is usually incredibly busy. Between answering the phones and dealing with all check-ins and outs, it is hard to expect the desk folks to be ultra pleasant, and they are not. Our advice? Put a second person behind the counter and the smile to guest ratio will increase dramatically.

Common Areas
The "lobby" is cramped, and reminiscent of a luxurious European hostel. However, if you bust past the lobby to the bar, upstairs sitting area, and pool area, you will find plenty of room to spread out and relax. Most folks, whether hotel guests or bar patrons, appear to do just that -- head for the bar.

Room Reaction
Room 812 was a "F" type room, replete with a platform bed, small flat screen television, and very little room to do much more than sleep. The great thing about the tiny room is it does really have everything you need for the night -- a comfortable bed, an iron, free WiFi, and a flat screen TV. Furthermore, the bathroom is actually kind of spacious, considering. These bathrooms do not have the "jail cell" feel of the Raleigh. They are not luxurious, by any means, but they are not claustrophobic either.

One suggestion: Working in these rooms is not easy. You are confined to the bed, can be a bit uncomfortable if you have to work for multiple hours. To complicate matters, the rooms lighting is not good and the power outlets are not in a convenient place, which puts further restrictions on your already restrictive working conditions. It would be an easy fix to at the very least ad some adequate lighting, or better yet add another power outlet near the head of the bed.

Pool and Bar
Did we tell you we saw a naked man? Yeah. And no, we were not stalking the sauna looking for nudies. We were working in a comfortable booth, facing the pool area, on the second floor, when without warning a naked dude pranced out of the sauna full of steam. You are bound to see half naked people frolicking in the pool area, after all, it is a swim up bar. But be aware that the original vision for this place was "modern day Turkish bath", not that there is anything wrong with that.

Bartenders are super friendly and the bar/pool can be hopping or dead, all depends on the night, who is at the hotel, and what special events are booked for the venue.

WiFi
One of the main reasons we choose AB Hotels when possible is their incredibly reliable WiFi networks. Yes, you usually have to ask the front desk for the password, but it always works without issue and the signal is always four bar with no hiccups.

Service
The service was great. Despite the fact that the check-in crew was overwhelmed at times, everyone tried hard to satisfy guest needs. Staff responded quickly to requests for WiFi codes and checked baggage. Staffers are all young and beautiful, which also helps.

Location
If you need, or want to be in Times Square, this is your place. You are just two blocks away from the Subway as well.

View
Ok we didn't really expect a boutique hostel to have sweeping views of Manhattan -- and qt lived up to that expectation. However, if peering into nearby offices is your thing, you will be set here -- just remember, those office workers can look back in at you as well.

Cost
$239. Room rates are heading down in Manhattan this winter, so we would not be surprised to see this rate drop even lower. Room Type "F" and "E" are going to be your lowest priced options. Don't be surprised if you can snag a room at closer to the $200 mark through February.

Bottom Line
As we have said all along, this is a boutique hostel. Staying in New York is not cheap, and hotel qt offers young travelers a great place to crash and party at a realistic price. That said, the rooms are passable for flexible, low maintenance business travelers as well, but probably not for more than a night.