Pod Hotels Coming to Times Square

By Keith Loria

BD Hotels has opened Pod Times Square, part of the Pod Hotels collection, in the heat of New York City’s Times Square.

“Pod Pads is our take on the more traditional extended stay experience,” Richard Born, BD Hotels’ co-founder, told Commercial Property Executive. “They are furnished units with full kitchens and access to both hotel amenities as well as additional amenity spaces reserved for the exclusive use of our Pod Pad the guests, such as a gym, laundry facility and roof top indoor/outdoor lounge. They can be rented for any length of time, a few days or a full year.”  

Pod Pads

Located on the corner of 42nd St. and 9th Ave., Pod Times Square will offer 45 Pod Pads—living suites varying from 600 to 800 square feet. It also includes 665 hotel rooms, each around 115 square feet, which feature queen and bunk bed configurations, with offerings like built-in storage and high-tech amenities allowing guests to stream media content from smartphones or other devices. The 28-floor building consists of fully finished Pod Pads with appointed kitchens and BD Hotels’ package of in-room amenities. The property provides a fitness center and guest lounge on the top floor boasting views of the city’s west side and Hudson River. It also includes a partnership with Major Food Group on its first Tiki bar. 

“Pod is about quality and affordability over quantity,” Born said. “It is about staying in a place that reflects how you see yourself, rather than a generic vanilla box. These units are smaller than a typical one- or two-bedroom apartment would be, but they are built out with the same high-quality finishes and attention to design as our hotel rooms.”

Minimizing units, maximizing experience

The innovative hotels’ proven micro-model features the highest percentage of occupancy across the entire BD Hotels portfolio and will introduce a new real estate concept this fall called Pod Pads for those interested in extended-stay options or even long-term leases. “For our guests that are staying for months at a time, our units are as we like to call ‘plug and play.’ You don’t need to set up utilities, cable, internet and a million other services, everything is there, ready to use, and included in the price, no add-ons or extra fees,” Born said. “If you are just with us for a few days, it is a great value for a group or family who would otherwise need two or more rooms.”

The new hotel is in the heart of Manhattan, near a number of subway lines, easing access throughout the city. “Broadway, restaurants, Times Square, and Hudson Yards are all right out of our door,” Born said. “If you are only in New York for a limited amount of time, you want to stay in the middle of it all.”

Pod Times Square is the fifth asset in the Pod Hotel collection following Pod 51 and Pod 39; Pod BK, the first property in an outer-borough; and Pod DC, the first property outside of New York City.

Image courtesy of BD Hotels