Carlton Arms Hotel

A nice stay and worth the affordability, especially if you’ll be out and about most of the day. The cat is cute and very calm, easy to pet if you’re around :) Every surface is painted by a multitude of artists so you won’t be short of anything to look at between the check in and your room. The room itself was nothing special but did the job expected of it. I stayed in one with an attached bathroom which was nice. The building is older so the windows don’t block out much noise. I will say I arrived at the time I was scheduled to but had to leave and come back 2 hours later because my room wasn’t ready. Not a huge deal, but it was raining so I was hoping to settle in before heading back outside.

I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at Carlton Arms Hotel. The murals everywhere were quite cool to explore. It has quite a convenient location, with many attractions like Times Square and the Empire State Building being walkable. Our room was quite quiet as well, and I did not have any trouble with road noise. The added touches such as free coffee and luggage storage on check in/out days really made this place feel welcoming.

The other guests were very shy. The whole place is like an antique. Great location, charming people, and only a couple of blocks from the subway. My stay was surprisingly very quiet, I'm not sure if I got lucky or if it's because it's right next to Baruch. The only extra accommodations from the staff outside of what is in the room are tea in the lobby and towels. Didn't see a single cockroach or bedbug anywhere in the whole place.

I flew in to NY for a show at The Gramercy Theatre. My original plan was to not even stay over night, but to catch and early flight out the next morning. I wasn't able to get another flight until late in the afternoon, so not wanting to hang at the airport for close to 20 hours, decided to try and find a room. Carlton Arms popped up in my search and was just a few blocks from the venue. Checked out the online reviews and pictures, the price was doable so I booked it. Checked in around noon and got to my room on the top floor. A mixture of shock and amusement at the artwork and figurines adorning the walls, I found my room (D9) was much tamer in décor than what I had seen on the way up. And was pleasantly surprised to find I had a private bath, I assume one of the few. I turned the air on and adjusted the curtains and went downstairs to the Irish Pub for some grub. The room was pleasant and the window unit kept it comfortable with no problem. This hotel is a gem, but an old one. While I felt it could be updated somewhat, (carpet and just general upkeep) I felt it was clean and functional and certainly worth the stay. I would stay there again if the opportunity arises.

Bohemian indeed, well located and quirky Carlton Arms does a good dance between price and amenities. It is a hostel at heart but with private, spacious rooms (consider New York apartments) and communal amenities unless you spring for an ensuite. The tenement its housed in retains much of the original charm with the added artistic coating applied by quite a few different artists. Be sure to give your room a check before selecting it, we peeked into a somewhat dizzying spiral room that may have been painful to spend considerable time in (thankfully you'll be out on the town of course). And in that vein keep an eye out for rooms in the midst of cleaning to take a look at the art. Some of it is very well done. It's good policy to greet and pet Ned as you mount the main floor landing, he should be relaxing in the head chair after what could only be a busy night. You will notice his absence from sight as the day wears out. It's a quirky spot that is blindingly well located at a great price. If you dont mind a bit of communality this might be a great choice for a home base.