Tiny rooms have become a big trend in the hotel industry. Microhotel chains, including Pod Hotels, Yotel, Moxy and citizenM, ­offer rooms averaging 170 square feet, roughly half the size of a typical hotel room, which is about 330 square feet. They’re compact but have pretty much ­everything that most travelers need in a hotel room. Hilton recently announced plans to launch Motto, its own microhotel brand, where rooms will average a cozy 163 square feet.

Many travelers don’t mind undersized hotel rooms, because they don’t spend many waking hours in their rooms anyway. And small rooms generally mean smaller bills—microhotel rooms often cost 20% to 40% less than full-sized rooms, though savings vary. A single-person room with a shared bathroom for one night at Pod 51 in midtown Manhattan, which includes a rooftop deck and free walking tours, was recently available for $80.75.

The public spaces at these hotels tend to be quite social and stylish, with vibrant lounges, lobbies, gaming areas and/or roof decks, so guests don’t feel trapped in their tiny accommodations. 

Before Booking 

Visit the chain’s website and view room diagrams or photos. Does this room truly meet your needs? Microhotel elements that can be problematic…

The bed. Some rooms have elevated beds or bunk beds that are challenging to access…or unusually narrow beds that are uncomfortable for couples.

The bathroom. Microhotels often have small bathrooms with very limited counter space and showers rather than tubs. The sink and vanity might be in the bedroom, making it hard to wash up without waking a sleeping partner. Some rooms have a shared bathroom.

Storage space. Microhotel rooms often have little or no shelf space and no out-of-the-way spot to stow suitcases. 

MicroHotel Locations

Here’s where to find microhotels…

Arlo Hotels has two locations in Manhattan. ArloHotels.com

citizenM locations include Boston, Manhattan, Seattle and various foreign cities. CitizenM.com

Moxy, Marriott’s trendy microhotel brand, has locations in Atlanta, Chattanooga, Chicago, Denver, Manhattan, Memphis, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle and Washington, DC, plus various European and Asian cities. Moxy-Hotels.Marriott.com

The Pod Hotels locations include Brooklyn (New York), Manhattan and Washington, DC. ThePodHotel.com

Yotel locations include Boston, Manhattan, San Francisco, Istanbul, London, Paris and Singapore. Yotel.com

Independent microhotels include ­Hotel Hive in Washington, DC, and The Jane Hotel in New York City.

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