The Jane Hotel

Part SRO (Single Room Occupancy) and part hipster den, the Jane Hotel is a beautiful beast, a glammed-up flophouse in a gorgeous ‘hood, well suited to the contemporary moment. Until its reincarnation, the entire hotel was an SRO with an impoverished clientele. The new management mixes existing SRO tenants with the hotel guests.

Quick read

Pros: Hip scene with boutique style. Cool West Village location. Trendy bar scene.

Cons: Very small, “cabin-like” rooms. Most rooms share baths. Mix of hotel guests and SRO tenants not for all guests.

Rooms

The Jane features two types of rooms: tiny ones and splashy ones. The “tiny” group—150 of them, inspired by luxury ship cabins—includes rooms with single beds and rooms with bunkbeds. These rooms are quite small (they were also inspired by the size of the ship cabins) and spot rich retro decor.

Quite notably, these cheaper rooms share bathrooms, which are mixed gender.

The 40 splashier "Captain’s Cabin" rooms have more space, daintier and lighter-hued interiors and private bathrooms.

All rooms offer flat-panel TV, mirrored walls, iPod docks, DVD players and telephones. Free Wi-Fi is accessible throughout the hotel and in the rooms.

Hotel

There is something so perfect, so uncanny and so delicious about this hotel. In the months after its launch in 2008, it became difficult to open a travel magazine without coming across a Jane mention, and this was the case not merely in budget-friendly publications but also in swanky aspirational travel mags. It's a remarkable hotel both aesthetically and conceptually, and its publication mentions are deserved.

At the time of our last visit, there were around 60 SRO tenants living in the hotel side-by-side with hotel guests. We noticed staff, long-term tenants and guests mingling effortlessly, though we sensed that staying here may indeed prove to be more lively than a stay at a conventional hotel.

One more cool perk: The Jane offers free bicycle rentals to guests.

Lastly, the combination of old building and booming nightclub makes for noisy nights, so light sleepers should remember to pack ear plugs.

Bar

The hotel's bar has also emerged as a hipster magnet, something that might either prove to be an appealing or depressing dimension of the place depending on perspective. Regardless, it’s an animated, hopping scene, attracting crowds every night.

On the other hand, there is nothing depressing about the sunny, Frenchy Café Gitane (just off the hotel lobby), with its cheery atmosphere and scrumptious French-Moroccan bites.

Location

The Jane is located in the West Village, one block from the super-trendy Meatpacking District. The hotel is at the corner of Jane and West Street, just off the West Side Highway and parks lining the Hudson River. Joggers, cyclists and rollerbladers will dig the hotel's easy access to the park across the street. 

This puts you about two blocks from Gansevoort Street and the trendy crowds that descend nightly upon the Meatpacking District, with its pricey restaurants and cocktail bars. This will obviously be a hit with younger travelers looking to hit the town in style, while older travelers may appreciate the charms (and great eats and shopping) in the West Village.

Guest reviews in brief

The Jane attracts a younger clientele, many of whom are traveling alone. Most of these reviewers are attracted by the Jane’s hip offerings: great location for going out, popular bar/nightclub, opportunities for intermingling with other guests, friendly staff and low rates.

Given the hotel’s unique setup, it’s no surprise that many of these same qualities turn off other guests. Nightclubs and hip crowds, it turns out, aren’t for everyone. Others found the location a bit out of the way (and it is, relative to many mainstream tourist sights).

Many guests complained about the Jane’s small rooms, which seem especially tiny if you have large luggage. Lastly, there were several complaints about the bathrooms—the limited facilities (two toilets per shared bathroom) and the fact that facilities are mixed gender (and, well, kind of intimate).

* These reviews were provided by verified guests who booked through EuroCheapo's reservation partners. Click on the links below to read reviews in detail.

Transportation

Subways: The Jane is located within a 5-10 minute walk of the 14th Street A/C/E and L station.

JFK: To reach the hotel from JFK, take the Air Train to the Howard Beach Station, then take the A train toward Manhattan to 14th Street, and then walk to the hotel (about 5-10 minutes).

LaGuardia: From LaGuardia, we’d recommend either taking the New York Airport Service bus to Penn Station, then taking the A/C/E subway “Downtown” to 14th Street. Or simply take a taxi to the hotel.

Newark: From Newark Airport, take the Air Train to the NJ Transit station, and then any NJ Transit train into Penn Station. From there, take the A/C/E/ subway “Downtown” to 14th Street and walk to the hotel.

Read more about airport transportation in New York.