If you ever want to become a tourist in Brooklyn and need a place to book for an overnight or weekend getaway, The Pod Hotel in Williamsburg is the perfect spot.
With all the hustling and bustling I do on a daily basis, spending a Wednesday night there was the quick recharge I needed.
Pod’s European inspired hotel rooms, we’re nostalgic. The designer’s effective design and usage of a small space brought me back to another quick getaway I did in 2015 with my two girlfriends to Oslo, Norway.
Pod furnished their rooms with queen-sized beds and twin bunk beds. I haven’t been in a bunk bed since I was 9, so I promptly opted for the queen-sized bed. The concierge placed me in a handicapped room so these details may not compliment other rooms with a queen-sized bed. Every room has a bathroom — no community showers like a hostel.
Sounds small, but it’s actually cozy and efficient for a short-term traveler. At one point in the evening, there were three people in my room and it didn’t feel overcrowded (get your mind outta the gutter).
The garden views are peaceful — unless you’re getting dressed with the blinds open, other guests can easily walk by and see all your goodies.
The beauty of stay at Pod overnight was enjoying the little details throughout the hotel like random murals with tiny seating areas, the ceiling to floor sized windows in the hallways and the popping colors of each section of the rooms.
The views of the neighborhood rooftops along the beautifully manicured gardens make you feel for a quick second that you’re not in Brooklyn.
For $159 a night, it’s actually quite reasonable when you remember you’re in the ground zero zone of gentrification in the borough. And they only ask for a $30 hold on your credit card for incidentals.
If I’m going to recommend anything, it’s to always do your research for everything, even a hotel stay.
Compare prices to other hotels and Airbnb listings in the area. Consider the public transportation options. The L train is a 10-minute walk away to the Bedford Ave. stop but that train is expected to stop service into Manhattan in April 2019 for 15 months. So the idea that you can be in the city in 15 minutes is out of the question.
But, if you got it like that and want to order an Uber or Lyft, that will never be a problem at any hour of the day or night. Manhattan made be the city that never sleeps, but Brooklyn is where the workers start their day.
This evening was extra special as the hotel was celebrating its grand opening of the rooftop. Major recommendations are the GREY FROSÉ, RFTPunch and the Tomato Pizza.
Then once the rooftop closes, you can head downstairs to the hotel’s featured restaurant, Clinton Hall Williamsburg.
This cool spot next to the lobby has a high school cafeteria lunchroom wooden table set up with oversized versions of some of your favorite childhood games to play.
Order a beer from their large rotating selection of stouts, ales, and lagers. I was still enjoying the refreshing GREY FROSÉ for the night and didn’t want to mix, especially on a school night.
Thanks, Pod! Had a great night.
Photographs courtesy of Christina Carrega
*Disclosure: The Pod Hotel offered 32 Letter a one-night complimentary stay at the hotel.
