Aloft Harlem, Harlem, New York City

As New Yorkers know, Manhattan life on a budget is all about making peace with well-appointed sardine tins, unless you're willing to stretch those legs and Metrocards northward. In the Venn-diagrammed center of value, space, and style lies Aloft Harlem, the tomboy kid sister to flash W Hotels. Opened in December 2010, next to a stretch of 125th Street that's safe but far from humdrum—the Apollo Theater, Marcus Samuelsson's Red Rooster, and bodegas with bulletproof Plexiglass make for vibrant neighbors—the 124-room property has become a home-away for uptown business travelers, parents of students at nearby Columbia University, and tourists excited to explore Harlem's rich cultural offerings. Inside, the W-lite decor displays a less-is-more Pop aesthetic: oversize vinyl wall art, retro plastic alarm clocks, striped blackout curtains, 42-inch high-tech HDTV consoles. For as little as $149, including free coffee and fast Wi-Fi, you can get a king-size bed and space to walk and work around it. Downstairs, a mini-neighborhood with a 24/7 grab-and-go deli, local art gallery, gym, rec room, and cocktail lounge is wrapped into one chilled-out hub. But the real deal is just outside and express subway trains will whisk you to Midtown in roughly seven minutes.

Aloft Harlem
2296 Frederick Douglass Boulevard
Harlem
New York City, New York
Tel: 212 749 4000

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