Pod 51
3-star hotel · Midtown East, New York
Guests rate nearly every hotel highly: half the hotels in New York are rated 8.4 out of 10 or more. So our score shows how a hotel compares with the rest, not how luxurious it is.
- Rated higher than 35% of New York hotels
- 82% of guest comments are praise
- 93% of guest photos show no damage
How this score is made
- Rated higher than 35% of New York hotels. Compared with 819 hotels in New York. Counts for 50% of the score.
- 82% of guest comments are praise. 579 praise, 125 complain. Counts for 30% of the score.
- 93% of guest photos show no damage. 56 of 60 photos. Counts for 20% of the score.
- Serious reports are never counted in. They are flagged beside the score, because one matters even when everything else is good.
- $228 a nighttypical for two, before tax · from $86
- 3 min walkto East 53rd Street & 3rd Avenue at Southeast Corner station
- 298 guest reviewsfrom the last 2 years
- 60 guest photostheirs, not the hotel's
At a glance
For
- 15 min walk to Rockefeller Center1.1 km by road
- A station within walking distanceEast 53rd Street & 3rd Avenue at Southeast Corner is 245 m away
- Location196 praise · 0 complain
- Staff135 praise · 11 complain
- Cleanliness116 praise · 16 complain
Against
- Room size48 complain · 8 praise
- Quiet at night24 complain · 18 praise
- Problems in the bathroom15 of 298 guests
What guests reported
What guests say
298 reviews from the last 2 years. Most praised: location (196 guests). Weakest: room size, where 48 of the 56 who mention it complain.
Location1960Strength
Extremely reasonably priced and conveniently located.
Google, August 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
I would absolutely stay here again it’s quick and close to everything and the subway is right across the street
Booking network, August 2026, rated 10/10 by this guest
Beds211Strength
Great location and the comfiest beds after a long day of walking around the city
Booking network, June 2026, rated 10/10 by this guest
The bed was comfortable, had a tv, hairdryer.
Tripadvisor, July 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
The beds are uncomfortable.
Booking network, June 2026, rated 3/10 by this guest
Views201Strength
Good views of the city and an added plus for a spot to hang out.
Google, August 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
The room was clean and had a nice view.
Google, July 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
The view from the room window was rather bleak, but you can go up to the observation deck, and everything changes—the beauty of New York awaits you.
Google, July 2026, rated 4/5 by this guest
Staff13511Strength
Rooms are small but cozy, staff works around the clock to keep things clean and are very friendly.
Google, June 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
Individual capsule with private bathroom, perfect in price and location for a few days and spending almost all day outdoors, the cleanliness was always excellent, the reception staff and especially Edward were very nice, the terrace has a beautiful view, everything was great!
Google, September 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
Police was called to respond to an emergency as the staff of the hotel were aggressive towards guests.
Tripadvisor, July 2026, rated 1/5 by this guest
Cleanliness11616Strength
Great spot if you want a clean and quite place to put your bags down and sleep while visiting the city.
Google, September 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
The location is great, lots of restaurants and CVS just around the corner and timesquare and central park in walkind distance, the facilities and rooms are clean and well managed.
Tripadvisor, June 2026, rated 4/5 by this guest
The communal bathrooms could get dirty at times, but that's obviously on guests not leaving it nice and not the staff themselves.
Booking network, June 2026, rated 10/10 by this guest
Value5617Mostly good
The hierarchy of accomodations -- room with bed and sink, or with sink and toilet or with sink and toilet and shower is good business and saves me a lot of cash.
Tripadvisor, July 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
Amazing value for Dollar will return
Booking network, June 2026, rated 8/10 by this guest
No amenities in building, too pricey for a small room, it feels like a pod should be cheap but practical not as expensive as a normal sized room
Booking network, September 2026, rated 7/10 by this guest
Room condition97Split
The bathrooms are a little old…
Booking network, June 2026, rated 6/10 by this guest
This is an older building, and the walls are not incredibly thick – but I felt like this was the only downside.
Tripadvisor, August 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
The elevators and other parts look worn and kind of shabby, but everything was functional.
Tripadvisor, October 2026, rated 4/5 by this guest
Quiet at night1824Split
Neighbors conversations, tv, phone alarms, etc.
Google, July 2026, rated 3/5 by this guest
My ONLY complaint is how you can hear every little thing out in the hallway.
Booking network, August 2026, rated 8/10 by this guest
Lots of noise from exterior AC units, but that’s everywhere in Manhattan.
Booking network, September 2026, rated 8/10 by this guest
Room size848Weak spot
The room was smaller than the picture indicated, and there was no free breakfast for the price you have to pay to stay there.
Booking network, July 2026, rated 7/10 by this guest
Small rooms and barhrooms, the cleaning lady once entered my room without a sign and without knocking...
Booking network, August 2026, rated 9/10 by this guest
The room was extremely small although very well organised and we had everything.
Booking network, June 2026, rated 9/10 by this guest
Too few mentions to judge: food and breakfast.
Who stays, and their score out of 10
From every review of the last two years that gives a score and says who travelled, including those with no words.
All 4,094 Google ratings
Problems guests raised
Raised most: problems in the bathroom, in 15 of 298 reviews.
Problems in the bathroom15 of 2981 in 20 reviews
Expected small rooms but hoped the shared baths would be a little better, they had a bit of a smell to them and walls were very thin
Booking network, July 2026, rated 5/10 by this guest
The toilets very wet at times because the showers were also there.
Booking network, July 2026, rated 9/10 by this guest
Unexpected charges and refunds11 of 2981 in 27 reviews
Note, we were charged a $20 facility fee (?) each day that was unexpected.
Tripadvisor, July 2026, rated 4/5 by this guest
Negative: A resort and facility fee of $25 per person per night is charged at check-in.
Google, July 2026, rated 3/5 by this guest
Complaints the hotel left unresolved10 of 2981 in 30 reviews
We explained to them that the amount was not the same as the booked amount, but they did not want to hear anything...
Tripadvisor, July 2026, rated 2/5 by this guest
When we went to complain all that was offered was a new pair of sheets and to put the old soiled ones outside the door.
Google, September 2026, rated 1/5 by this guest
Heating and air conditioning8 of 2981 in 37 reviews
Room is too small for two adult males and air conditioning isn’t the best.
Booking network, August 2026, rated 7/10 by this guest
Good location, however the air conditioning does not work well, and one of the elevators got stuck on an intermediate floor.
Tripadvisor, September 2026, rated 3/5 by this guest
Not as shown or booked7 of 2981 in 43 reviews
On the downside, it was a little more "budget" in terms of furnishings than I had anticipated from the website.
Google, June 2026, rated 3/5 by this guest
The clerk told me that Booking.com had only paid for a room with a shared bath, which is ridiculous because I personally know exactly how many hotels I squirrel I mean how many rooms I scrolled through before I selected full-size bed full-size bed with a regular bath.
Tripadvisor, July 2026, rated 1/5 by this guest
Something broken in the room7 of 2981 in 43 reviews
Only con was the room they gave me opened up to a middle roof area and the window didn't lock.
Tripadvisor, September 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
Serious reports
4 in 298 reviews, most common first. Shown beside the score, never averaged into it.
Bed bugs or bites2 of 298 reviews
I got a bunk bed room with my friend, we have both been bitten by bed bugs in out 4 days of stay.
Booking network, June 2026, rated 5/10 by this guest
A physical hazard2 of 298 reviews
I fell coming down the ladder.
Booking network, August 2026, rated 4/10 by this guest
These are guests' own accounts from their reviews. We have not verified them, and the hotel may dispute them. A report is counted only when the guest says it happened at the hotel and holds the hotel responsible.
Photos, checked
4 of the 60 guest photos we checked show damage or dirt (7%).
What it advertises, against the photos
The hotel says it has no swimming pool, spa or hot tub.
Price, place and rooms
Price
$228 is a typical night, from 303 dates checked in the coming year.
Weekends cost 8% more than weekdays
A typical night, month by month
Cheapest month: Jan 2027, $93Dearest month: May 2027, $310
Prices on booking sites, the day we checked
What each seller advertised on the one day we checked, so these sit outside the year-wide figures above and can fall below the typical price.
- Super.com$242
- Kayak$248
- traveluro.com$248
- hotelscombined.com$248
- momondo.com$248
- trivago.deals$250
- Vio.com$251
- evendo.com$251
Lowest advertised nightly rate for two adults; taxes and local fees are not included. Shown in US dollars.
Nearby
East 53rd Street & 3rd Avenue at Southeast Corner station is 245 m away by road, about 3 minutes on foot. There are 5 bars or clubs within 200 metres.
- Nearest main road: 2nd Avenue91 m
- Nearest station: East 53rd Street & 3rd Avenue at Southeast Corner3 min walk245 m by road
- Nearest shop: Morton Williams4 min walk299 m by road
- Rockefeller Center15 min walk1.1 km by road
- Times Square26 min walk1.9 km by road
- The Empire State Building30 min walk2.2 km by road
- The Brooklyn Bridge6.9 km
The lines are 5, 10 and 15 minutes on foot.
Distances follow the streets, not straight lines.
Rooms
8 room types, from 7 to 19 m².
- Single Pod with Shared Bathroom7 m²Sleeps 1Bathtub
- Bunk Pod with Shared Bathroom8 m²Sleeps 2Bathtub
- Room, Private Bathroom (Single Pod)9 m²Sleeps 1Bathtub
- Single Pod9 m²Sleeps 1
- Full Pod10 m²Sleeps 21 Double bed
- Queen Pod14 m²Sleeps 2
The other 2 room types
- Queen Pod ADA19 m²Sleeps 2
- Room, Private Bathroom (Single Pod)Not statedSleeps 1Bathtub
From the hotel's own room descriptions, checked against each room's photos.
How it compares
How it ranks
Guests who booked rate it 8.1 out of 10. 35% of the 819 hotels in New York are rated lower, and a typical one is rated 8.4.
Every review site, out of 100
21 Google reviewers ticked "Quiet", yet 24 guests complain about noise, and 2nd Avenue runs 91 m away.
If room size matters to you
Here, 48 of the 56 guests who mention room size complain. These nearby hotels do better on it.
More hotels in New York
The nearest first, with our score for each.
How we know
298 reviews counted · 94 photos checked · updated 10 October 2026
- We collected this hotel's 891 most recent reviews from Google, Tripadvisor and the Booking network. 298 of them describe a stay in the last 2 years and are the ones counted here; the rest were 101 older, 126 in other languages and 366 with a score but no words.
- The hotel replied to 3 of its 200 newest Google reviews.
- 6 in every 100 reviews thank a staff member by name.
- 7 reviews mention a free upgrade, a cake or a gift.
- We looked at 94 photos: the first 34 of the hotel's own and the 60 newest from guests.
- Every number on this page is counted, not estimated. Anything in quotation marks is a guest's own words.