And here’s where the cool kids stay. Especially the tech-savvy ones, because you’re going to have to know your way around an I-Pod to enjoy a sojourn at this groovy Dutch chain. You’ll use that device to self check-in; and then once you get to your pod (I’ll explain), you’ll be tapping away to open the curtains, program the gazillion-channel TV, even change the art works in the electronic frames that decorate your temporary abode. It’s an unapologetically pre-fab room to be sure, shiny white, with a modular shower/toilet enclosed unit, lots of hidden storage space, hip orange chairs, a free transformer for foreign guests, and a huge bed that pushes right up to a wall-to-wall window, with bright red pillows bearing notes encouraging pillow fights. No need to worry that your neighbor has swanker digs: every room in the hotel is exactly the same (no suites) and goes for the same price each night—unless you sign up for the Citizen M Club, which will net you a 15% discount off the cheapest internet rate, and a free drink upon arrival. Outside your room are the hippest lounging areas in Times Square: a rooftop bar (only open to guests); a high-tech, light-and-view flooded gym; and a whimsical lobby, with a soaring ceiling, 24-hour bar/resto and a coy design that looks a bit like a living room for giants (love all the knick knacks).

Note: Citizen M brought its downtown sensibilities downtown in 2018, opening a second hotel at 189 Bowery, near Kenmare Street (an area between the Lower East Side and Nolita).