This spawn of Marriott works mightily to not seem like a spawn of Marriott, enlisting local artists and big-ticket interior designers alike to create art for your room and splatter your shower stall with faux graffiti. Its upscale imitation of grunge is emphatically more like East Village of today than the East Village they sang about in Rent, although rooms may still make you feel like an upscale squatter: They're simple (155–194 sq. ft.) but well-articulated, with discreet cubbies and pegs instead of a closet, plenty of USB charger outlets, and a bed touching walls on three sides, just the way the kids live in this overcrowded town. Most rooms in Manhattan are too small, so you might as well be tiny with style. Unlike in the Moxy properties uptown, at this one there's enough common space for you to relax and play—there's a free Skee-Ball game (which may be one of the best reasons you'll ever have to pick a hotel) and you're even invited to re-arrange the lobby furniture the way you like it. The basement's approachably French restaurant, Cathédrale, is surprisingly spacious and delicious (don't miss the fresh-baked bread served with drippings; it's a menu favorite). There's a zig-zig bar there and another bar off the lobby, and yet another two (one on the roof, one in a dusky cellar vault) managed by cool nightlife promoter Tao—if you want to try them, make sure to get on the list. Rates can swing wildly here, with the highest prices falling when parents are likely to be visiting their kids at NYU (boxy dorms rise all around this fairly homey neighborhood, which is also strong on sports bars) or when there's a major concert at famous Webster Hall, directly across the street.