In the lobby, I walked to the desk behind a wall of half windows next to some trash cans.
Bowery Grand Hotel front desk.
Laura Cassado/Insider
The lobby of the Bowery Grand Hotel was a single room, with the front desk hidden behind a half glass wall. I thought this was similar to many of the barrier guards I’ve seen in delis and cafes around New York.
Looking around I was surprised to see that the lobby had no seating, decorations or furniture other than a few trash cans. Even at budget hostels I’ve stayed in in the past, I’m used to seeing lobbies and waiting rooms when I visit a hotel.
I mentioned my name to the clerk behind the counter and he looked up my reservation.
The clerk said my room key required a $20 deposit and that the deposit would be refunded when I checked out by 11am the next morning. I paid $20 in cash, and the hotel clerk printed a receipt and gave me my room key, which is a physical key on a small keychain.
He also handed me about 4 feet of toilet paper to use in the shared bathroom and pointed out on the receipt that I could find the free Wi-Fi network name and password.