It’s almost sunrise and I stare at the giant billboard on the rooftop of the building across. “Dog Pound”, it says. I look back into the hotel room and admire the sleeping alcove that Glenn and I are getting shut eye in. This isn’t one of those minuscule sleeping solutions that you might be thinking of – this wooden alcove stretches from floor to ceiling, measures the size of a king bed and it’s located at Arlo SoHo Hotel’s City King room.

Nestled in a former industrial area of Hudson Square, Arlo SoHo is part of a new micro-room hotel breed that focuses on innovative living and chic design. The 15-square metre guest rooms have been cleverly designed to maximise living situations. Glenn and I embrace the compact space – this is New York City and we certainly didn’t come here to sleep.

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We arrive on a late wintry weeknight and are immediately greeted by a vibrant buzz and a friendly team who converse with lingering familiarity. So familiar that with the chick who’s checking us in, we become BFFs within minutes, talking about eyebrows and Melbourne (turns out that we had both lived there at one stage). I like it here already – even though I’m desperately trying to overcome jet lag. 

Designed for savvy wanderers with a taste for well-thought-out amenities and refined accommodation like Palihouse West Hollywood, Arlo SoHo is the type of hotel you’d see in magazines like Dezeen or Wallpaper. While the hotel offers other rooms without the stylish sleeping structure, the caveat is that you’ll be missing out on iconic Instagram moments. #interiorporn, anyone?

Just a few inches shy from the window, the wooden alcove gives a sense of warmth despite boldly occupying nearly half the room. Like its sister property Arlo NoMad Hotel, details in the room are carefully considered such as the versatile flip-down desk and under-bed storage. The bathroom boasts a glass-enclosed shower with Blind Barber bath amenities and I absolutely love starting the day off with a luxurious warm rain shower. 

Bodega, the 24-hour pantry, which sells hot cups of JOE coffee, sandwiches and local snacks is the kind of life saver that savvy travellers like us need. We’re in town for New York Fashion Week so it’s prefect for us to grab breakfast and devour frantically in the back of an Uber when we run fashionably late.

There’re also a few public spaces in the hotel so it’s not uncommon to see friends playing board games, savvy yuppies discussing ideas in one of the studio rooms or trendy locals dining at Harold’s Meat + Three, the in-house restaurant that offers premium meat, seafood and seasonal vegetables put together by Chef Harold Moore.

What feels strange initially – with the number of non-guests hanging out at the hotel – makes sense in the end. Arlo SoHo is an inspired boutique hotel where modern travellers and urban locals come together to exude the vibrant energy that I’ve mentioned. The hotel is just a short walk from trendy Soho and scenic Hudson River and it’s quickly become a go-to oasis for many. Innovation is key when it comes to modern living solutions and Arlo SoHo Hotel nails every bit of it.

I glance back out of the window and the sun’s up. As much as jet-lag has limited my sleep, I roll out of the sleeping pod, momentarily forgetting how much higher this bed sits off the floor. I check myself in the mirror – yup, the puffy eyes are real but I’m ready to explore the neighbourhood and other NYC districts. I hear Thom Browne and Issey Miyake are just two blocks away…