A Look Inside NYU’s New Dorm
Towards the end of the summer, multiple NYU students were notified via email that they’d be temporarily placed in off-campus housing provided by the University in order to displace students to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The new housing was later revealed to be the W Union Square Hotel. The hotel is located in the northern part of Union Square, near the NYU dorm Carlyle Court, and is currently only occupied by NYU upperclassmen.
W Hotels Worldwide are contemporary hotels owned by Marriott International, with locations in 50+destinations worldwide. W New York — Union Square is best known as an establishment focused on luxurious living and vibrancy of the city. However, this semester it’ll be an old-fashion college dormitory for NYU students.
So, what’s life at the W like exactly? Is it the Zack and Cody experience, the Gossip Girl experience, or the Eloise at the Plaza experience? As a W resident, here are my pros and cons for any student who’s wondering.
Pros
- Room amenities: The beds are ginormous. Many rooms come with one XL twin, queen, or even king bed. Some rooms might even have two beds. Each room has a long desk and chair and is spacious in general. Rooms feature a flat-screen TV with multiple channels and WiFi (no need to login to Philo or HBO Max this semester). The bathrooms look heavenly. The mirror inside is one of two massive mirrors in the room. There’s no kitchen, but every room comes with a 1.7 cubic foot mini-fridge and students can bring their own microwaves and fridges as long as it’s less than 4 cubic feet. There are no words to describe the view. Waking up in the morning and watching the sun peek out is my favorite part of living here.
- Safety: No non-NYU guests will be allowed to stay in the hotel this semester. Once you enter the hotel, you must show identification, just like any NYU building, except security is provided by the W, not NYU. No actual campus security is present, but the W security is thorough. Students from other residence halls may not enter the building. In order to get to a certain room and floor, key cards are swiped in the elevator. Residents also only have access to their floor and room, which adds another layer of precaution.
- Housekeeping: The W is equipped with a “style” team that restores students’ bathrooms once a week. Trash is removed from rooms as well, and students are given new fitted sheets and flat sheets each week to make their own beds. The service is mandatory for all students and makes cleaning a bit easier.
Cons
- Distance: The W is an amazing location for restaurants, shops, and the ever-so-popular Greenmarket, but in terms of on-campus proximity, it sets you back an almost 20-minute tread. In addition, the NYU shuttle service will not make a stop at the W. Luckily, however, the Union Square subway station with lines L, N, Q, R, 4, 5, and 6 is nearby.
- Dining options: The closest campus dining option is Palladium, but instead, students can grab a quick bite at Irvington, a restaurant located inside the hotel building. Irvington offers special discounts, a student menu, and a grab & go breakfast option for students living at the W. Additionally, Union Square is packed with an array of fine restaurants, fast-food chains, and convenience stores.
- Laundry: There are no laundry facilities at the W, meaning students have to go to Carlyle Court in order to get laundry done. It’s a huge inconvenience having to bring a whole basket of clothes across the park, but it is only a five-minute walk
- Community: No one has roommates, and we’re not allowed to visit each other’s rooms or talk in the hallways. It can feel pretty isolated here — it’s almost as if you never see anyone outside their rooms. The quick seconds in the elevator with other students are the most interaction we get, unfortunately. Still, the W has RA’s and is currently organizing a hall council to try to provide a sense of community to the students here.
- Cost: Each room is a single, meaning there were no low-cost options — the room rate is $8200.00 per semester. Students weren’t even given the option to choose the W, but rather were forced into this assignment. While there are many great aspects of the W, that doesn’t outweigh that this is a privilege, and an option low-income students can’t access.
The W has its perks, charms, and flaws. This semester is undoubtedly filled with new surprises, and residing at a hotel is at the top of it all. While we aren’t living exactly like Gossip Girl characters, living here is an experience of a lifetime. Honestly, if NYU asks me to leave, I probably won’t.
