It's in a plum spot in Midtown, two blocks from Port Authority bus station (handy for airport connections), three blocks from Times Square, and four blocks from the airy oasis of Bryant Park and the ringing tills of Fifth Avenue. Central Park, the galleries and museums are a 30-minute stroll (or a $7 cab ride) away; even SoHo is just a 10-minute subway trip. My premium cabin, the basic room, begins at $149 a night (plus tax), which is not to be sniffed at in a city where affordable accommodation is found only in far-flung boroughs or bed-bug-happy hostels. The boutique hotels generally begin at around $300 a night for a room built for a Borrower. For $149, I feared an airless, beach-hut-size hovel, but I'm pleasantly surprised. If I had a pet, I could certainly swing it. Yes, it is compact, at 12 square metres, but it's white and bright, with soft purple backlighting and a cunning use of space. The similarity to a Virgin upper-class cabin should probably not be surprising, since Soho (London) architects Softroom worked on both. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• The queen-size motorised bed is stored upright, giving extra floor space in front of the wall-mounted flatscreen TV, and a tray-table is stowed away in the bed's armrest. There's a neat work desk, an office-style chair and small storage spots underneath the TV for keys, wallet, phone and other travel ephemera. The bathroom too – though a little reminiscent of a clap clinic – is well-designed, with a monsoon shower, square sink and sliding glass door to the toilet, to preserve modesty and mystique.

Larger cabins are available, from the corner rooms (15 square metres and only $20 a night more), to the first-class cabins, some of which feature terraces, hot tubs and outdoor dining tables. Three VIP suites, starting at $1,500, are blingtastic shag-pads with fireplaces, pool tables and pumping sound systems. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Designed with the ethos of airline seating in mind, Yotels operate to a philosophy of functionality, so you won't find fripperies such as bathrobes, slippers or minibars in any of the rooms. Instead, there's free fast-connection Wi-Fi, complimentary continental breakfast, and guest fridges in the galley kitchens on each floor. There's no shortage of spacious public areas on the fourth floor, and the Studiyo has a cinema screen and yoga space. At night, these morph into social spaces for drinking, dining and hanging out. Back down on the fourth floor terrace, the sun is setting over the Hudson river two blocks to the west, throwing a golden glow over the Gotham skyscrapers of Midtown. The Chrysler Building glitters to the east as we sink exceptionally good cocktails in New York's newest rooftop bar.

My witty and hilariously funny companions and I soak up a few mango and ginger martinis at the hotel's restaurant, Green Fig restaurant, KOMYUNITI and outdoor terrace and where, like the cabin beds, the central bench tables are motorised, sinking into the wooden floor after service ends to form a dancefloor. The Asian-fusion menu is made up of small sharing plates – pork belly tacos, spicy tuna sushi, seared scallops and salt-and-pepper calamari – most priced between $6 and $12. With the atmosphere of an upmarket Wagamama, GREEN FIG deserves to be a destination in itself, particularly in this culinary dead-zone that is called (appropriately) Hell's Kitchen.