Sanctuary Guest Suites

Zen luxury as promised and beyond. The spiritual amenities were astounding! Very clean room and fantastic staff. They took care of my bags when I showed up 6 hours before check in :)

A friend and I spent a week at the Sanctuary in the Rama suite. The apartment was perfect for what we wanted — peace and quiet at the end of a busy day on the streets of New York. The apartment was clean, comfortable and fully equipped with everything we needed.
The only thing that would have been better would have been a block out blind on the patio door — it was a little disconcerting to have people partying late into the night on the patio beyond ours looking into where I was in bed! This did really detract from our stay and I’m sure if we had asked, someone would have hung something over it.
Value for money was fantastic and it was an easy walk to some great eateries, wholesome food stores, the subway station and E. Houston St where it always took less than a minute to hail a cab.
We can’t wait to stay there again and would highly recommend it to those who like the privacy of an apartment rather than a hotel where people have daily access to the room.

We just spent the long weekend in NYC and stayed at Sanctuary. These accommodations are a cross between an apartment and a hotel. All the units are on a couple of floors of a new building on the lower east side. Each apartment is equipped with a full kitchen. The properties are managed by the staff working our of the yoga studio on the ground floor. All the staff we met were super friendly and helpful. If you arrive early or want to stay in the city after checkout you can leave all your luggage in a storage area which is really convenient.
Although the apartment is located near many great bars and restaurants it is a block or two removed from the main action so the area directly around the building is a bit more quiet and we were able to find free street parking for the entire weekend.
We will definately plan on staying here on our next visit to NYC!

The Sanctuary was an amazing experience, a great place to retire to at the end of a long day in NYC. The staff there was so helpful and friendly, thanks to Mario for setting up our rooms! We hope to stay there again next time we’re in the city!

LOVE the Stanton Location!!! First off, Ill start by clarifying that this company has two locations and this review is for their Stanton St location.
My husband and I stayed there for 8 days when they first opened a couple years ago, and we r so excited that we will be staying there again in a few weeks!
We are super picky about hotels… we definitely arent snooty people but we are big believers that when we r on vacation we want to be comfortable. We usually stay in 5 star hotels, and I must say that this place is on par as far as cleanliness, space, and the MOST comfy bed!!! We were there in winter and after days of running around the city we honestly couldnt wait to get into their insanely comfy bed and rest! The beds here are more comfortable than beds weve slept in at The Four Seasons and The Ritz Carlton.
Get one of the rooms with a patio… it’s a really nice extra :)
All the staff here are extremely friendly and accommodating. The location, in my opinion, is perfect. I love the Lower East Side… its more neighborhoody than other areas in NY, great restaurants, great bars… and the location is quiet yet a block away from everything youd need/​want to go to.
We were so bummed the last time we came to NY last year this location was totally booked… but we were not surprised, we knew it wouldnt be a secret for too long ;)
I highly recommend staying here!!! Better beds, rooms, service and location than hotels that are 3 times the price!

I stayed at the Sanctuary for the first when I came to New York for New Years! I have to say I was very pleased with my stay here! The service was very good, the staff very personable and attentive, the rooms were very clean and nicely presented and the location was perfect! Near Soho, West Village, Little Italy etc! And best of all the price was very reasonable! I live in California but come to New York a couple times a year! This spot will definitely become my regular place to stay!

My fiancé and I are into yoga, living in a shoe-​free house, organic and natural everything. This is the best high end hotel in NY for people like us. It totally felt like home being there from the moment we walked in. A super friendly gentleman checked us in on the first floor, which is where the yoga studio is. It felt as if we were checking into a yoga hotel or something. Loved it.
The hotel rooms are on the second floor and each one is named after an Indian God or Goddess. Upon entering our room the first thing I noticed was the wooden shoe rack. Ha! Just like at our house. The guy gave us a tour of our room and how everything worked. In the bathroom we found natural organic toiletries. That’s a first. They won my heart over with that.
Instead of finding a bible in one of the drawers we found a small stack of books. One was titled «Christ and Buddha», and in the stack was also a meditation book, among a couple others. A tiny slice of my own bookshelf at home. There was a full small kitchen with fridge and they served breakfast each morning.
The entire place, from the first floor, second floor, and our room, was very beautiful, clean, and elegant. I call this place «a high end bohemian hotel with class». I loved every minute of being here and next time I’m in NY I will definitely be staying here again. I can’t imagine staying elsewhere. This is my NY home away from my L.A. home. :)

We were recommended this hotel when we took an impromptu trip to NYC in October. We were greatly surprised by both the location and the service. Both were outstanding. The staff was fabulous and the rooms were huge. We stayed in the Govinda suite. I really can’t say enough about the graciousness of the staff who went out of their way to make our trip a pleasant experience. I can’t imagine not staying there on future trips. The neighborhood is lovely and it was fun to explore the various great restaurants.

The suite we stayed in was the Nitai on E. 3^rd. We chose this particular apt because it was the most affordable one I could find that had a kitchenette and could sleep 4 comfortably (the son and daughter requiring their own beds).
Pros:
–Fun location in Lower East Side
–Zak, general manager, nicest guy you could meet in NY
–no bedbugs
Cons:
–DIRTY!!! So dirty. The bedding was old and ripped, the curtains were dusty and filthy, in the bathroom was a huge exposed pipe that was flaking rust and paint, the bathtub mottled with mold. Ugh.
–The fridge never got cold — when we checked out we told the woman to whom we gave our key and she told us that, yah, a lot of the fridges weren’t working. Um, ok… ya might wanna do something about that.
— Décor was falling down. There were a number of exposed nails in the walls where pictures might have once been (?) and other pix tended pop off the walls if you brushed by them. We had to remove a large iron thing from the bedroom while we there and pop it back up when we left. We tried to open a curtain in the living area and whole, cheap thing came tumbling down. We couldn’t get it back up again because the window was so high so we were left with the filthy levelors.
–Complimentary Breakfast was nonexistent. Maybe it exists at the Stanton St location, but there we weren’t informed.
Bottom line: Manhatten is a hella expensive city to stay in. You get what you pay for. I won’t stay here again– it was just too grungy for me.

Mario and Vishna are awesome hosts and our Suite (Rama) feels like a home away from home. Full kitchen, heavenly beds, rooftop patio, every convenience and Stanton location is perfect for the «not so touristy» NY experience! Close to some great listening rooms for music, Rockwood, Living Room and Arlene’s Grocery where you never know who will show up to“sit in” on a session. I love the neighborhood, love the Suite, it’s a win! AND totally affordable;-)

I booked this February trip in December and the price was an absolute steal!
The room was very nice, roomy, and modern. There are no elevators here only stairs so if you’re not much for cardio, this is not the place for you. My boyfriend and I didn’t mind it and we were on the 4^th floor.
This place for the price is perfect.
Pros:
–Great location. We took a taxi or walked everywhere and the taxi ride was never more than 10.00 if that!
–Huge room, very big and roomy for NY.
–I went during tempertures of 20 degrees and the heater worked like a charm.
It did get a bit warm at times but I opened a window and voila!
–Easy to check in and check out. No problems. Extremely friendly staff. Mario was so pleasant and the young lady who checked us in was as well.
Cons:
–Amenities. I think they can be a bit more generous with the towels, soap, toilet paper. We had 4 towels for the 3 days we were there, had to go all the way down stairs to get more, there is no maid/​room service. Also I had to «exchange» the towels. Makeup residue found when I opened the folded towel-​maybe more bleach should be used?
One roll of toilet paper and one small soap, we went ahead and bought a 4 pack of TP and a bar of soap to avoid having to go downstairs, we were at Rite Aid anyways so what the heck.
–Maintenance. We had a window above the kitchen area and as I was washing a cup, I saw a pigeon sitting on it, the window was broken and was completely open, LOL. I didn’t mind it, a pigeon never hurt anyone but at night when it got to the 20’s, a breeze surely came through.
–Bed. Not the best bed in the world. Felt like I was getting pricked by needles.
Like I said for the price, you cannot beat it. You can surely overlook my two cons for what you’re going to pay.
Yes, Hells Angel is right next door, but they are harmless. No noise, nothing crazy and I went during Superbowl weekend. Just don’t sit on the bench but as a previous guest wrote, it clearly states it on the bench, written on a plaque.

Staying here was the only disappointment in our NYC trip. Fortunately, we didn’t spend much time in it. But regardless, this place wasn’t really worth it. We were aware of the accommodations, but the bathrooms were just horrible and disgusting. The bathtub was just dirty. But, our biggest complaint was the exposed water heater. We knew it was super hot, but when you’re trying to dry off in the cramp bathroom, accidental contact was a given, especially when you’re trying to get your balance. Ugh.
We had their complementary breakfast the first morning. We weren’t planning on it, but we overslept the first night after being slightly jet lagged. At any rate, after the crappy breakfast, we weren’t sure if we were supposed to wash our dishes or not. So, we looked around and saw the mother and daughter who sat next to us earlier just left everything on the table. So, we did the same. As we’re walking out, a lady ran after us and shouted, «You have to clean your dishes.» We apologized and said we didn’t know. Then, she points to a small sign with faded writing above the sink that asks the guests to «kindly» wash their dishes. If we’re not in that area, how are we supposed to see that sign? Anyhow, it was an honest mistake, really, but she was still pissed off at us and most likely at the other guests who mistakenly left their dishes as well. So, as I’m doing the dishes, I ask her where the trash is, and she gives me the evil eye and points to the trash behind a door. I’m thinking … Ok? Sorry I asked, geesh. Needless to say, we didn’t eat there again. We enjoyed our breakfast at Ess-​a-​Bagel every morning thereafter.
Then, you have the groups of people just chatting and laughing outside until dawn. No joke or exaggeration. I would expect this on a weekend, but this was every night! Luckily, we were so exhausted every night that we were able to sleep through it.
Simply put, if you’re a starving college student, this is an affordable option, but PLEASE let it be last resort. If not, just pay a little more and stay somewhere nicer. That’s what we’ll do when we’re in the city again.

This place is great. The rooms are modern, clean, and have everything you could want, including a kitchen! My boyfriend and I stayed here last year, and just yesterday I booked it again for us this year. The rooftop and the view is another bonus. The price is a steal and I hope they don’t get too popular and raise their prices ;)
Try the coffee shop at the end of the street (The Bean); it’s got an awesome neighborhood feel to it and makes you feel like you’re a local, which is what my boyfriend and I love about the city. We like to feel like we live there for the few days we visit, which is a big reason we pick places like Sanctuary Guest Suites over hotels.
Don’t let the fact that it’s beside the Hells Angels scare you!

Love this place. I have been to NYC Several times and this by far is my favorite place to stay. Roof Top Amazing. Everyone is really friendly and helpful. Close to everything. Book early though because it gets booked fast. Only bummer, stairs only lol. I know right.

Must say this is a hidden gem of this great city. My first trip into NYC (Manhattan) was overwhelming even since I’ve spent so many years in Philly. I just did not expect NY to be so big.
This place was in a great location right off of a widely used subway station. Right in the center of SOHO too! I found myself having an amazing time not worrying about where I’d end up.
I came late in the evening and had made sure they were aware of it. It was scary actually; they really don’t have a dedicated front desk where you can just walk up to check in. They had someone waiting for me up front.
Imagine walking into a small apartment building in the city: tight hallways, bland identical doors, and never-​ending steps. The guy waiting in front handed me his Dalmatian to hold so that he could get me my keys. Weird but very welcoming.
I found the place on craigslist and thought I was going to be raped but some cult truthfully.
In any case, I was given the Shanti suite for a great deal. By far it was one of the sexiest looking apartments I’ve ever been in. Very spacious, clean, modern and just New York bachelor pad written all over it.
If I’m ever up in NY again, I will only stay here.
BTW, I was up there to meet up with my girlfriend who was traveling through the city with family. She was staying at the Hilton in Time Square in this tiny 300sq ft room that cost her family $ 550+fees a night.
She stayed over my place that night.

This is quite the interesting place… here are some highlights:
1. Unique East Village location (right next door to the Hells Angel «Dago», a short walk to lots of great restaurants, and one block from the subway);
2. Mini-​apartments (complete with mini-​kitchens) with 1 – 3 beds (great for families with kids… although you will be very close to your kids during your stay!);
3. Run by the Inter-​Faith Community (still not sure exactly what this is, but the Hare Krishnas are definitely involved)…rooms are nicely decorated and complimented with eclectic religious artwork;
4. Dine with European travelers in a small apartment set aside as a self-​serve continental breakfast room (complete with plasma TV and a sink to wash your own dishes);
5. A decent roof deck with great views, perfect for an evening picnic;
6. No elevator… this becomes a bit of a concern if you are here in the summer and are staying on the fourth floor!; and
7. A fabulous deal for the money!
You don’t come here for the service… there really isn’t any after you check in. No room service, no shampoo/​conditioner/​shower soap, just the basics… it’s geared for the independent/​low maintenance traveler (which we are!).
I would definitely consider staying here again as I like unique non-​corporate places.
A few tips…
1) Do NOT sit on the Hells Angel bench or attempt to photograph the front door… I have no doubt the «guard» who will quickly approach you is well armed (and takes himself way too seriously);
2) Bring plenty of your own shower gel, soap and shampoo;
3) Don’t miss The Bean (coffeehouse) and Three of Cups (GREAT pizza and wine bar); and
4) If you happen to be here for July 4^th, do NOT believe Mario the Manager when he tells you that you can see the Macy’s fireworks show from the roof!!! We saw pretty colored smoke. I had to go «meditate» back in the room to recapture my peaceful state — it was in Mario’s best interest.)