Hotel Toshi: The Blog

how to book a hotel apartment at hotel toshi

2010-08-25T06:51:00.000-07:00

A hotel toshi apartment rental in New York City is an email or phone call away.

Getting comfy bedrooms, a full kitchen and an apartment with great amenities, is a matter of talking to one of our booking experts.

Here, booking specialist David, who speaks Spanish, French, and English, explains how to get a hotel toshi apartment. The France-born super room-booker is also available for any impromptu soccer match at the office!

My hotel toshi apartment: meet the Spaniards

2010-08-24T08:24:00.000-07:00

Step into the office at hotel toshi and you'll hear the swirl of languages spoken, of dialects exchanged, and greetings translated.

The staff sees clients from all over mother Earth -- from nearby in New York City to as far as Australia, Nigeria, London, and Japan.

Last July, when Toshi hosted a roof-top July 4th Independence Party, many folks couldn't keep their eyes off the bunch of excited traveling Spaniards!

Take a look:

--Tiffany

My hotel toshi apartment: Meet Kelly

2010-07-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

This news is just in! --- Real people stay in hotel toshi apartments!

Now some of them, like Kelly, may be unusually beautiful, but we promise you: everyone who takes a hotel toshi apartment is not an alien -- but an actual human!

Thankfully, Kelly, a talent manager and representative, has fallen in love with her apartment at 808 Driggs and the surrounding Williamsburg. Check her out!

--Tiffany

A hotel toshi July 4th!

2010-07-06T15:16:00.000-07:00

This year, Hotel Toshi staff threw a July 4 party on the roof of its 808 Driggs office and apartment building in Williamsburg, Brooklyn!

Hotel Toshi clients from all over the world and New York professionals met for a night of eating, bonding, and apartment-loving!

The roof top was a total splendor, with its wood panels and view of all of New York City and Brooklyn. And, as we learned later, the roof is a favorite New York spot for visitors staying in 808 Driggs. Take that Times Square!

Here is a gaggle of people staying in various hotel toshi apartments saying hi to hotel toshi!

Hotel Toshi on Twitter!

2010-07-03T08:05:00.000-07:00

http://twitter.com/hoteltoshi

On Twitter, learn about Toshi's latest over-the-top and always remarkable parties and Hotel Toshi's latest apartment selections!

Tiffany

A Legal Look at hotel toshi

2010-07-02T07:11:00.000-07:00

Hotel Toshi helps people live in New York City.  

The hotel apartment service offers short-term or long-term apartments and for prices cheaper than brand-name hotels.

You get more room for half the price of traditional hotels.

Yet some questions have been raised about whether or not Hotel Toshi is a legal business.

In a NYC blog, a resident writes: "When I googled Toshi it seems like everyone on the Internet is equally mystified by his real estate dealings."

Well, here is some clarification about Hotel Toshi.

Hotel Toshi owner Robert Chan partners with owners of condos and lofts and helps them fill apartments. Each of his apartments is remodeled according to Toshi style, and offers nightly, weekly, or monthly stays.

A New York City Appellate Court decision in 2009 ruled that residential apartments can legally cater to short-term rentals (defined as less than 30 days).   In "City of New York v 330 Continental LLC", appellate judges argued that the law allows for a "significant" number of units in a residential building to be used for short-term stays

The staff at Hotel Toshi prefers spending time helping people find great apartments, so we'll spare you the intense legal interpretation of our lawyers.

Tiffany

A toshi tale: "We Want to Move Here"

2010-04-17T12:56:00.000-07:00

When I first met Rebecca Walton, Alice Williams, and Catherine Rowley the rain was pounding -- making these Brits feel right at home despite this behind their very first trip to New York City. When we made it up the stairs and into the apartment, they instantly felt they were in a home away from home.

Rebecca is an interior designer, Alice a PR executive, and Catherine a lingerie designer making them a perfect cross-section of much of our clientele -- young, successful professionals looking for a cozy apartment in Manhattan and a true NYC experience.

I asked how they found Hotel Toshi, " we were recommended by friends and after doing some internet research, it became obvious that Hotel Toshi was the best option for us. We were immediately attracted by the many great locations, as well as the decor and ambiance of the apartments."

Rebecca said, " we did not feel comfortable booking a place without pictures, which is what many of the craiglist listings were. Your units had great pictures, and now that I am here they look exactly as advertised! We are very happy."

When I touched base with them at the end of the stay to see how everything went, I got a unanimous "AMAZING." They again noted the location, and how convenient it was to pop out for a dinner, drink, or entertainment being in such a prime location.

They were very busy during the trip, hitting up all of the must see spots for a first time visit to NYC, " We went to the Met, Guggenheim, MoMa, Central Park, Top of the Rock, rode the Toys R US ferris wheel, Time Square, and somehow squeezed in a broadway show."

Which show?

"Westside Story, of course!"

Upon further discussion of their trip, I think they really liked New York City. When I asked their impressions, all three woman told me they now want to move here! Catherine told me, "We really love it. It's how you imagine it, but so much more. We've done all the obvious tourist stuff [and take my word, they did], but still feel like there is so much more to do. It really never sleeps."

When I asked what the highlight was, their answer was reminiscent of a true New Yorker's : "Central Park on a beautiful today."

I could not agree more.

Evan Kass,
Director of Client Services
Hotel Toshi

A toshi tale: From Their Home to Ours

2010-03-09T07:41:00.000-08:00

One of the things that we pride ourselves on at Hotel Toshi is making our clients feel like they are entering a home upon arriving in a Toshi Loft or Apartment—not a stuffy hotel room.

We were so thrilled when Kim Watkins, her husband Brian Quill, and 8 month old baby Harper approached us to rent an apartment for a few weeks during their apartment hunt. When asked what brought them to Hotel Toshi, Kim and Brian agreed that they “ needed a place to stay between permanent homes, and the other places we saw on Craigslist were tiny and poorly decorated, so Hotel Toshi was a no brainer.”

We all know how uncomfortable that state of limbo can be of not having a place to call home, even if only for a couple of weeks. We wanted this young family to have a home to rest their heads at the end of a long day, a home for their beautiful 8-month old daughter to feel safe and comfortable, and a home we provided. In fact, “Harper even learned to sit up on her own in this apartment—so needless to say we will have fond memories of Hotel Toshi for that reason among many others.”

Kim, Brian, and Harper were the loveliest of people, and even though they did not find us until a couple of days before their desired move in date, we were able to accommodate them in a beautiful apartment at our new luxury building, Chez Toshi. Brian told me that, “after scouring Craigslist for weeks, dealing with 80 percent of scam listings, we found Hotel Toshi and cannot be happier with the accommodations.”

For the first night of their stay, the Watkins family actually shared our home at Hotel Toshi by staying in our Master Guest Suite. Their room was just across the hall from Toshi’s and that just sums up our mission—while one may be leaving home for business, vacation, or because a change of address is imminent, they are really just moving to a different home, our home.

Brian is the owner of a sound engineering studio called Flavorlab that has produced award winning music, while Kim also owns her own business, a personal training company called InShape (www.inshapellc.com). Needless to say, this young and entrepreneurial couple is hard working and successful with discriminating taste. Kim told me, “we had a unique situation with our baby daughter and no home for at least a couple of weeks, but you guys have made it great.”

We strive to provide all of the creature comforts that people come to expect and desire of their own homes, and we have always found this to result in a level of comfort that cannot be matched by a traditional hotel.

Sincerely,

Evan Kass

Client Services, Director

A toshi tale: Three Friends, Two Bedrooms, One Amazing Visit!

2010-01-12T16:35:00.000-08:00

Here at Hotel Toshi, we attract a lot of young musicians from Europe. Hey, we can’t help it if we’re uber trendy (our office is also in Williamsburg, deal with it). But something about the three boys from Norway who wanted an apartment to relax, hang out, and come home at 5 in the morning to told us that they were going to have a good time. Perhaps it was their barely decipherable accents or penchants for greasy Mexican food, but Fedrik, Erik and Oeystein came to tear up New York like their Viking ancestors did many years before. With fun, of course, not violence.

“We were looking for something cheap,” said Fredrik, who found Hotel Toshi by looking for apartment rentals in New York City. The three friends wanted to vacation in the city that never sleeps, and didn’t want to overpay. “We wanted to walk in central park, eat. We’re very relaxed.”
The boys said that their stay with Hotel Toshi has made them very, very relaxed.
“We were so surprised that people came and cleaned the place!” said Oeystein as he removed a sticky coffee mug from the floor. “We were amazed at how cheap it was considering the standard of the apartment.”

When their original bid for a one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn could only be accommodated for half of their trip, Toshi upgraded them to a two-bedroom suite for three days in the Lower East Side. Such serendipitous events can sometimes happen in the world of Hotel Toshi, and the boys were truly grateful.

“I like the lower east side very much because of the history. There are all these old houses that have been here forever.” The 121 Henry Street apartment is located on the cusp of the Lower East Side and Chinatown. It is within walking distance to the Brooklyn Bridge and a great place to ride bikes on the Hudson Riverbank. The neighborhood is quiet, filled with families that reflect the ever-persistent melting pot of New York. The air smells sweet, permanently perfumed by scents of boiling bagels and spicy chow mein mingling among the brick buildings. I can’t think of a more perfect way to experience New York.

They were pleased to find that there would be white glove service to transport their luggage to their new digs in Brooklyn was included in their stay with Hotel Toshi, making them even more relaxed.

Although these boys are loving America, don’t try to get these guys to eat dim sum anytime soon. “The portions are much bigger than what we’re used to,” said Fredrik. “We can’t believe what people eat; fried chicken, donuts. Disgusting.”

We won’t tell them what’s in the refried beans.

:o)

Checking in on our Guests: The Frieds

2010-01-05T19:33:00.001-08:00

Here at Hotel Toshi, we like to think of ourselves as a “hotel alternative.” Not only does that make us unique in the tourism and travel world, but it also provides us with some of the most unique tourists and travelers to ever walk out of the glassy doors of JFK airport.

This past week we’ve had the pleasure of hosting the Frieds-- an Alabama-bred, New York-appreciating clan of ten that doesn’t quit – not even in the frightening weather we’ve been experiencing as of late.

“If you’re looking for hotels in Manhattan it’s incredibly expensive,” says Jeffrey Fried, patriarch and Papa Bear to the gang of Frieds. Fried discovered Hotel Toshi a month ago and hasn’t stopped raving about it since. “These are very nice, they’re close to the subway, and they’re a great price...we've already told several of our friends back in Birmingham”

When I visited the Frieds on Sunday morning, children were running around in towels, siblings were sorting coats and scarves, and the high spirtidness of the cozy, comfy space was simply contagious. In the three-bedroom Williamsburg apartment that they had rented from Hotel Toshi, it felt like I was being welcomed into their home.

Fried’s wife, Sally, has dubbed Toshi “the most accommodating person I’ve ever met.” The family couldn’t have been more pleased with their luxury apartment, full kitchen, and ability to be together, stay in sweet dwellings, and experience the rich culture of the neighborhood around them.

"I needed a beard trim I went to a Dominican barber shop," says Fried. "It’s a happenin’ place. there was music, deals goin on. Plus there’s some bargains around here. Sally got manicures and pedicures, cheaper than Birmingham!"

Though they are Birmingham babies, the grandkids have fallen in love with New York.

“I was just amazed by it.” said 16 year old Zack, the eldest of the six grandkids.

Allowing others to get bitten by the New York bug is all in a day’s work for Toshi. Glad we could help, Zack. See you soon!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Toshimas

2009-12-23T17:16:00.000-08:00

Raindrops on roses, warm woolen mittens, packages from Saks, snowflake shaped cookies, and chestnuts roasting by the open fire. These may be Christmas staples to you, but I have a few more unconventional traditions.

Sigh. The holidays are so hard to get through. I hope everyone has a happy and healthy New Year. Merry Christmas to all and to all a Tosh night!

The Morning After: A few Photos from our NYE Casting Party and Christmas Gala

2009-12-18T08:53:00.000-08:00

It was supremely hard getting out of bed this morning after our casting party last night. Hundreds of beautiful bodies showed up to audition for our New Year's Eve Gala. We had dancers, bartenders, models, actresses, and even a father-son Elf and Santa team.

Color Parties and Hotel Toshi have teamed up to give you the greatest New Year's Eve blowout of the decade. We're so excited to start picking and choosing our new Tosh-ettes and Toshe-hunks.

Thanks for coming out to the party, hopefully you had a drink, had some body paint, and had an awesome time.

No more time to blog, we have to choose our new team! This is going to take a while...we have a loooooooooot of pictures to look at.

If you want to purchase tickets to the 2010 New Year's Eve Toshi Party, head to www.colortoshi.com.

Gabriel, an employee of Hotel Toshi, didn't have time to change out of his office uniform before the party :)

SURPRISE! Complimentary Toshi Party!!!

2009-12-17T12:42:00.000-08:00

We've bought all our body paint and whipped out the brushes, now we're just waiting for some skin.

Tonight from 8 - 10 p.m. we will be casting performers, singers, masseuses, bartenders and more for our annual New Year's Eve gala. It will be a gathering of hot bodies and rockin' personalities, so we thought we'd just throw in an open bar to make things interesting, giving you a TOSHI PARTY!!!

This is a complimentary event for all Toshi Party New Year's Eve 2010 Gala ticket holders. Come see what (and who) is in store for the new year!!!

www.colortoshi.com

Trippin' on Trip Advisor

2009-12-15T08:44:00.000-08:00

People have been sending us love notes through Trip Advisor. Today's FEATURED REVIEW goes to LME1 from Melbourne. Congrats, LME1, you get a free kiss from our office dog, Ponzu.

"We stayed at Toshi's 'Sunny Italy' apartment.
The apartment was bright, clean, and quite spacious and all of our enquiries were addressed promptly, clearly and with minimum fuss.
Great location as well - very close to some great bars and restaurants, and about 10 mins walk to Soho. Well serviced by the subway as well. Gym also close by.
We've already recommended Toshi to our friends, and hopefully we'll be back late next year!"

What do you think? Have you stayed with us? Write us a review on Trip Advisor and we just might feature you!!!

Calling all hunks and hotties: Casting for our New Year's Eve Party and Christmas Video

2009-12-15T07:23:00.000-08:00

The Holidays have us all warm and fuzzy inside, thinking of past Christmases and ones to come...check out our Christmas last year:

Obviously Toshi can't sing, but maybe you can! Toshi and Color Parties are throwing a PRIVATE CHRISTMAS PARTY this Thursday where he will be casting actors and actresses for his Christmas video AS WELL AS dancers, models, and bartenders for his annual New Year's Eve Gala. Toshi needs:

Sensational singers
Awesome actors and actresses
Crazy good choreographers
Dashing dancers & performers
Titillating tosh-ettes & tosh-hunks
Bad-ass body painted bartenders, servers, masseuses
Sexy shot girls/guys
Very amazing videographers & photographers

Whip out the body glitter and platform heels and be prepared to have fun, be yourself, and get down. The casting party is exactly that: a PARTY!

APPLY ONLINE www.colortoshi.com/employment

or SUBMIT RESUME & HEADSHOT jobs@colortoshi.com

If you need more info boogie on over to www.colortoshi.com

Planning for New Year's Eve

2009-12-14T09:38:00.000-08:00

Psst!!!! The Toshi Hotel offices are super busy today. We barely even have time for our mid-morning Chrysanthemum tea. Which is a shame, because we'll need all the pre-detox we can handle before our annual New Year's Bash.

Tomorrow we'll be releasing information on our casting call for Toshettes and Tosh-hunks. Think you got what it takes to be a part of the Toshi Party family? Get your fake eyelashes and body glitter ready....

A Beautiful Day in the Hotel Toshi Offices

2009-12-13T16:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our blog! Here we will be posting new information about our apartment rentals, update you on our party planning process, give you up to date news on what's going on in the offices of Hotel Toshi, and post pictures of our feisty, spicy office dog, Ponzu.

Feel free to use this as a form to post comments or send in your experiences. Everyone who stays here has a story...what's yours?