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

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

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!