Spotlights

Spotlight

New York City

Hotels

As one of America's pricier lodgings markets, Manhattan has an abundance of deluxe hotels ($300+), followed by a good number of mid-range properties (most rooms $150-$250), and relatively few truly decent budget options ($150 or less); keep in mind, too, that "budget" options in the Big Apple may not always have all the amenities of comparably-priced lodgings elsewhere. But take note of our special picks below, and you shouldn't go wrong.

Smart luxury recommendations include the Hotel Roger Williams (www.hotelrogerwilliams.com), a stylish boutique hotel located just a few steps from Madison Square Park. The hotel has a modern design with playful interiors and boasts a gourmet café, a well-appointed bar, and a state-of-the art fitness center. The 190 room-property, many with balconies and great views, has a highly attentive staff and full concierge service. The 17-story SoHo Grand (www.sohogrand.com) touts digs that are upscale and stylish; in the hotel's 367 rooms and suites you'll find cool, cerebral shapes and earth tones with sleek baths designed with white subway tiles and chrome fixtures to provide that classic "SoHo" look. There is a fitness center and ample dining spots. Our final luxury pick is the Inn at Irving Place (www.innatirving.com) - unmarked and tucked away in the East Village, it's an unparalleled New York City hideaway. This quaint inn is more like a preserved historical home than a hotel – twelve decadent rooms are all distinct and impeccably doused in antiques, with ornamental fireplaces, oriental rugs, plush fabrics, and spacious white bathrooms with pedestal sinks. For more New York hotel reviews, including Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental New York, and Wardolf-Astoria, visit our hotel directory.

In the moderate range, we recommend Hotel Thirty Thirty (www.thirtythirty-nyc.com), convenient to Chelsea and Midtown attractions; standard rooms are smallish but some have kitchenettes. Located in the Flatiron district, just a hop and a skip from the Empire State Building and Union Square, The Gershwin Hotel (www.gershwinhotel.com) is another top mid-range choice. Staying there is a little like living in a SoHo gallery/theater with all of the glam stuff (mostly Pop Art, including original Warhols and Lichtensteins) on the walls and an artsy international clientele roaming the halls. The 150 guestrooms are meant to evoke a NYC studio apartment with high ceilings, hardwood floors, TVs, wireless Internet access, and more; there's even a cool rooftop garden for guests. Also worth considering is the Washington Square Hotel (www.wshotel.com). Bob Dylan and Joan Baez once lived in this building, near the northwest corner of Washington Square Park. Its Euro feel and proximity to music clubs like the Village Vanguard and the Blue Note are a large part of the hotel's appeal; as for the 160 rooms, they're on the smallish side, but are comfortable and attractive. For a stay in the action-packed Times Square area, we propose the white-hot W Times Square (www.whotels.com), with its hip seventh floor lounge-like lobby, futuristic rooms overlooking the neon-lit urban sprawl below, a Kenneth Cole-clad staff, and the bi-level Blue Fin restaurant on-site.

While there's been a boom of budget chain openings in the last few years (think Holiday Inn Express and Comfort Inn), our best budget picks are for their unique personality and atmosphere, like the Larchmont Hotel (www.larchmonthotel.com), located on a leafy Village side street. It occupies a brownstone and has impeccably appointed rooms (with TVs, phone, robe, and slippers) and remains homey thanks to cheerful prints and light-colored rattan; just keep in mind that all bathrooms are shared. A little B&B-style place, the Chelsea Lodge (www.chelsealodge.com) is another find, ensconced in a handsome three-story brick townhouse on a pleasant side street just off Eighth Avenue. The 22 rooms here come with full-size beds, a/c, ceiling fan, and TVs; that said, the rooms are small and the toilet is down the hall (you will get a sink and shower in your room, mind you). Finally, the Chelsea Star (www.chelseastar.com) offers 30 private rooms (as well as 45 dormitory beds) near Madison Square Garden that are small but comfortable with a/c and phones. The main drawback, again, is the shared baths.