Extremely contemporary design, free shoeshine and a greeting with champagne doesn’t make up for the fact that a lot of the rooms here are small and dark. So I wouldn’t choose this one in high season when it has the nerve to charge upwards of $400 for its standard rooms. At other times of the year (when prices are lower) this is a decent choice, as room rates do include a 24-hour self-service coffee bar, continental breakfast and the ministrations of a staff that really does seem to care. Look to AAA and the web for good discounts; the deluxe rooms come with Jacuzzi tubs, rainfall showers, and (sometimes) massage chairs.

-Pauline Frommer