Hotels

It's official: Hotel rates in New York are the most expensive in the United States. In 2007, the average price of a hotel room soared to over $300 per night. But it seems that the outrageous hotel rates have not deterred visitors: More than 46 million came to the city that year. So get over any notions that you might find rates comparable to those back home. That said, there are bargains out there at every price level; but a bargain in New York might be a king's ransom in St. Louis.

If you want to spend less than $125 a night, you may have to put up with some inconveniences, such as sharing a hall bathroom with your fellow travelers. (Europeans seem to have an easier time with this than Americans.) If you want a room with standard amenities -- such as a private bathroom or a real closet (rather than just a bar screwed to the wall) -- plan on spending at least $150 a night. If you do better than that, you've made a fantastic deal.

New York hotel rooms give everybody a new perspective on "small." Space is the city's biggest asset, and getting some will cost you. If you're on a tight budget, don't be surprised if your room isn't much bigger than the bed that's in it and your bathroom has a sink so small you'll have difficulty spitting out your toothpaste without spilling it. Even expensive rooms can be on the small side, lack closet space, or have smallish bathrooms.

Price Categories & Rack Rates -- The rates quoted in these listings are "rack rates" -- the maximum rates that a hotel charges for rooms. I've used these rack rates to divide the hotels into four price categories, ranging from "Very Expensive" to "Inexpensive," for easy reference. But rack rates are only guidelines, and there are often ways around them.

The hotels listed have provided us with their best rate estimates for 2008, and all quoted rates were correct when this guide was published. Be aware, however, that rates can change at any time. Rates are always subject to availability, seasonal, even daily fluctuations, and plain-old rate hikes. It's smart to expect price shifts in both directions in late 2008 and 2009 as hoteliers adjust to new demand patterns.

Pet Policies -- I've indicated in these listings those hotels that accept pets. However, understand that these policies may have limitations, such as weight and breed restrictions; may require a deposit and/or a signed waiver against damages; and may be revoked at any time. Always inquire when booking if you're bringing Fluffy or Spike -- never just show up with a pet in tow.

Sleep Tight and . . .

My job as author of this book has many perks. One is to lie on 300-count Frette sheets, sample room service from three-star restaurants, and soak in Jacuzzi tubs in luxury hotels so I can accurately report to you whether that particular hotel is worthy of its astronomical rate. But the job comes with some risks and I encountered a grisly example recently. I had inspected a popular moderate hotel for possible inclusion into this book and was staying at the hotel to see if it lived up to the superficial tour I had previously taken. You learn much more by actually staying a night at a hotel than you do from a tour, and I had problems with the amenities in the room; no chair for example, a very small desk that was shared with a television, and inefficient use of space in the bathroom. Upon checkout, I decided I could not recommend the hotel to my readers.

The next day, after showering, as if exacting revenge on me for my decision and/or reinforcing it, I noticed red, itchy, welt-like blotches on my back and side. And the revelation hit me. I had been bitten by the new scourge of New York: bedbugs. I had read the articles saying that they were making a comeback and were on their way to replacing cockroaches as the number one pest, but I never thought I would become a victim.

Bedbugs apparently travel well, and because of this the hotel industry is particularly vulnerable. They hide in mattresses and are nocturnal, biting while the victim is asleep. They are also very difficult to totally exterminate and require repeat visits from an exterminator; a hotelier's nightmare if there ever was one. The good news is that a bedbug bite does not transmit disease and is more an itchy nuisance than a health hazard.

Bedbugs do not discriminate as to class of hotel; they enjoy lounging in the beds of the best hotels as much as we do. If you are concerned, before you get into bed, check the mattress and the seams in and around the bed frame. You might see their droppings which are tiny blood-tinged specks. I know that's why you came to New York; to search for bedbug droppings.

No hotel would ever broadcast that they have had a bedbug problem, but you might want to check a few travel message boards or websites, including www.frommers.com, www.tripadvisor.com, or www.hotelchatter.com, to see if anyone has posted a message about bedbugs where you plan to stay. Otherwise, good night and sleep tight!

Plenty of Room at the Inn

When you think of accommodations in New York, you usually think big -- tall, sturdy, monoliths with hundreds of rooms. You don't think of quaint antiques-laden guesthouses or inns where a home-cooked breakfast is served. But New York is a diverse city and that diversity can be found in its accommodations, too. So if you want an alternative to the quintessential huge New York hotel and would prefer a taste of urban hominess where you might actually meet your innkeeper, here are a few options.

On the steep end of the economic scale, but worth the price if authentic 19th-century Victorian romance is what you are seeking, is the fabulous Inn at Irving Place. Housed in a 170-year-old townhouse, rates range from $445 to $645 and the rooms are named after late-19th- or early-20th-century New Yorkers, many inspired by the works of Edith Wharton and Henry James. Complimentary breakfast is served in Lady Mendl's parlor, where, if the weather is nippy, you'll find a comforting fire roaring.

Breakfast prepared by culinary students of the New School is one of the highlights of the Inn on 23rd Street. Each of the inn's 14 rooms, which range from $219 to $359, are distinctly decorated by the personable owners, Annette and Barry Fisherman, with items they've collected from their travels over the years.

The first home of the Gay Men's Health Crisis, an 1850 brownstone in the heart of Chelsea, is now the charming Colonial House Inn, 318 W. 22nd St., between Eighth and Ninth avenues (tel. 800/689-3779 or 212/243-9669; www.colonialhouseinn.com). This 20-room four-story walk-up caters to a largely gay and lesbian clientele, but everybody is welcome, and straight couples are a common sight. Some rooms have shared bathrooms; deluxe rooms have private bathrooms and some have working fireplaces. There's a roof deck with a clothing-optional area. Breakfast is included in the rates, which range from $110 to $130 for a shared bathroom or $135 to $160 for a deluxe room.

On the increasingly popular yet still residential Upper West Side is the aptly named Country Inn the City, 270 W. 77th St., between Broadway and West End Avenue (tel. 212/580-4183; www.countryinnthecity.com). This 1891 town house has only four rooms, but all are spacious, quaintly decorated, and equipped with full kitchens. Rates range from $210 to $350 and include breakfast items stocked in your refrigerator. But you're on your own in many respects; there is no resident innkeeper and a maid services your room only every few days. Still, if you are the independent sort, the inn's charm makes it an excellent choice.

If you want the genuine New York brownstone experience, go to Harlem. It's anything but a flophouse, but that's what they call Harlem Flophouse, 242 W. 123rd St., between Adam Clayton Powell and Frederick Douglass boulevards (tel. 212/662-0678; www.harlemflophouse.com). Owner Renee Calvo has restored the historic row house to Harlem Renaissance splendor, when the "flophouse" was frequented by top musicians and artists of that era. If you visit in the summer, you just might get invited to one of Calvo's impromptu barbecues. Rates ($100-$175) include free Wi-Fi; for $15 extra you get a full breakfast.

Like Harlem, Brooklyn boasts a number of historic districts with restored brownstones, some of which have been converted to inns. One of the most interesting is Akwaaba Mansion, 347 MacDonough St. (tel. 866/INN-DULJ 718/455-5958; www.akwaaba.com), a restored 1860s Italianate villa in Bedford-Stuyvesant, outfitted with Afrocentric elegance. Four suites are available in the 18-room home, each with private bathroom with either a claw-foot or a Jacuzzi tub ($160-$165 double) -- including a hearty, Southern-style breakfast.

The historic neighborhood of Park Slope is the heart of brownstone Brooklyn and home to Bed & Breakfast on the Park, 113 Prospect Park West (tel. 718/499-6115; www.bbnyc.com). In an 1895 Victorian town house across the street from Prospect Park, this inn has two beautifully outfitted units (from $300). A sumptuous breakfast is served in the formal dining room. Six more rooms with private bathrooms are available for guests who are willing to splurge.

Hotel Pet Peeves

In my research for this guide, I spend a lot of (perhaps too much) time in hotels trying to weed out the good from the bad. Many think it's a glamorous job: staying at luxury New York hotels, indulging in room service, spa services, and lounging in plush robes while I do my "research." Yet, it is still a job, and while I certainly enjoy the fun parts, I have compiled an extensive list of things that bug me about hotels, little irritants that make me shake my head when they occur. So here is my top ten list of hotel pet peeves, things that you should look out for next time you book a room . . . if you can.

1. Noisy hallways: Is it just me and where I'm placed in a hotel that the storage rooms for housekeeping are right next to my room? Or are they on every floor? The opening and closing of doors, chattering of housekeepers, rattling of carts -- and it goes on well into the night and begins first thing in the morning.

2. Temperature control: I'll be the first to admit that I'm not very technologically savvy, but why can't I ever get the right temperature in any of my rooms? It's always too hot or too cold, no matter what I do.

3. Smoking rooms: I always request a nonsmoking room. Why, then, when I check into a room, is there often that stale barroom smell, like a sense memory of the days when smoking was allowed in bars. If a Spanish rock band was staying in your suite before you, an air purifying ionizer should be provided to you at no charge.

4. An extra charge to use the fitness facilities: It seems that the hotel's that practice this outrageous policy are the ones whose rates are equally outrageous. We can safely call this greed.

5. Charging extra for wireless Internet: See above.

6. Overstuffed minibars: You bought a beer at a local deli that you would like to drink while watching a game on the enormous HDTV in your room. You want to keep the beer cold, but, no matter how hard you try, you cannot squeeze it into that minibar . . . and if you take something out, sensors that monitor removal of items will record it and charge you, even though you didn't drink it.

7. Complimentary bottled water, or lack thereof: Many hotels now provide a bottle or two when you check in, yet, those same culprits who charge for wireless Internet and using the fitness facilities make you take it out of the over-stuffed minibar and charge you $5 for it. (Or they put it by the bed or in the bathroom with a little note that tells you how much it costs).

8. Lack of bathroom counter space: Many hotels now feature those big glass or porcelain tub-like sinks, and they look great and are perfect for scooping big handfuls of water onto your face. But when I unpack my toiletries, I would like to keep my toothbrush, toothpaste, shaving cream and razor close to the sink instead of on top of the toilet bowl.

9. Single-paned windows: You might get away with them at a beachside resort, but in New York City it is essential to have double- or, better yet, triple-paned windows, especially if your room happens to overlook a busy street.

10. Showers without shower curtains or shower doors: I know, designers think a half-pane of Plexiglas is sufficient to keep water from spilling onto the bathroom floor and it looks very hip. Why, then, do I think something is missing when I take a shower? (Well, except for a puddle on the floor. That's there.)