Hotels

It's official: Hotel rates in New York are the most expensive in the United States. In 2006, the average price of a hotel room was close to $270 per night. But it seems that the outrageous hotel rates have not deterred visitors: More than 44 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're probably going to 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 good deal.

New York hotel rooms give everybody a new perspective on "small." Space is the city's biggest asset, and getting some costs. 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 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 2007, and all quoted rates were correct at press time. Be aware, however, that rates can change at any time. Rates are always subject to availability, seasonal fluctuations, and plain-old rate hikes. It's smart to expect price shifts in both directions in late 2007 and 2008 as hoteliers adjust to new demand patterns.

Pet Policies -- I've indicated in the 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 guide 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, weltlike 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 the one at 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 $325 to $495 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, were 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 $85 to $150 for a shared bathroom or $135 to $150 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 $150 to $300 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. Okay so the name is not inviting, but the Harlem Flophouse, 242 W. 123rd St, between Adam Clayton Powell and Frederick Douglass Blvds. (tel. 212/662-0678; www.harlemflophouse.com) is anything but a flophouse. 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-$125) includes free Wi-Fi, for $15 extra you get a full breakfast.

Like Harlem, Brooklyn also 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. 718/455-5958; www.akwaaba.com), a meticulously 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 ($150-$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.