Best Hotel Suite: Townhouse Suite in the Kitano New York, 66 Park Ave. (tel. 212/885-7000). Each of the three one-bedroom suites in the townhouse that is part of this hotel features a hallway leading to a sunken living room with original art, a state-of-the-art stereo system, and a tea maker with green tea.
Best Inexpensive Hotel Restaurant: Burger Joint in Le Parker Meridien, 118 W. 57th St. (tel. 800/543-4300 or 212/245-5000). Hidden off the lobby, this unnamed joint has been discovered by savvy locals, so the lines are long, but worth it. The burgers are fabulous and under $6.
Best Hotel Bar: Bemelmans Bar in The Carlyle, 35 E. 76th St. (tel. 800/227-5737 or 212/744-1600). Named after illustrator Ludwig Bemelmans, who created the Madeline books and painted the mural in the bar, this romantic, charming bar features white-gloved service and classic cocktails.
Best Hotel for a Romantic Tryst: Hotel Elysée, 60 E. 54th St. (tel. 800/535-9733 or 212/753-1066). This lovely old hotel, a favorite of mid-20th-century writers and actors, is discreetly dwarfed between two mammoth office buildings and is the perfect romantic hideaway in the middle of Manhattan.
Best Hotel Renovation: Gramercy Park Hotel, 2 Lexington Ave. (tel. 212/920-3300). Hotelier Ian Schrager and artist Julian Schnabel have taken a rundown 1925-built legend and restored it to a unique look. There's so much for the eye here that it will feel like you are staying in an eclectic museum.
Best Hotel Swim-Up Bar: Hotel QT, 125 W. 45th St. (tel. 212/354-2323). New in 2005, this moderately priced addition to the Times Square hotel scene was a welcome one. There is much to like about the Hotel QT, but I love the fact that it has a swimming pool -- in the lobby -- with a swim-up bar. You can't ask for much more in the middle of Manhattan.
