Best Hotel Suite: Town-House Suite in the Kitano New York (66 Park Ave.; tel. 212/885-7000; http://kitano.com). Each of the three one-bedroom suites in the town house 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; www.parkermeridien.com). Hidden off the lobby, this joint has been discovered by 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; www.thecarlyle.com). Named after illustrator Ludwig Bemelmans, who created the Madeline books and painted the mural, 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; www.elyseehotel.com). 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 Swim-Up Bar: Grace RoomMate Hotels (125 W. 45th St.; tel. 212/354-2323; www.room-matehotels.com). There is much to like about the Grace, 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.
Best New Hotel: The Greenwich Hotel (577 Greenwich St.; tel. 212/941-8600; www.thegreenwichhotel.com. Robert De Niro's baby located in TriBeCa is a beauty complete with Japanese-inspired pool and a gorgeous lobby, not to mention the best free minibar in New York.
Best Hotel View not in Manhattan: Hotel Le Bleu (370 4th Ave., Brooklyn; tel. 718/625-1500; www.hotellebleu.com). Look past the nearby U-Haul garage and the murky Gowanus Canal just below and you'll see the skyline of lower Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, the F train as it snakes into Manhattan and, looking east, the rooftops and churches of Park Slope.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
