Hotel Wolcott

The digs here are a real mixed bag. Some rooms have nice period touches such as high ceilings with intricate plaster designs (the building was erected in 1904), others are swathed in dreary, mud-colored wallpaper, made even more dingy-looking by light-trapping, wall-facing windows. Though the rooms vary wildly in size, those in the same category are priced identically, so you could end up paying a premium for a closet-sized room or very little for a very nice one. So be proactive when you check in; I recommend the place because often, it’s the best value in town for hotel rooms with private bathrooms. And the lobby is one of the most impressive of any budget hotel, with its giant columns and fake Louis XIV plasterwork all installed by the architect who designed Grant’s tomb.