Lots of naysayers moaned when Radisson Blu's "monstrosity" started going up in 2010, with its stainless steel, undulating piping blocking some views of the iconic City Hall.Others applauded the arrival of a cool modern building in a city with too many depressing shoebox houses. I'm with the fans: no, Waterfront does not blend in, but it does bring badly needed vitality to the skyline.

It's also a terrificly central place to stay. Wedged between City Hall and the backside of the Central Station, it couldn't be more in the thick of things. As for the rooms, they're just fine, if not as memorable as the architecture. Most are roughly 270 sq. ft. (so fairly small) and designed in the textbook Nordic style of white walls, light wood, and straight lines. Those above the 16th floor are called "Business Rooms" but are worth the small uptick in price, we think, for their awe-inspiring views of the city. Notable, too, is the extremely generous and well-crafted buffet breakfast. Guests are mostly over-focused business types from the adjacent conference center, so it's not exactly Party Central here—but with those views and this location, who cares?