I’ve been visiting New York on a regular basis for over 20 years, and I continue to search for the perfect hotel.  There are a lot of incredible places to stay in the city, and over the years I have sampled most of them.  My criteria…

• I typically work in midtown, so I want easy access to that area.
• I want enough room to move around.
• I want a great fluffy bed with very soft sheets, a spacious bathroom with a good shower and amenities, and a good quality flat screen television.
• I tend to favor modern over historic and smelly.
• I want easy access to the hotel without fighting “Times Square” crowds.
• Great guest services.
• I want 24hr room service.
• I want a nice gym.
• Bathrobes in the room.
• I want easy access to neighborhood restaurants.
• I want a hotel with personality.
• While I don’t expect bargain basement prices, I look for a good value.

And a few extras that are appreciated but not a mandate…

• An iPod charger / stereo in the room.
• A DVD player.
• Smaller is better.
• A good frequent stayer program is appreciated.
• An onsite spa is a plus.

With the above in mind, here are a few hotels I particularly like:

The London NYC – http://www.thelondonnyc.com/.  This is the old Rhiga hotel on 54th.  It was rehabbed a couple years ago, and now is one of my favorites.  If it is within $20 a night of any of my listings, I would choose it first.  Modern fresh rooms, very large by NY standards, close to Central Park.  They fullfill all the above, including the extras, and they have a world-class Gordon Ramsey restaurant in the lobby. One silly little extra I like – they shine your shoes overnight.  The corner rooms that look over the park are really nice.  If you have the nasty cigar habit – there is a cigar bar across the street.  They also have a great property in Hollywood. 

W Tuscany – www.whotels.com.  . I am a big fan of the W chain.  They practically defined my preference list above.  There are several W’s in NY – but my favorite is one of the smaller properties, the Tuscany.  It is an older hotel that has been rehabbed – but they did a nice job, and unlike some of the other W’s it has a very intimate feel and is easy to get in and out of.  It is on 39th street in a quieter neighborhood.  If you want to stay up late and party, and be in the center of it all I would opt for the W New York (their suites are an expecially good deal) – but for a smaller easy-to-naviagate property this is the one.

The Muse – http://www.kimptonhotels.com/hotels/hotels-newyorkcity.aspx .  The Muse is part of another really terrific chain, The Kimpton Hotels.  The San Francisco-based chain specializes in rehabbing old properties.  Every hotel is a little different, but they all achieve all my above mandates with a lot of personality.  The Muse is on 46th Street in a busier neighborhood that is a great choice if you are going to the theatre.  Nice rooms, a good restaurant on-site, and one of the Kimpton special touches – a free nightly wine service to guests.

All the above are good mid-priced options for mid-town.  Currently NY is a bargain – with rooms at any of these hotels for around $260 a night – though that changes daily.