On the 36th floor, the indoor lap pool and fitness center afford dramatic city, park, and river views. The views are also spectacular from Asiate, the hotel’s French-Japanese restaurant.

Amenity highlights: Guests can enjoy an in-room massage, call a bath butler to fill the marble tub, and afterwards sink into inviting feather beds made up with duvets and down pillows. Dual-line cordless phones have voice mail and data port hookups, and in-room safes accommodate a laptop computer and have electrical outlets for recharging. The Ritz Kids program provides games, children’s movies, and “kiddie comfort foods” on the room-service menu. Tuck-in service includes a teddy bear for company.

Amenity highlights: Multi-line cordless phones, evening turndown, scented candles, a Bath Butler, complimentary shoe shines, in-room spa treatments, and special amenities for children are among the many personal services. A library of films is available for the in-room DVD players. For rainy days, the Ritz-Carlton offers the use of trench coats for men, women, children, and even pets. The hotel’s gemologist offers private services for guests interested in purchasing upscale gems without leaving the comfort of their guestrooms.

Amenity highlights: A desk lamp with outlets in the base for computer equipment and a fitness center available 24 hours a day are among the hotel’s many conveniences.

Insider tip: Don’t want to leave the doggie at home? This is one of the few New York hotels that accommodates pets.

Amenity highlights: The hotel spa offers a variety of body and beauty services, with in-room treatments available. Many guestrooms offer striking views of the East River or the city skyline, and the outdoor plaza in the midst of Midtown is a rare and welcome amenity in New York. The hotel also has a fitness center, currency exchange, multilingual staff, and valet parking.

Amenity highlights: Courteous attention to guests means twice-daily housekeeping service and overnight shoe shine. Copies of The New Yorker are in every guestroom. Recent updates added high-speed Internet access and a fitness center. A former carriage house is now the Oak Room, an intimate cabaret, and the Round Table Room is a civilized retreat for dinner.

Insider tip: West 44th Street resonates with history. In the 1920s, the Algonquin was home to the legendary "Round Table" that included writers Robert Benchley, George S. Kaufman, Dorothy Parker, and Alexander Wolcott. Landmark private clubs on the block include the Harvard Club, circa 1894, and the New York Yacht Club, a whimsical creation circa 1900, with the carved stone sterns of 16th-century Dutch galleons in its bay windows.

Amenity highlights: An expansive skylit lobby has a juice bar/coffee kiosk, an Internet desk, and a sitting area with colorful contemporary furniture.

Insider tip: A tip for guests looking to score a 25- to 50-percent discount on same-day theater tickets at the TKTS booth: Additional tickets often go on sale immediately before the start of a performance, so opportunity and choices are better between 5 and 8 PM. The booth acceptss only cash or traveler's checks.

• One block from Park Avenue and Grand Central Station, this midtown hotel, originally the Chemists’ Club, was restored to Beaux Arts-style grandeur.
• Eleven-foot ceilings top warm-white and pale blue guestrooms with ebony-stained furnishings. Amenities include high-speed Internet access.
• The fitness room is open 24 hours, and concierge service is offered 24 hours; meeting/conference space accommodates up to 50 participants.

Amenity highlights: All suites include wireless Internet access (surcharge), two TVs, bathrobes, and minibars. The separate living room can be useful for small business meetings and entertaining.

Complimentary breakfasts include made-to-order eggs and omelets as well as French toast, waffles, a selection of breads and cereals, and breakfast meats. Valet parking, express checkout, a helpful concierge, and a gift shop are among the hotel’s services.

Insider tip: Ask for the free booklet detailing the contemporary art that sets this hotel apart. Created by New York City artists, the art includes whimsical dramatic accents such as Sol LeWitt’s Loopy Doopy, a blue-and-purple abstract mural 14 stories high, and Pat Steir’s Topsy Turvy, a major work washing the lobby walls in vibrant yellow.

Amenity highlights: Room decor reflects European elegance with sumptuous damask and jacquard bed canopies and elaborate swagged draperies to match. Both concierge and room service are available around the clock, and room amenities include a plush Irish terry robe and nightly turndown service. Guests also enjoy complimentary guest privileges at a nearby health club.

Insider tip: The outdoor deck off the Wheeltapper Pub is an unusual feature in New York, a perfect spot for breakfast or afternoon refreshments. Heat lamps mean it can be enjoyed for many months of the year.

Amenity highlights: Flatotel’s Italian Moda Restaurant, adjacent to the lobby’s Moda Lounge, serves three meals daily. The outdoor restaurant, Loggia, is situated in a public, glass-topped walkway, and is open for lunch, dinner, and cocktails. The business center provides computer, copy, and fax services, and the top-floor fitness room with midtown views offers weightlifting and exercise equipment. The lobby contains a newsstand and gift shop.

Insider tip: The TKTS booth on 47th Street and Broadway (6 blocks away) offers discount Broadway and Off-Broadway theater tickets for same-day performances. The booth is open every day, and accepts only cash and travelers checks.

Amenity highlights: Comfortable rooms are a haven from the city’s bustle. Ample work space includes multi-line phones with voice mail and data-port hookup.

Insider tip: Guests should make the most of their proximity to Grand Central Terminal, the 1913 Beaux-Arts beauty that was wonderfully restored in an extraordinary four-year project. The vaulted ceiling is painted like the evening sky, with gilded stars and constellations; the famous four-sided brass clock atop the Information Booth is a favorite meeting point; the Lower Level Concourse offers 14 shops selling fresh goods; the NY Transit Museum offers displays and gifts; and free tours are available Wednesdays and Fridays.

• An elegant, tranquil estate on Long Island’s North Shore, the Harrison is just 20 miles from both La Guardia and JFK Airports.
• All accommodations include televisions, multi-line phones, and dial-up Internet access.
• The fully equipped health club is a great place to work out or relax and enjoy the spa treatments, whirlpool bath, sauna, pool, and hot tub.