New York Hotels

The best places to stay in four price ranges: budget ($), moderate ($$), expensive ($$$), and luxury ($$$$)

$

Stay the Night B&B

Uptown on a quiet street off Fifth Ave.; turn-of-the-century mansion with two guest rooms and four suites with large windows that open—a hotel rarity. "Half a block from Central Park."—Lonely Planet editor Jay Cooke. 18 E. 93rd St.; tel. +1 212 722 8300. www.staythenight.com

The Pod Hotel

Formerly the stodgy Pickwick Arms, the Pod Hotel is "hostelling for the 21st century, updated for global flashpackers."—Jay Cooke. 347 rooms, some with bunk beds and shared baths. A tech haven: iPod docks, Wi-Fi, dimmer-controlled lights, LCD TVs. Bold furnishings. 230 E. 51st St.; tel. +1 212 355 0300. http://www.thepodhotel.com/

$$

The Chelsea Lodge

Handsome old brick building on a great block in happenin' Chelsea. 22 guest rooms with showers and sinks. Bathrooms are shared, except for two deluxe rooms with toilets, showers, and sinks. 318 W. 20th St.; tel. +1 212 243 4499. www.chelsealodge.com

The Wall Street Inn

In shouting distance of the New York Stock Exchange. Neo-classical decor, marble-tile baths, video on demand, and "a really good health club."—Jay Cooke. 9 S. William St.; tel. +1 212 747 1500. www.thewallstreetinn.com

Rooms to Let

A downtown B&B with garden on the western edge of Greenwich Village, "abutting the white-hot Meatpacking District."—Jay Cooke. Three cozy shared-bath guest rooms and one large suite. Parlor with fireplace. Breakfast included. 83 Horatio St.; tel. + 1 212 675 5481. www.roomstolet.net

Affinia Dumont

Stylish all-suites Murray Hill hotel with a wellness focus. A fitness concierge helps you make the most of the spa/gym options. Da Vinci Code fans take note: "Headquarters of [religious organization] Opus Dei are down the block."—Drew Limsky, hotel judge, Robb Report Luxury Resorts. 150 E. 34th St.; tel. +1 212 481 7600. www.affinia.com

Country Inn the City

Studio apartments in an 1890s town house have morphed into five handsome guest rooms, each with kitchenette, Wi-Fi, and luxury linens. Short walk to the Museum of Natural History. 270 W. 77th St.; tel. +1 212 580 4183. www.countryinnthecity.com

Sugar Hill Harlem Inn

Art-filled 1906 limestone row house with six graciously appointed guest rooms each named for a luminary—Ella, Satchmo, etc.—whose life touched Harlem, "now on the cusp of a major renaissance."—Jay Cooke. Organic gardens. 460 W. 141st St.; tel. + 1 917 464 3528. www.sugarhillharleminn.com

$$$

The Inn on 23rd

Eclectic decor marks the 14 nice-size guest rooms in this "homey, welcoming Chelsea spot."—Jay Cooke. The New School's culinary arts program—in the inn's kitchen—provides continental breakfast and occasional tea-time treats. 131 W. 23rd St.; tel. +1 212 463 0330. www.innon23rd.com

The Alex Hotel

Style mavens love the sleek David Rockwell-designed rooms, "homage to mid-century modernism; lots of gadgets, with flat-screen TVs in the bathrooms. Terrific Japanese/American restaurant called Riingo."—Drew Limsky. 205 E. 45th St., tel. +1 212 867 5100. www.thealexhotel.com

Library Hotel

Situated in a stately brick structure—a redone turn-of-the-century office building—and "inspired by the Dewey Decimal system."—Jay Cooke. Theme of the eighth floor, for example, is literature. Luxe decor and amenities in the 60 Midtown guest rooms. 299 Madison Ave.; tel. +1 212 983 4500. www.libraryhotel.com

1871 House

Quirky and charming brownstone with loads of period details and modern goodies. Not far from Bloomingdale's. Wake under a stack of plump covers in an antique bed; check your email via Wi-Fi. 130 E. 62nd St.; tel. +1 212 756 8823. www.1871house.com

The Benjamin

Midtown hotel with 112 guest rooms and 97 suites (some have a terrace) with galley kitchens. Presidential Suite has two terraces, one as large as a bedroom. Strong on service and tech. Bose Wave radios. Spa/fitness center. 125 E. 50th St.; tel. +1 212 715 2500. www.thebenjamin.com

$$$$

Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park

Top choice for celebs for its "boutique feel, multilingual staff, and Club Lounge (caviar spread at cocktail hour). Traditional guest rooms have park views and the most comfortable beds in town."—Drew Limsky. 50 Central Park South; tel. +1 212 308 9100. http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/NewYorkCentralPark/Default.htm

Four Seasons Hotel New York

One of the fancy chain's most impressive jewels. An I.M. Pei building with palatial lobby. 368 guest rooms, including 63 suites, and cater-to-every-whim service. "Power breakfast, power tea, power everything."—Drew Limsky. 57 E. 57th St.; tel. +1 212 758 5700. www.fourseasons.com/newyorkfs

Mandarin Oriental, New York

Spacious common areas. Ultra-luxurious rooms and service. Top-drawer spa and 36th-floor swimming pool with wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling windows. A window table at restaurant Asiate: "the most romantic in New York."—Drew Limsky. 80 Columbus Circle; tel. +1 212 805 8800. www.mandarinoriental.com/newyork