New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [240]
The Jane.
¢–$ | To some, it’s impossibly chic; to others, the rooms are reminiscent of Sing Sing; and to its far West Village neighbors it’s just a nuisance. Welcome to the Jane hotel. Off the small lobby, reminiscent of a Correspondent’s Club in a former British colony, you’ll find the bar and ballroom, a sleek spot that’s got the community upset thanks to the crowds it draws on Friday and Saturday nights. The style here is similar to that of the Bowery Hotel, a sister property. Up in the rooms, as Steve Martin might say, let’s get small. The intended effect is that of a railway car: the single beds against the wall have storage space above, and wood paneling is accented by reds and yellows and an oriental rug. There’s also a fan and a/c, but the shared unisex bathroom is down the hall. For more than one person, these rooms would be impossibly cramped. A better option is the Captain’s Cabins with their own bathrooms and a view of the Hudson along with similar decor at about three times the size (and price). Pros: cheap; hot bar scene; amazing decor in lounge; great branch of weekend brunch favorite Café Gitane; convenient neighborhood for downtown sightseeing. Cons: impossibly tiny standard rooms; shared bathrooms; hot bar scene. TripAdvisor: “recommended for solo travelers,” “very clean cabins,” “fun, quirky place to stay.” | 113 Jane St., at West St., West Village | 10014 | 212/924–6700 | www.thejanenyc.com | 150 rooms, 40 suites | In-room: a/c, Wi-Fi. In-hotel: bar, restaurant, Wi-Fi hotspot | AE, D, DC, MC, V | Subway: A, C, E, L to 14th St. and 8th Ave.
Fodor’s Choice | The Standard.
$ | André Balazs’s architectural statement on the West Side, the Standard is one of New York’s hottest hotels. It helps to have the High Line, a reclaimed elevated railway–turned-park, running underneath it, but the Standard earned much of the buzz itself, with a lobby full of glamorous types, an authentic beer garden (open year-round; dig the Ping-Pong tables), and, guarding the 18th-floor nightclub, one of the toughest doors in town. Rooms, with low platform beds and flat-screen televisions (and the occasional banquette) are slightly small, even by New York standards. They are not for the modest, either: impossibly clear, floor-to-ceiling windows face the south and west, and some rooms have showers separated from the bedroom by little more than a glass partition. As you’d expect in a space (and neighborhood) that’s so sceney, it can get loud at night. The Standard Grill restaurant, which is almost always packed, handles room service. Pros: beautiful building; beautiful people; impressive restaurant space. Cons: noisy at night; tight rooms; sceney. TripAdvisor: “impressed with concierge,” “cool neighborhood,” “beautiful rooms.” | 848 Washington St., between W. 13th and Little W. 12th Sts., Meatpacking District | 10014 | 212/645–4646 | www.standardhotels.com | 337 rooms | In-room: a/c, Internet, Wi-Fi. In-hotel: 2 restaurants, room service, bars, gym, spa, Wi-Fi hotspot | AE, MC, V | Subway: A, C, E, L to 14th St. and 8th Ave.
FLATIRON DISTRICT
Fodor’s Choice | Ace Hotel.
$ | Step inside the Ace Hotel, and any notion of what a hotel could and should be is left at the door; the eastern outpost of a West Coast hotel chain (locations are already in Seattle, Portland, and Palm Springs) provides the style and luxury you’d expect to find at a five-star hotel, minus the pretension and price. The lobby is teeming 24/7 with hipsters having drinks; creative types taking meetings (and advantage of the lobby Wi-Fi) and celebrities heading for a meal at one of the hotel’s dining venues. It almost seems as if you’re staying at the pad of your coolest friend, given hipster touches like a young staff that doesn’t have a uniform; a photo booth in the lobby;