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and a connected concierge who can get reservations at most of New York’s hot tables. The rooms are impressively sized and priced, starting at 600 square feet. For that hefty cost you get a mattress custom designed for the hotel, 10-foot ceilings, a flat-screen television, and a marble bathroom with a tub that fills in 60 seconds flat (yes, we timed it). A few small complaints: The electronic system for controlling the lights and drapes can get confusing. The feel is conservative and perhaps too restrained for the price, but this is still the destination of choice for entertainment executives, celebrities, and well-heeled tourists and businessmen. Dinner at the counter of esteemed restaurant L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon is a can’t-miss splurge. Pros: spacious and comfortable rooms; perfect concierge and staff service; afternoon tea in the lobby lounge. Cons: pricey; confusing room controls; furniture could use updating. TripAdvisor: “service is impeccable,” “understated and modern,” “love it each time.” | 57 E. 57th St., between Park and Madison Aves., Midtown East | 10022 | 212/758–5700 or 800/487–3769 | www.fourseasons.com | 300 rooms, 68 suites | In-room: a/c, safe, DVD, Internet, Wi-Fi. In-hotel: restaurant, room service, bar, gym, spa, laundry service, Internet terminal, Wi-Fi hotspot, parking (paid), some pets allowed | AE, D, DC, MC, V | Subway: 4, 5, 6, N, Q, R to 59th St./Lexington Ave.

The Gotham Hotel.

$ | On the site of the Gotham Book Mart, this sleek, skinny hotel has lots of things going for it, but one clincher for anyone seeking fresh air while in Manhattan: every last room boasts outdoor space. Eschewing the conventional check-in and lobby, the Gotham greets you in the spare, clean lobby with a beverage and a personal check-in by a clipboard-wielding attendant. Targeted at creative types, the hotel offers inventive welcome baskets with items like stockings and pedicure accessories for women and socks, shaving kits, and magazines for men. Room layout is unique, with no more than four rooms per floor, allowing families and larger parties to take over entire floors if desired. Upper floors have only two rooms per floor, both with terrific east- and westward views. Rooms themselves are large—all are at least 300 square feet—and feature funky vintage books, king-size beds, and gorgeous tiled bathrooms with dual showerheads and C. O. Bigelow bath products. At press time the restaurant was unfinished, but there are plans for a first-floor eatery designed with library touches, and a rooftop bar and lounge with expansive city views. Pros: welcoming staff; central location; every room has a balcony. Cons: no on-site gym. TripAdvisor: “no common areas,” “lack of amenities,” “good value.” | 16 E. 46th St., between 5th and 6th Aves., Midtown East | 10017 | 212/490–8500 | www.thegothamhotelny.com | 66 rooms | In-room: a/c, safe, refrigerator (some), Internet, Wi-Fi. In-hotel: restaurant, room service, bar, laundry service, Wi-Fi hotspot, some pets allowed | AE, D, DC, MC, V | CP| Subway: B, D, F, M to 47th–50th Sts./Rockefeller Center | 4:D3.

Fodor’s Choice | Library Hotel.

$$ | Bookishly handsome, this stately landmark brownstone, built in 1900, is inspired by the New York Public Library, a block away. Each of its 10 floors is dedicated to one of the 10 categories of the Dewey Decimal System; modern rooms are stocked with art and books relevant to a subtopic such as erotica, astronomy, or biography—let your interests guide your choice. Either way, many of the rooms are surprisingly big and offer a good value to “check out.” The staff is very hospitable, and the whole property is old-leather-armchair comfortable, whether you’re unwinding in front of the library fireplace, partaking of the complimentary wine and cheese or continental breakfast, or relaxing in the roof garden. Pros: fun rooftop bar; playful book themes; stylish rooms. Cons: rooftop often reserved for events; more books in rooms themselves would be nice. TripAdvisor: “professional and efficient staff,” “small rooms,” “friendly welcome.” | 299 Madison Ave.,