It’s no surprise New York City has many hotels to choose from, accommodating most budgets. You can book a bed in a hostel dorm or luxury suite atop a Manhattan skyscraper. Even in a city as large and diverse as New York, certain hotels stand out. Whether it’s distinctive architecture or a famed literary history, these hotels can provide an interesting overnight experience.
Those who love spending time in a library and hate to leave when it closes will be delighted by this library/hotel hybrid in which the rooms are numbered according to the Dewey Decimal System. Each of the hotel’s 10 floors is named after one of 10 categories, including Social Sciences, Literature, the Arts and History. The rooms on each floor are themed accordingly. Each room is individually decorated and has its own collection of books that fit the theme. Room choices include petite with single or double bed, deluxe with queen bed or junior suite with king bed. Hotel amenities include complimentary continental breakfast, coffee drinks, tea, fruit and cookies served all day, a nightly wine and cheese reception, high-speed Internet access, a reading room and a writers’ den with fireplace. The Library Hotel is located close to Grand Central Station in Manhattan.
Fans of Dorothy Parker, Robert Sherwood, Edna Ferber and George Kaufman are probably acquainted with the famed Algonquin Round Table, where the post-World War II literary lights gathered for lunch and intellectual conversation. The Algonquin remains dedicated to its rich literary history and provide guests with a complimentary copy of "The New Yorker" in every room. The hotel also maintains the tradition of a hotel cat, which is given free run of the premises. The Round Table restaurant where the literati gathered remains open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Room choices include superior twin, queen, king or premier suite. The hotel, located in midtown Manhattan, offers complimentary high-speed Internet access and a 24-hour fitness center.
This conference center, named after South African peace activist Archbishop Desmond Tutu and housed in a restored, gothic 19th-century building, is also a hotel open to non-conference guests. The 60 rooms are individually decorated in South African decor as a homage to the center's namesake. The hotel uses eco-friendly, biodegradable and cruelty-free cleaning and bathroom products. The only room choice is standard. Hotel amenities include high-speed Internet access and a dining room serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The hotel is located in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, close to Chelsea Market and the Meatpacking District.
Budget travelers looking for interesting accommodations might want to check out the Chelsea Star. Dorm rooms sleep four and offer a shared sitting room and bathroom facilities. The seventh night of your dorm stay is free and the maximum stay is 14 nights. The Chelsea Star’s specialty group rooms, double rooms and single rooms are all fancifully decorated with individual themes, such as Saturday Night Fever, Salvador Dali, Madame Butterfly and Coney Island. The rooms all have shared bathroom facilities. The deluxe rooms and apartment suite have more traditional decor and feature en suite bathrooms. Hotel amenities include an Internet kiosk and safes in certain rooms. The Chelsea Star is located in Chelsea, close to Chelsea Piers and High Line Park.
