VIBE

Vikram Chatwal’s hotels are known for their outrageous flamboyance, but perhaps the international party hopper/hotelier has mellowed. Besides the eye-popping Rocky Mountain-themed Aspen Social Club and the neon-colored live fish swimming inside the glass column aquariums in the lobby, the latest addition to his collection actually plays things pretty cool. The neutral rooms are a plushed-up version of standard hotel fare, with enough high-tech treats to keep any scenester very well connected. Amenities are thin on the ground (there’s no spa or fitness center and only one restaurant), but guests are given preferential access to many of the facilities at Chatwal’s other three NYC properties.

GO HERE WITH

Shopping or theater companion

WHY WE LIKE IT

Ok, fine, the rooms are pretty small with no views to speak of, and aside from the "Wild West" scene in the Aspen Social Club, there’s not much going on here. (Expect to be passed off to the concierge at nearby sister hotel Dream for most amenities.) That said, if you’re in town to see the town and you only want a cozy bed to curl up on after your day’s adventures, this is a good pick. The Midtown location is convenient for shopping, theater, and sightseeing, and although diminutive, the rooms are ultra-comfy. The plethora of wired amenities means you won’t have to venture out from under your duvet once you’re in for the night–everything from snacks to Skype is a button-push away.

AMENITY WE LOVE

Aspen Social Club. When we just can’t take city living anymore, there’s no better escape than a pine-framed, antler-bestrewn lounge with a fire pit.

WHAT WE WOULD CHANGE

Room size. They may be ultra-wired, but they’re also ultra-squishy.

GOOD TO KNOW

If you want more space, try to book one of the king rooms–they far outsize the standard queen rooms (and by far, we mean they leave more than three inches of space between the foot of the bed and the wall). Meeting planners, valet parking, personal shoppers, and laundry service all available. Business center on site. The Aspen Social Club can be rented out for private functions.

CLOSEST COMPS

Room Mate Grace (New York); The Marcel at Gramercy (New York)

Click here for our full-form mobile travel guide, The Purple Passport to New York City.