One of the chicest places to stay in New York, this handsome, modern hotel is located behind the Public Library, right on Bryant Park (as civilized a locale as you’re likely to find along 42nd Street). Housed in the former American Radiator Building, it’s a favorite spot of visiting fashion and media types, whose work has them bouncing in and out of this neighbourhood at any moment. The Bryant Park offers 107 guest rooms and 20 suites that overlook the park, all of which feature Egyptian cotton sheets, sound machines (for the insomniacs among us), high-definition flat-screen TVs, Tibetan rugs, and chic marble bathrooms. An on-site fitness center and the eponymous salon of celebrity hairstylist Ric Pepino keep you feeling fit and presentable among the oft-scantily clad crowd at its lobby restaurant, Koi, and the glitzy, pricey Cellar Bar.