The Gem Hotel Soho

Profile

After a renovation and re-branding, this former Howard Johnson now has a decidedly modern feel as the 45-room Gem Hotel. The guest rooms have a crisp, clean look, with a color scheme of chocolate browns, bright whites, and the occasional yellow accent. In addition to common amenities like flat-screen TVs, bathrobes, and Wi-Fi, the Gem ups the ante with Gilchrist & Soames bath products, an iPod docking station, and complimentary Wolfgang Puck coffee in every room. The platform beds offering drawers for storage beneath them are a nice touch, too, though this space-saving feature is hardly needed in the good-size rooms. Downstairs, a small lobby looks a bit like a West Elm catalogue, with cube tables and a sleek black reception banquet. The hotel’s location makes it popular with tourists looking to shop Soho rather than sightsee in Times Square, and it also has a loyal following of musicians in town for gigs at nearby spots like the Living Room. And what the property lacks in facilities it has found within the neighborhood: In place of a gym, the local YMCA offers guests a $10 day pass, while a binder in the lobby full of takeout menus stands in for room service. — Leigh Crandall

Stylish rooms, friendly service, and reasonable rates steps away from shopping and dining.

Cons
There’s no bar, restaurant, conference room, or gym on site�but, then again, you’re not in New York to hit the treadmill.