View Out The Window From My Hotel Room in NY:

I like a hotel that lets you open the window on the 10th floor.

Last weekend, I stayed at the Hotel Metro at 45 W 35th Street in Manhattan. According to Frommer's "The Metro is the choice in Midtown for those who don't want to sacrifice style or comfort for affordability." Three nights cost me $720 through hotels.com (about $200/night - the rest was New York taxes and the site's fee), and the room was clean, comfortable and quiet - especially for New York. My room was in the back, over the alley above, and not on the street side, and that probably added to the quiet. But Herald Square and the Empire State Building were both within 50 yards of the lobby.

"This Art Deco-style jewel has larger rooms than you'd expect for the price. They're outfitted with smart retro furnishings, playful fabrics, fluffy pillows, and smallish but beautifully appointed marble bathrooms, and alarm clocks."

All true enough. My room was small, but after all, I was one block off of the Empire State Building, so real estate was at a premium. The bathroom was even tinier, but adequate, and it was marble lined. And it had a picture of a calla lily that might have been by either Man Ray or Mapplethorpe. But most importantly, it had that feature now essential to me: free high-speed internet access.

"The neo-deco design gives the whole place an air of New York glamour that I've not seen in this price range. A great collection of black-and-white photos, from Man Ray classics to Garbo and Dietrich portraits, adds to the vibe. The comfy, fire-lit library/lounge area off the lobby, where complimentary buffet breakfast is laid out and the coffeepot's on all day, is a popular hangout. Service is attentive, and the well-furnished rooftop terrace boasts a breathtaking view of the Empire State Building, and makes a great place to order up room service from the stylish - and very good - Metro Grill."

I didn't eat at the hotel (never eat at a hotel's restaurant), but I did get up to the terrace one morning (Monday, I think).

The place had a decent workout room, too.

So if you're looking for a place to stay in Midtown, you can do a whole lot worse than the Hotel Metro. In fact, I would even go so far as to recommend it.