The Mercer

Hip Hollywood's home-from-home
Talk of the town: Last year, Kanye West and Jay-Z turned a floor of the hotel into a recording studio, where they made their album Watch the Throne.

If you're not adverse to sharing your lobby with models and actors, head to The Mercer. Owned by uber-hotelier Andre Balazs, whose portfolio also includes Chateau Marmont, this SoHo institution is the NYC crash pad for young Hollywood and you'll be unlucky not to spot someone half-famous during your stay.
But the hotel offers more than just gawping opportunities. Here, the chic decor goes hand in hand with charming service - no means a given in this city. Each of the 75 loft-style rooms has enough mod cons for a month of Sundays, some have baths big enough for three.

There's also a hugely fashionable restaurant run by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, a very cool, popular bar and a club, Submercer, which is extremely... well, you get the picture.