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With its minimalist aesthetic, fashionably attired staff, and quirky extravagances like a two-story aquarium and a giant statue of Catherine the Great, Dream’s got all the trendy trappings of your typical Vikram Chatwal property combined with a close proximity to midtown’s endless action. The hotel’s 220 rooms and fourteen suites are done up in all white with faint, neon-blue lighting under the beds and glass-topped desks. Monarch bathrobes and custom-made platform feather beds encourage lounging, but the in-room Internet isn’t free while the wall-mounted plasma TVs have limited channels and no pay-per-view. (DVD players and preloaded iPods are usually available upon request.) For recreation, there’s also the cozy Dream Lounge , the scene-y Ava penthouse, the Amalia and Serafina restaurants (room service from the latter), a tiny gym, and a Chopra Center Spa with free mediation and yoga sessions for guests. — Sandra Ramani

Relaxed vibe; comfy beds and robes; helpful touches like room key cards imprinted with local restaurant and shopping suggestions.

Cons
Style-over-substance execution; fee for in-room high-speed Internet; all-white room décor accentuates the slightest wear-and-tear.

Special Offers
Complimentary yoga and meditation sessions at the Chopra Center Spa; gym passes to a local facility.