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Inspired by Jean Cocteau's fantastical 1946 film La Belle et la Bête (Beauty and the Beast), designer Benjamin Noriega Ortiz populated this glass tower—opened in March 2011 by the folks behind The Royalton and The Hudson—with rose vine-emblazoned carpets, dramatic cut-glass mirrors, and walls and ceilings painted in shades of Alice in Wonderland blue. A row of towering topiaries leads guests from Crosby Street to the dimly lit ground floor, which houses the two sections of Victor LaPlaca's restaurant,Isola Trattoria & Crudo Bar. (One of those sections is intimate and indoors; the other is encased in a huge, chandelier-topped greenhouse.) Meanwhile, the Lafayette Street entrance leads to the Chinatown-themed Mister H bar. To check in, guests head to the small (and sometimes over-crowded) second floor front desk, done-up with Mad Hatter–style furniture and an Astro-Turf-covered terrace. The all-white guests rooms are on the small side—most have tiny desks, drawers built into the beds, and sinks outside the bathrooms—but each one is equipped with an iPad, iPod dock, Malin + Goetz amenities, and oversize windows framing breathtaking city views. A 24-hour fitness room, meeting spaces and an in-demand penthouse event loft round out the facilities. — Sandra Ramani

Lively bar and dining scene; dreamy beds; iPad in every room; bikes available upon request.

Cons
Small rooms; WiFi is $10 per night; no spa.