It's not an icon like the Plaza or the Pierre -- but so what? The Mandarin Oriental, located across Columbus Circle from Central Park, offers a dizzying array of modern luxuries -- a 75-foot pool, one of the city's best spas, sweeping views from nearly every common area, and superb on-site fine-dining options, to name a few -- even as it upholds traditional values and outstanding service.

An ostentatiously luxurious hotel with a supremely well-trained staff, and huge, elegant rooms designed by Ivanka Trump herself. The location (overlooking Central Park at Columbus Circle) can't be beat. The hotel also has two highly regarded restaurants, a great spa, and an in-house pool.

For the price, you'll be hard-pressed to find this level of on-site amenities at any other New York hotel. The Empire's rooftop bar and pool, both with excellent views of the upscale Upper West Side, make this 422-room hotel one of the city's best values, despite the small rooms.

Tucked into a quiet, classy, residential side street on the Upper West Side, this 250-room boutique comes with snazzy touches like a 16th-floor common terrace, a top-notch gym, friendly doormen, and good-sized designer rooms with excellent beds. For under $250, On the Ave is a great pick for anyone looking to explore -- and experience -- New York as New Yorkers do.

Far from the Times Square crowds, on the relaxed, upscale Upper West Side, the 250-room Lucerne offers small but classically styled, comfortable rooms (all renovated in 2009), prompt, dedicated service, and proximity to great kid-friendly attractions like the Museum of Natural History and Central Park.

This charming, 200-room hotel offers clean, classic comforts (like its leather and velvet-clad lounge, complete with fireplace, library, and rotary phone) in a beautiful setting -- the Museum of Natural History's backyard, next to Central Park. And, given the fitness center, the Excelsior is an excellent value in the Upper West Side.

Located on the relaxed, upscale Upper West Side, a 10-minute walk from Central Park and the Museum of Natural History, the 197-room Belleclaire has the basics -- clean, well-equipped rooms and a bright fitness center -- but the rooms don't size up to the brighter, friendlier, and better-appointed competion across the street, On the Ave.

The 255-room Beacon Hotel is one of the city's best ways to ensure an affordable family vacation. The huge rooms all have kitchenettes, and are in a safe but fun part of the Upper West Side that's a 10-minute walk from New York's most kid-friendly museums and Central Park.

This 127-room walk-up hotel (no elevator!) is a bit cramped and worn around the edges, but a beautiful Moroccan-style lobby and a cocktail lounge from Sookk Thai restaurant make it a fair option if you want to be near Central Park and Columbia University, in the nontouristy northern outskirts of the Upper West Side.

Located a block from the subway and three blocks from Central Park in the Upper West Side, the no-frills, 105-room Newton Hotel offers the bare essentials -- a flat-screen TV, a rock-hard mattress, a mini-fridge and a microwave in every guest room. Its loud AC units and thin walls don't make for a great night's sleep.