Ask Oyster: Where should a smoker stay in NYC?

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Smokers, New York City is against you. A recent tax hike now puts a pack at about $11. It’s illegal to smoke in most bars and restaurants (and, if Mayor Bloomberg gets his way, beaches and public parks too.) About every 15 minutes or so, a profoundly disgusting TV ad airs, telling you why to quit in gory detail. If you’re looking to quit, a Big Apple visit might be the kick in the pants you need. But far be it from me to judge. If you’re just looking for a clean smoking room without the stale nicotine funk or the chemical sting of lemon freshener, we’ve got you covered.

Where to stay if you smoke…

• Clove cigarettes: Hotel Chelsea, Chelsea: art house cool for lawless smokers (congress recently outlawed the sale of these crackling babies)

• Lucky Strikes: The Franklin, Upper East Side: value-minded, with hints of Art Deco to help complete the WWII-era time-warp

• Lights: Hotel Chandler, Murray Hill: quaint, quiet boutique with a softer touch

• Rugged Marlboro Reds: Hampton Inn Seaport, Lower Manhattan: affordable rooms with private outdoor courtyards, for when you need a touch of the outdoors in NYC

• Femme Capris: Thompson L.E.S., Lower East Side: where smokes double as fashion accessories

• Organic American Spirits: Bowery Hotel, East Village: hip with a conscience — charitable books and ample organic fare

• Dunhills: Mercer Hotel, SoHo: smoke like a British rock star, alongside actual British rock stars

• Classy Nat Shermans: Royalton, Midtown West: dark, bold, sophisticated style (and, incidentally, just around the corner from Nat Shermans’ corporate headquarters)

• Francophile Gauloises: Maritime Hotel, Chelsea: worldly style on the cusp of the Meatpacking District’s nightclubs

• No-Bull Winstons: Holiday Inn Express, Chelsea: Clean. Nice enough

• Fine Cohiba cigars: The Plaza, Midtown West (pictured above): century-old swank around the corner from the Carnegie Club, a cigar lounge that’s above the law, and the esteemed De La Concha tobacconist

Have any other travel or hotel queries? Ask Oyster: Send your questions over to askoyster@oyster.com. We’ll select a few to answer and post ‘em up as part of our recurring Ask Oyster feature.