Aside from Ground Zero, the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty are the most famous landmarks here at the Big Apple. And the Empire State Building wins the New York landmark race by a nose because of it’s proximity to the tourist attractions, including Times Square and the boutiques on Fifth Avenue.

Speaking of boutiques, the hottest trend here is the rise of boutique hotels in New York. Comfortable, centrally located, with a personal touch and smoothly discreet service, not to mention considerably lower room rates which the chain hotels just cannot match, these boutique hotels are quickly filling the open space in between luxury chains and lower end motels. And if you’re looking for a place to stay which offers all the above without putting a hole in your budget, Hotel 373 is New York’s newest boutique hotel, just steps away from the Empire State Building, in midtown Manhattan, at 373 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016; (212) 213-3388.

Consider this - You look out of your hotel room, and you have a view of the Empire State Building towering up above the sky line. You look down, and there’s a magnificient shopping paradise on Fifth Avenue, with Lord & Taylor, Saks and Tiffany’s vying for attention. Attractions within walking distance include the Rockefeller Center, Macy’s at Herald Square, Central Park, Madison Square Garden and the Garment District. Sound like a dream? Hold on to your hats until we get to the rooms.

Rooms start at $169, and each room has been designed with an excruciating eye for details and a perfection which you won’t find at the Marriott or a Hilton. Cherry wood furnishings, wall mounted flat screen LCD television, Complimetary wireless internet and local calls, iPod docks and marble bathrooms all combine to create an impression of an extra large room, when in reality it’s the same, but perfectly designed to maximize available space and make it look bigger.

It’s fairly obvious that somebody gave these rooms a great deal of thought and went to a heck of a lot of trouble to get it just right. The mix of modernity with artistic taste that the rooms display, as evidenced by the wall mounted television combining with a work desk and a comfortable chair quipped to handle laptops is well, a touch of genius. 

Go down to the lobby, and you find an in-hotel Starbucks. The Concierge is friendly, but not overtly so, and you’ll likely be able to set up anything you want, from directions to show reservations.

All said and done, Hotel 373 wins it hands down based on price and location, and as a bonus, we have great ambience, comfortable rooms which are surprisingly upscale considering the low rate and topped off with a pleasant surprise in the form of efficient service and smoothly functioning amneties.