Best New Hotels 2008:The Bowery Hotel, New York

Not long ago the Bowery was Manhattan’s skid row, a gritty downtown strip replete with flophouses and derelicts. But luxury apartments, the New Museum and the rakish Bowery Hotel have launched a new gilded era. The 17-storey wonder has 135 rooms featuring floor-to-ceiling factory windows with views of the East Village, NoLIta and SoHo, oriental rugs, marble bathrooms and platform beds fitted with Egyptian cotton sheets. Eric Goode and Sean MacPherson, who masterminded The Maritime Hotel and a slew of successful restaurants, helm the establishment, which means it’s a drawcard for jetsetters.

We love The spirited social scene. The lobby bar hums with hipsters swilling single-malt scotches, and the restaurant Gemma serves rustic Italian to big crowds.

Rooms from about $460, www.theboweryhotel.com.
GEORGE EPAMINONDAS