Duane Street Hotel

In a city with a high tolerance for hype, the Duane Street Hotel stands out by laying low and doing the simple things well. Opened on a quiet Tribeca street in 2007, the 45-room boutique takes its cues from its well-heeled residential neighborhood, offering loft-inspired rooms with 11-foot ceilings, oversize windows and hardwood floors. The somewhat spare modern rooms have just been given a striking monochrome redesign. Complimentary passes to the nearby swanky Equinox gym cement the value-for-money package—a rare commodity in this part of town.