The Standard East Village

Carlos Zapata’s curved, 21-story glass tower is hard to miss, but approaching the unmarked entrance to the city's second Standard, formerly the Cooper Square Hotel, you might wonder what it is. A doorman ushers you into a dramatic, double-height lobby, where you should be greeted by staff. Checking in over a glass of wine, admire the contemporary lodgelike library-lounge, stocked with diverse reading matter from Housing Works—you can buy the books, benefiting the charity—and furnished by B&B Italia. Rooms start at a compact 250 square feet, but floor-to-ceiling windows and spare furnishings in shades of gray lend a sense of space. If you can afford it, get a high corner room (prices rise with the floor level) for spectacular dual-aspect views. Choose from three robes—terry cloth, silk or cotton kimono—in the minimalist slate-floored bathrooms.