Hotel Serrano

Right next door to the more lavish and expensive Monaco, this 17-storey Spanish Revival building is no less decoratively daring. The lobby is in a Moorish style - jewel tones, rich dark woods and high, elaborately painted ceilings - but the rooms are cosier, with buttery yellow damask walls, cherrywood furniture and warm red striped curtains. The upper floors have good city views. Pet- and kid-friendly, the Serrano has a games library; guests are invited, at check-in, to play a round of blackjack for prizes. Ponzu, the hotel's hip Asian-fusion restaurant, is a great place for dinner.