Perched on the edge of Hell's Kitchen, at 47th Street and 8th Avenue, the Econo Lodge Times Square certainly offers convenience.

From the outside, the Skyline Hotel bears resemblance to a highway-side motor lodge. Inside, the atmosphere is unmistakably that of a big city hotel.

Stylish, cozy boutique hotels do exist in bustling, chain-hotel-dominated Midtown. The three-star Hotel 414 is one of them—and it's affordable, to boot.

The sleek, uber-modern Yotel offers a highly unique "affordable luxury" option in Hell's Kitchen.

The SoHotel is a fabulous 96-room hotel in Nolita, a tiny 'hood between SoHo and the Lower East Side.

The 38 rooms at the Off SoHo Suites Hotel offer convenient, spacious and well located accommodations with modern furnishings and full kitchens.

The Hotel East Houston, located as one might expect on very busy Houston Street, is a smart boutique hotel.

Situated in busy Midtown East, the Hotel 31 is a dependably inexpensive alternative to the pricier hotels crowding the neighborhood.

The Pod Hotel is an appealing hotel concept: Imagine a very well-designed (if spartan) hotel in a lively and action-packed corner of a big city.

The 150-room Gershwin is a well-executed hotel thriving on the crazy energy of 1970s New York.

Thirty Thirty's 257 rooms have a just-add-water feel to them: Take a prime Midtown East location, add a deluxe reception area with silvery tiles and big globular lamps, and finish off with sparsely decorated, minimalist-oriented rooms.

The Grand Union, a midrange hotel in Midtown East, is a moderately-sized beast, with just under 90 rooms.

The upscale neighborhood of Tribeca is known for pricey everything (including hotels), but the three-star Cosmopolitan Hotel offers a solid value for the area.

Since 1931, the Edison Hotel has offered rooms next to Times Square with a "deco" touch.