Luxurious spas. Sparkling swimming pools. AAA Four Diamond restaurants. Elegant rooms and suites boasting fine furnishings and the most up-to-date technology. These are just a few of the many amenities you’ll find at premier 4 and 5 star hotels in major cities including New York, Boston and San Francisco. If this already sounds out of your price range, you’re in for a surprise: Accommodations start as low as $84/night. Kiss the notion that luxury lodging has to be expensive goodbye and read on for a roundup of budget-friendly options in select destinations.
Algonquin Hotel – New York: This famed hotel at 44th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues opened in 1902, and though it underwent renovations in 1998 and 2004, it has all but lost its original splendor. Designated a New York City landmark in 1987 and a literary landmark in 1996, the hotel’s Round Table Room is more than your typical New York City restaurant. It is named for the celebrated group of writers, critics and actors – among them were Dorothy Parker and Robert Benchley – who convened daily to dine, exchange ideas and play cards. You’ll also step back in time to a more glamorous era while in the Oak Room, which offers dinners and performances seasonally Tuesday through Thursday each week. With its white tablecloths, dark paneled walls and gleaming piano, the room was a launching pad for such noted celebrities as Harry Connick Jr. and Andrea Marcovicci. Guests can also grab a drink at the art-laden Blue Bar, a popular meeting spot among locals and travelers like, or inside the stately Lounge.
Westin St. Francis – San Francisco: Opening its doors in 1904, this Union Square hotel is imbued with early 20th century charm. Rooms feature ornate woodworking, high ceilings with shimmering chandeliers, and windows opening out onto the city by the bay. Each brings modern comforts including the hotel’s signature Westin Heavenly Beds and Westin Heavenly Baths. Travelers have their choice of several fine restaurants and well-equipped meeting rooms, and the on-site spa is sure to help ease away stress. The St. Francis is considered the center of the city’s literary, social and artistic life, much like the previously mentioned Algonquin Hotel is in New York City. 
The Lenox Hotel - Boston: A member of Historic Hotels of America, The Lenox Hotel is yet another prime example of a property that fuses old-world charm with modern technology, this time in Boston’s historic Back Bay. What makes this 214-room boutique hotel unique, however, is that it’s among a select few to be named “1 of the 5 Greenest Luxury Hotels in America” by U.S. News & World Report and featured on Conde Nast Traveler’s “Green List.” So what, you might ask, has earned The Lenox 12 consecutive AAA Four Diamond Awards since 1998? Maybe it’s everything from its opulent ballroom and sophisticated restaurants to its elegantly chic accommodations, bedecked with mahogany furniture, high ceilings with brass chandeliers and Italian marble bathrooms.
Luxury Suites at T
he Signature at MGM Grand in Las Vegas: You might be hard-pressed to believe that this 5 star property – rated the number one boutique hotel in Las Vegas – currently offers rooms below $100/night. Its three exclusive towers are non-gaming, making it a good option for travelers wishing to evade bustling casinos. Whether you’re in town for business or leisure, don’t miss the intimate swimming pool, state-of-the-art fitness center, well-equipped business center and spa. A sense of luxury permeates the suites as well, which have designer furnishings, spacious living areas and gleaming marble bathrooms.
The Metropole Hotel South Beach in Miami: South Beach is synonymous with vibrant nightlife, ever-present sunshine, fine dining, turquoise waters that lap against pearly white sand, and – you guessed it – scores of chic hotels. Though it’s set in the very heart of the action on South Beach, a much more relaxed and subdued atmosphere awaits on the premises. The hotel’s private courtyard setting makes a great place to unwind after a day of shopping jaunts or meetings. Travelers who need to book or change flights can do so using the uniguest airline system in the lobby. Serving as a popular retreat for renowned celebrities like P Diddy and Heidi Klum, The Metropole also offers ample meeting space, stylish suites with 42″ inch plasma TVs and complimentary shuttle service to Miami International Airport.
No matter what your idea of the perfect luxury hotel is, one thing is for certain: If there’s anything better than enjoying 4 and 5 star luxury, it’s enjoying it a 2 or 3 star price.
We’re just a few days away from bidding adieu to the present year and welcoming 2010, and with a new year come new opportunities to visit destinations you left off your travel itinerary in 2009. Whether you look to start the year in the heart of Times Square after witnessing the world-famous New Year’s Eve Ball Drop, amid the glitz and glamour of the vibrant metropolis that is Las Vegas, or enveloped in the sights and sounds of San Francisco – from the scenic Golden Gate Bridge to ever bustling Chinatown – the possibilities are endless. Of course, you’ll also want to book a hotel that fits your preferences, be it one that offers accommodations for under $100/night, free shuttle service to nearby theme parks, a complimentary Continental breakfast to start your morning off right, or a fully-equipped conference room from which you can host a business meeting.
