Afternoon Delight: 5 Classy Hotels with Day Rates
Sex hotels, it turns out, don't have to be seedy. Some high-class establishments are offering day rates of late, and there's even a website -- dayuse-hotels.com -- that keeps track of day rate hotels of every stripe. Which is perfectly innocent in and of itself, because businesspeople (or anyone, for that matter) may just want a quiet spot to get some work done or take a nap. And if another category of guest -- the well-heeled man or woman looking for a little afternoon delight -- might take advantage…well, that's not really our business, is it? Roadside motels aren't for everyone, after all, and not every person looking for some daytime nooky is conducting a sleazy affair. So go ahead -- take a look at our five favorite places in the international business capitals of New York City, Paris, and London for your next, er, power nap.
[Ed. note: If sleazy is more your style, dig in to our undercover reviews of the Kew Motor Inn, La Semana Inn, and the Liberty Inn. No judgement here!]
Hotel Indigo Chelsea New York
Opened in October 2009, this 122-room boutique in midtown Manhattan is a full-service hotel in miniature, with plush rooms, excellent views of midtown, a gym, a business center, an elegant restaurant and lounge, and a 19th-floor rooftop bar. Comfortable and well-equipped rooms are hard to beat, for the price -- only those at the nearby Fashion 26 can compare.
Town Hall Hotel, London
The Town Hall Hotel and Apartments is located in London's artsy East End. Striking design mixes Edwardian influences with 1930s art deco style and contemporary touches. This hotel first opened as a town hall in 1910 and many of the rooms, studios, and apartments have original period details. All rooms have free Wi-Fi and iPod docks. Bathrooms are especially luxurious, most with soaking tubs and separate walk-in showers. Vintage furniture and modern kitchens make these loft-style rooms both functional and inviting. Hotel amenities include a nice indoor pool, a fitness room, and a stylish Michelin-rated restaurant.
Hotel Du Triangle d'Or, Paris
This boutique hotel offers good value in a central location. The rooms are colorful and music-themed -- with record albums used as art and guitar paintings hung on the walls -- and the hotel is aptly located next to the Olympia music hall in the 9th arrondissement. Near the front desk there is a multimedia area with headphones where guests can listen to CDs, and rooms have high-tech audio equipment and iPod docks. The communal areas are fun to wander -- check out the carpets decorated with stars, the sequined elevator, and silhouettes on the walls.
The MAve, New York City
The Mave's rates are a bit inflated considering the size of the tiny rooms, but the hotel does offer some nice style accents and a few treats, such as H2O bath products and a quality free breakfast. And the rooms, despite their minuscule size, are clean and stylish with great beds.
The Tophams Hotel, London
The boutique Tophams Hotel is conveniently located near the Victoria tube station. After a multi-million refurbishment completed in 2008, this stylish hotel offers nouveau-classical decor with pops of bright color in a peaceful location. Rooms are individually decorated with bespoke furnishings, flat-screen TVs, writing desks, and free Wi-Fi. Bathrooms are luxurious, and rooms with separate soaking tubs are worth the upgrade.
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