Get your third night free at these 15 New York luxury hotels!

To give New York City tourism a boost – and to save travelers a pretty penny at the same time – New York’s official marketing and tourism organization is offering a third night free at 15 luxury hotels. Book any two nights between January 4 and February 28, 2010, and the third is free, plus they'll throw in "a personal shopping experience" at Saks Fifth Avenue and a free dessert at the Saks café. We read about this deal on a New York Times travel blog yesterday, and we’re excited that so many of our favorite hotels are participating. Hotels that are normally unattainable for the average tourist may now (possibly) be affordable.


To book a stay at one of these hotels, visit the NYC & Company website to find the promotional code for your hotel of choice. Then hit up the hotel’s own website for online reservations, or give them a call to book. (Be sure to double check the “How to Book” info under each offer code, as a few hotels are only excepting phone reservations).


Here's a list of the participating hotels (in no particular order, since you can’t go wrong with any of them) along with a summary of our review for each:


Hotel: The St. Regis New York Location: Midtown East The extraordinary service at the grand, century-old 229-room St. Regis is rivaled only by the Plaza. It lacks the pool, amazing spa, and Central Park views of the Mandarin Oriental, but a famed Bloody Mary at the King Cole Bar and a dinner at Alain Ducasse's Adour more than compensates.


Hotel: The Plaza Location: Upper East Side The century-old, 282-room Plaza is a New York landmark. A $400 million overhaul in 2008 gave the huge rooms gold-plated bathroom fixtures, but it also converted most rooms overlooking Central Park into privately owned residences. Still, the beautifully restored Oak Room, exceptional spa, and 24-hour butler service make it worth the splurge.


Hotel: Mandarin Oriental, New York Location: Upper West Side It's not an icon like the Plaza or the Pierre -- but so what? The Mandarin Oriental, located across Columbus Circle from Central Park, offers a dizzying array of modern luxuries -- a 75-foot pool, one of the city's best spas, sweeping views from nearly every common area, and superb on-site fine-dining options, to name a few -- even as it upholds traditional values and outstanding service.


More participating hotels after the jump


Hotel: The Pierre Location: Upper East Side An elegant, historic hotel across the street from Central Park, the Pierre offers a taste of grand old New York to those staying in any of its 189 small but freshly renovated guest rooms. The large staff is white-glove formal, but service is not without the occasional glitch -- and the hotel lacks the on-site amenities of some of its by-the-park luxury competitors, like the Plaza and the Four Seasons.


Hotel: The Carlyle Location: Upper East Side The Carlyle has been a historic and discreet host to artists, presidents, and local and international celebrities since 1930, and it's traditional to the core: White-gloved elevator operators, a special concierge vestibule, the classic Bemelman's Bar, and dinner performances by Judy Collins and Woody Allen (playing jazz clarinet) are hallmarks of this classic American hotel. More intimate, with bigger rooms, than the competing Waldorf-Astoria and Loews Regency.


Hotel: Loews Regency Hotel Location: Midtown East This class act on the Upper East Side's tony, tree-lined Park Avenue has excellent service and an on-site supper club with a world-class cabaret. It is in walking distance of Central Park, high-end shopping, and the Midtown East corporate centers. Plus, the hotel practically invented the power breakfast.


Hotel: The New York Palace Location: Midtown East One of New York's most visually stunning hotels, the New York Palace has a gilded, grandiose style that is a little gaudy but still fabulous enough to blow away the boutiques. With 899 rooms, this is an excellent, modern (and less uptight) alternative to its Midtown East neighbor, the famed Waldorf-Astoria. Huge rooms (renovated in 2008), a luxe spa, and a fantastic gym make the Palace a steal for less than $300.


Hotel: The Waldorf Towers(at the Waldorf-Astoria) Location: Midtown East A Midtown East icon, the 1,300-room Waldorf-Astoria comes with some of New York's best (or at least most expensive) spa services, fitness facilities, restaurants, and bars. The dress code, antique décor, and outdated tube TVs aren't for everyone, but the cinematic history and unrivaled elegance make the $250-plus price tag well worth it.


Hotel: The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park Location: Midtown East If you're looking for a five-star experience in New York, and you insist on a Ritz, the sister property downtown offers a nearly identical experience for half the price. If you're looking for a five-star experience and insist on being in the thick of things, the Plaza, the St. Regis, and the Mandarin Oriental offer more pizzazz.


Hotel: The Peninsula New York Location: Midtown East The 185-room Peninsula has small TVs in the standard rooms, but the indoor pool, superb gym (free workout gear, organic teas, and a sauna and steam room), widely praised spa and salon, and in-room fax machines make it a fine choice for a quiet, classically luxurious hotel. And for designer shopping, it's 5th Avenue location is ideal.


Hotel: The London NYC Location: Times Square and Midtown West This stylish, all-suite hotel is one of the best luxury deals around -- incredibly large rooms, two on-site restaurants from celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, a central location near Central Park and Times Square, and a great fitness center. All that's missing is an on-site spa.


Hotel: Trump International Hotel & Tower Location: Upper West Side An ostentatiously luxurious hotel -- at least in the public areas -- with a supremely well-trained staff. The rooms are comfortable but surprisingly boring. The location (overlooking Central Park at Columbus Circle) can't be beat. The hotel also has two highly regarded restaurants and an in-house pool.


Hotel: Surrey Hotel Location: Upper East Side After a $60 million renovation, this 190-room hotel on the Upper East Side is ready to pull guests away from the nearby Carlyle with room service by Cafe Boulud, a guest-only rooftop garden with butler service, and some of the most comfortable hotel beds in New York.


Hotel: The Sherry-Netherland Location: Upper East Side Not yet reviewed by Oyster!


Hotel: Hôtel Plaza Athénée New York Location: Upper East Side Not yet reviewed by Oyster!