The Roxy Hotel Tribeca

Formerly the Tribeca Grand (until 2015), the Roxy is a chic, trendy TriBeCa hotel with the quirky perks typical of a boutique hotel, but with more rooms. From the outside, it looks like it's just a cinema, with a vintage-style awning bearing its name. Inside, the look and feel changes drastically, with a largely earth-toned lobby complete with red-brick walls, brow-tile floors, and copper false ceilings. The restaurants and bars here have a similar look and feel, while the hallways are contrastingly modern, with an open-air plan set around a triangular shaped atrium space. The Roxy attracts business travelers and tourists alike, and has a bit of a party atmosphere owing to its numerous bars, a few with regular live music or DJ performances. Celebrities were known to frequent the hotel when it was the Tribeca Grand, but a lot of trendy competition emerged downtown. Other hip and stylish options include the Bowery, The Greenwich Hotel, and the Standard. The hotel's rebranding may help it regain its hot spot status; celebrities spotted here since the hotel debuted its fresh decor and new moniker include Kristen Stewart and Alexis Bellino. The hotel has long been involved in the Tribeca Film Festival, drawing celebs and film industry VIPs to special screenings in its on-site theater. 

The Roxy is located in Lower Manhattan's TriBeCa neighborhood, just southwest of Chinatown and Little Italy, and within a few minutes' walk of the Canal Street subway stations (one with access to the A, C, E trains, one with access to the N, Q, and R, J, Z, and 6 trains). It's a 10-minute drive (traffic permitting) or subway ride to Wall Street, while the 9/11 Memorial can be reached in about 10 minutes by taxi or 20 minutes on foot. Times Square is a 10- to 15-minute taxi ride away, while getting to the southern end of Central Park takes about 15 minutes by car or 20 minutes by subway. The Met is a 25-minute drive or 25-minute subway ride away, while the museum's medieval art annex -- The Cloisters -- takes about 25 minutes to reach by car or 50 minutes by public transportation. It's a 35-minute drive to JFK without traffic, while La Guardia takes 20 to 25 minutes by car. Newark International Airport is a 20-minute drive from the hotel when traffic is at a minimum, but can take much longer during rush hour. 

The Roxy offers a wide range of rooms and suites, from the 245-square-foot Superior King Rooms clear up to the luxurious 900-square-foot Penthouse. One-Bedroom Suites and Deluxe One-Bedroom Suites with separate living and sleeping areas are also available. Decor doesn't vary much from room to room, and most units have nine-foot ceilings with huge windows, tannish-gray carpeting, funky 1970s-inspired patterned blackout curtains, and orange accents in bed throws, desk chairs, and lamps. Bathrooms have funky patterned wallpaper, large walk-in showers with bench seating, stainless-steel vanities with huge mirrors, Frette bathrobes, and luxury toiletries from C.O. Bigelow. All rooms come with minibars with pre-mixed cocktails, smart TVs with DVD players, safes, MacBook Pro laptops, iPods bluetooth-enabled Tivoli-brand clock radios, and free daily newspapers. Suites add Nespresso coffeemakers. Rollaway beds are available for a small fee. 

The Roxy offers great amenities, including an on-site 99-seater cinema that's open to the public and screens arthouse and foreign films. There's no pool, but the hotel does have a partnership with a nearby thermal spa -- Aire Ancient Baths -- which has a variety of pools, including a saltwater pool with the same density as the Dead Sea. The hotel does have a hair and beauty salon -- Blackstones NYC -- but it's closed on Mondays. There's also a chic fitness center with exposed red-brick walls and a great selection of modern cardio and weight-training equipment. The Roxy Hotel Lounge serves all three meals, with heavier breakfast options ranging from steak and eggs to vegan burritos, plus steak, sea bass, and sandwiches on the lunch and dinner menus. Room service is available. There's also a bar with DJ nights on the weekends. The jazz club, The Django, offers live performances twice a night on Tuesday through Sunday, but there is an entry fee for the later shows. Mixed drinks are on offer at Paul's Cocktail Lounge, which opens late and stays open later and offers regular DJ performances. There's also a coffeeshop -- Jack's Stir Brew Coffee -- the seventh location of a trendy local coffee chain, which offers stir-brewed coffee and vegan pastries.  There are no meeting rooms, but the cinema, the Penthouse, and the bars and lounges can be rented out for events. Other features include free use of bicycles (not available in winter), loaner pet goldfish, discounts at local boutiques, and free property-wide Wi-Fi. Valet parking is available for a hefty fee, and doesn't come with in-and-out privileges. Pets are welcome free of charge, and the hotel offers special perks for dogs, including treats, beds, and water bowls.