The Algonquin Hotel Times Square, Autograph Collection

Character and identity

Open since 1902 on West 44th Street, the Algonquin sits a block off Times Square and within easy walking distance of Fifth Avenue, the theatre district, and Bryant Park. Its literary pedigree runs deep: this is where Dorothy Parker, Alexander Woollcott and Harold Ross convened the Round Table, and where the idea for The New Yorker took shape. Alexandra Champalimaud's recent redesign has reset the 174 rooms and the wood-panelled lobby bar with a glossier, more theatrical hand, while preserving the clubby, bookish atmosphere. Expect a polished lobby scene, a long-standing restaurant, and service pitched to a returning Manhattan crowd.

Who's it for

Bottom line

What you're really paying for here is the address and the literary atmosphere, not square footage or a spa programme. The Champalimaud refresh has given the public spaces real polish, and the lobby bar alone justifies a drink even if you're not staying. Book a suite if you want breathing room, and aim for shoulder-season weeks when Midtown rates ease.