Hotel QT

Andre Balazs has made frugality fun at this whimsical Times Square address. The 140 rooms are pod-size (even the largest penthouse units are a weeny 270 square feet), but fitted with slick, modern trappings: platform beds—some of them bunks with chrome climbing ladders—personal-size flat-screen TV's, and fresh white duvets. All have free Wi-Fi and little fridges that guests can self-stock from the snack bar/newsstand in the lobby. If all this sounds like an upscale college dorm, well, that's not too far off—the travelers who put up here tend to be in their twenties, European, and good-looking. But considering the fact that the lobby has a glassed-in pool with a swim-up bar (where tipsy wee-hour skinny-dips have reportedly occurred), that's probably a good thing.

Tip: All rooms are pet friendly—although given their size, you might have trouble fitting anything bigger than a Chihuahua.

Room to Book: Of the standard rooms with king and queen beds, those with floor plan "B" are the biggest (some are the same size as "PH"—penthouse—units).