Shortlist: January 2011

Think NYC and you imagine hustle, bustle, honking cabs and shouting hot-dog vendors (or is that just us?). In short, a sensory overload of the most brilliant kind. What you don’t expect is peace, quiet and calm. Yep, you heard us: calm. We thought it impossible too until we discovered The Cooper Square Hotel – there to help save out battered, withered senses.

Sitting on the edge of East Village, it has easy access to Midtown and Lower Manhattan and is within walking distance of the nightlife of lower East Side’s Ludlow Street. It’s fair to say that along with much-loved Bowery Hotel, The Cooper Square has transformed what was once a troubled area into a much-talked about and refined destination.

What’s it Like

The hotel makes an exciting and refreshing change from the usual New York experience in many ways. For a start, there’s not an ounce of pretension, instead it boasts a cosmopolitan and relaxed atmosphere. The entire hotel is the perfect meeting of European and New York style. This is apparent as soon as you first glimpse the hotel’s exterior – a shimmering, 21-storey high-rise with gleaming glass panels, modern curves and floor-to-ceiling windows.

From the moment you step inside the doors, the hotel is warm, friendly and non-intrusive. There’s no queuing at the front desk, you just comfortably wait in a Mad Men-style private lounge and library that has more than 4,000 second-hand volumes – before a ‘reservation agent’ takes you up to your room.

Most of the bedrooms are typically New York – cosy, compact and slick. Rooms are stocked with iPod stereos, Blue-ray players (plus a rare-film library you can choose from) and a hand-selected book collection. But forget the bedroom a minute – the bathrooms, more importantly, contain three different types of bathrobe. Three. This may seem excessive to some, but to us, it’s what life should always be like. One’s technically for your dog, but worth a go to try to squeeze into it.

If you can, try to snaffle a corner room, complete with a breathtaking view from Midtown and the Empire State Building down to the financial district and the Brooklyn Bridge in one dizzy sweep.

And if you’re really feeling flush (or you share the same accountant as Donald Trump), book the Penthouse. Its 1,600 square-foot, wraparound terrace has 360-degree views of the city. It may get a bit lonely for one though, what with its capacity for 250 guests, so most people hire it out as the ultimate party venue. A warning though: you may need to take your altitude sickness tablets beforehand...

Need to Know

To book The Cooper Square Hotel, visit mrandmrssmith.com or call the Mr & Mrs Smith Travel Team on 0845 034 0700

Doubles start from £241 (room only, including tax).