Three Manhattan hotels that are part of the neighbourhood

THREE great Manhattan hotels - from up, mid and downtown - that reflect their neighbourhoods.

NY hotels

NEW York might be a city of five boroughs but most tourists choose to stay in its most famous one: Manhattan.

If you're planning a holiday there - and with the Australian dollar so strong it's the perfect time to go - deciding on your accommodation can be difficult. Here are three of the city's best hotels, with a choice of uptown, downtown or midtown. Each one is a great place to stay. We've chosen hotels that perfectly reflect the vibe of the part of Manhattan they're in. Come home to any one of these and you'll feel like a native New Yorker.

UPPER EAST SIDE
The Lowell, 28 East 63rd Street, NY 10065

The hotel: There are 49 individually designed suites and 23 guest rooms.

The vibe: Understated elegance. Whatever you do, don't judge a book by its cover here. The Lowell looks like any other small hotel from the street - what we'd call an old lady establishment or an nice Upper East Side apartment building. It's a small hotel with a very small and fairly unimpressive lobby. And that's part of its discreet charm. The Lowell has been going through a refurbishment program and its new interiors, which are chic without being too designery, are by Michael S Smith, the man Michelle Obama chose to redecorate the White House. Rooms are light and airy and suites are more like apartments, perfect for an extended stay in New York. There are wood-burning fireplaces in 33 of the suites and 37 of them have fully equipped kitchens. If you're staying in New York over the summer months, consider booking one of the 12 suites with outdoor terraces.

The clientele: We bumped into Russell Crowe exiting the hotel one day; spotted David Beckham in the restaurant for breakfast (and at another table was a rather famous media mogul). This is also where the Australian delegation for the UN General Assembly meeting stayed last September. The hotel does not publicise its famous guests - we only know they were there because we saw said celebs. This is where celebrities stay when they don't want to be recognised and just want to go about their business.

The neighbourhood: The Lowell is on 63rd between Madison and Park avenues so luxury boutiques are at your doorstep, just to your left. Head in the opposite direction and you'll hit Bloomingdales. Central Park is two blocks away and it's an easy walk to midtown, where you can drop some cash at Barneys or Bergdorf Goodman.

Must do: The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a short stroll away. Head to the rooftop sculpture garden for one of the best views of Central Park.

Contact: [phone]; lowellhotel.com or book through Leading Hotels of the World on 02 9377 8444 or lhw.com

TRIBECA/DOWNTOWN
The Greenwich Hotel, 377 Greenwich Street, NY 10013

The hotel: The Greenwich has 88 rooms and suites and no two of them are alike.

The vibe: The Greenwich was conceived by Richard Born, Ira Drukier (both partners in the Mercer Hotel in nearby SoHo) and Robert De Niro (who owns the entire city block that houses the hotel). The building looks like it it might have been on this site for some time but was constructed only a few years ago, opening in April 2008. The eight-storey hotel was built from hand-cut bricks, has huge, warehouse-style windows and uses reclaimed timbers throughout. When The Greenwich Hotel opened, De Niro told Vanity Fair: "I wanted to create a place I would want to stay in. A place with warmth, something based on the hotels I've stayed in around the world. But I wanted to have something that fitted into the neighbourhood." The loft-style suites will have you fantasising about living here. The indoor pool is a true urban oasis and is surrounded by a reclaimed, 250-year-old Japanese farm house. The public areas feature several artworks by De Niro's late father, Robert sr. A penthouse suite is under construction.

The clientele: Very cool. You'll find plenty of downtown hipsters here (this is the kind of hotel where you have to think about what to wear) but The Greenwich is far less intimidating than some downtown New York hotels.

The neighbourhood: TriBeCa is one of the hottest neighbourhoods in New York at the moment and developments such as The Greenwich Hotel have gentrified the area and driven up property prices, which means there are plenty of cool bars and hip restaurants nearby. The boutiques of SoHo are a short walk away.

Must do: If you're a jogger or just like a good morning walk, head west for one block when you leave the hotel and you can walk along the riverfront all the way down to Battery Park and return via Broadway for a great tour of lower Manhattan. Then it's time for a well deserved breakfast in the hotel's courtyard.

Contact: + 1 212 941 8900; thegreenwichhotel.com or book through Leading Hotels of the World on 02 9377 8444 or lhw.com.

MIDTOWN
The Setai Fifth Avenue, 400 Fifth Avenue, NY 10018

The hotel: Medium-sized, by New York hotel standards, this Setai has 157 guest rooms and 57 apartment suites.

The vibe: If you've ever wondered what it would be like to live in a Manhattan high rise with the twinkling lights of office buildings surrounding you, then this is the place to stay. Rooms at The Setai are spacious (from 42sqm to 80sqm), airy and light-filled, with modern, minimalist interiors. Before your arrival you will be contacted by a personal assistant who can prepare anything you might need for your stay, such as theatre or exhibition tickets. The service is impeccable. Guests are offered complimentary pressing of five garments on the day of arrival, which is rare in hotels and incredibly convenient when travelling for business. The Setai also has a Maserati that can be booked for airport transfers (for a fee) or for getting around town.

The clientele: Given its location, this is a great place to stay if you're in town for business but don't want to stay in a cookie-cutter business hotel.

The neighbourhood: Midtown is where all the big shops are: Macy's and Saks Fifth Avenue; flagships for Prada, Tiffany & Co, Gucci and Louis Vuitton are all within walking distance, as is the Rockefeller Center.

Must do: The Empire State building is three blocks away. The view from the top never ceases to amaze.

Contact: + 1 212 695 4005; capellahotels.com/newyork or book through Leading Hotels of the World on 02 9377 8444 or lhw.com.

WISH travelled to New York as a guest of Qantas and Leading Hotels of the World. Qantas flies to Los Angeles from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and operates a daily connecting flight to New York. For more information go to qantas.com.au and see our story on page 16 on the refurbishment of the interiors of the Qantas 747-400 fleet.