Manhattan is a place of constant reinvention. New lodgings open every day, although the quality of the experience doesn't always live up to the buzz; too often you'll get a veneer of cool minimalism that, upon closer inspection, is based on nothing more than cheap plastic and less-than-competent staff. But the Bowery Hotel, the city's latest downtown arrival, has real depth and character. And that's because when you look beyond the opulent glamour, rich velvet chairs and mixed-period detailing, there's a solid base of good, old-fashioned service.

It must be said the hotel is on seedy street with a skid-row past. As a teenager, I went to rowdy shows at the recently-closed punk rock club CBGB; as a twenty-something living a block away on Second Avenue, I sidestepped drunks every day on my way to the subway. The shine of a fancy hotel can seem a bit odd here since, in many ways, the Bowery has not changed: across the street from the hotel is a Salvation Army home, and an outreach centre is just next door. But these days there are also plenty of bars and restaurants and glassy new apartment buildings; a smattering of cranes and construction sites indicate more to come.

Created by hoteliers Eric Goode and Sean MacPherson of New York's Maritime Hotel, the Bowery Hotel has an unassuming brick exterior that belies the sumptuous, regal comfort inside. Heavy, red-tasseled keys hang behind the front desk and, with its faded Oushak rugs and vaulted stone fireplace, the large lobby-lounge and bar looks like a sexy, baroque drawing room. The zinc-topped bar is a popular hangout, but the open-air back patio (a valuable oasis of greenery in this urban jungle) gets the most guest traffic.

When the bellman opened the door to my room the darkness of the corridor gave way to the sunshiney cheer afforded by large floor-to-ceiling factory windows with louvered handles. Refreshingly, they actually open. There are terrific views from the upper floors: from my ninth-floor suite, I could see everything from the aforementioned Salvation Army center to the Chrysler and Empire State buildings uptown. Seven suites even have flower-lined private terraces with striped sunbeds and outdoor showers.

The 135 rooms combine character with modern luxury to wonderful effect (those red-tasseled room keys open high-tech electronic locks). Huge blooming orchids, antique rugs, and customized 400-thread-count cotton sheets are cozy touches. And style details such as white subway tiles in the bathroom, brass accordion-style bedside lamps, and bath products by a 169-year-old West Village apothecary give the suites welcome personality without going overboard. An extra-large work desk, wireless Internet access, and iPod alarm clock stereos are a few of the 21st-century perks.

The large glass windows don't screen out all the traffic noise—I had to wear earplugs—but the blackout curtains are well designed and tuck away nicely when not in use. The corridors and wood-paneled lifts are too dimly lit—so dark, in fact, that you can't see the floor buttons or the room numbers.

Although there are plenty of places to eat and drink nearby, dinner at the hotel's restaurant, Gemma, is a must. I loved the delicately fried zucchini blossoms bursting with ricotta, the watermelon, pine nut, and arugula salad, and the deliciously stinky taleggio. The dining room is warm, the high wood shelves decorated with rows of half-melted candle drippings; in season, the pavement tables are the best seats for people watching. Which, of course, in this town, never goes out of fashion.

Bowery Hotel (00 1 212 505 9100; www.boweryhotel.com)
Doubles from US$495, one-bedroom suites from $750

FOUR MORE NEW YORK NEWCOMERS

Blue Moon
In a beautifully restored old tenement building next to the Lower East Side's Tenement Museum on Orchard Street, Blue Moon has 22 spacious guest rooms with lovely period detailing: pressed-tin ceilings, original tile floors, built-in window seats. The three new upper floors have excellent views of the Williamsburg Bridge, and seventh- and eighth-floor suites have whirlpool tubs and balconies.
00 1 212 533 9080; www.bluemoon-nyc.com. Doubles from US$400, B&B

Gramercy Park Hotel
Gramercy Park has always been a chic neighborhood for the old money set, but at Ian Schrager's new boutique hotel, you, too, can get a taste of the good life. Check in as a guest at his over-the-top Gramercy Park Hotel and you'll get a key to the gate at Gramercy Park?a residents-only garden oasis?and access to the hotel's private rooftop club.
00 1 212 920 3300; www.gramercyparkhotel.com. US$595

Dream
This is a fantasy playground of a hotel by Vikram Chatwal where the eclectic lobby is anchored by a cylindrical aquarium filled with tropical fish, as well as a massive antique copper statue of Catherine the Great. Rooms have illuminated, custom-designed platform beds; iPods come pre-loaded with music for use with state-of-the-art sound systems. Downstairs, the Chopra Center and Spa offers Ayurvedic treatments and free yoga classes, and the David Rockwell-designed Serafina restaurant serves great pizza.
00 1 212 247 2000; www.dreamny.com. Doubles from US$239

Night
Right in the heart of Times Square, this hotel tries to recreate the noir feel of Gotham with lots of vampy black-and-white photographs and mirrors. Also a Vikram Chatwal hotel, this one has 72 rooms done up in a black-and-white theme with sleigh beds, Frette linens, and Molton Brown bath products; rock-star types should splurge for the duplex penthouse suite with terraces, a roof deck, and a sexy circular bed. An in-house restaurant stays open until the wee hours.
00 1 212 835 9600; www.nighthotelny.com. Doubles from US$299