The Look

Set in a Victorian building dating back to 1906, the Park South Hotel is every bit as glamorous as its stately exterior. A recent multimillion-dollar overhaul has breathed new life into the historic property, marrying turn-of-the century accents (cherry wood coffee tables here, satin and velvet furnishings there) with all the comforts modern travelers have come to expect, including cutting-edge in-room technology and fast, efficient service.

Bed and Bath

Guestrooms are small at 200 square feet, but feel larger thanks to picture windows, high ceilings, mirror wall panels and space-conscious furnishings. They uphold the hotel’s old New York glamour with classic black-and-white prints from the New York Historical Society and light-reflecting Swarovski crystal chandeliers while offering mod cons like free high-speed WiFi, smart TVs, docking stations and bedside inputs for laptops, gaming consoles and tablets. In the large slate-tiled bathrooms, find Grohe fixtures, heated towel racks and doorless showers stocked with luxurious Beekman toiletries.

Beyond

Fuel up on free coffee and handmade pastries (from Brooklyn’s Colson Patisserie, no less) in the lobby’s breakfast nook, then get in a workout at the small, but well-equipped fitness center. After a day of exploring, you can join the hip after-work crowd for craft cocktails and small bites (we’d recommend the eggplant involtini and truffle pizza to start and a peaches & cream popsicle for dessert) at the hotel’s rooftop cocktail lounge. Or skip the rooftop altogether and opt for inventive East-meets-West cuisine at the critically acclaimed O Ya restaurant, which offers two fixed tasting menus at $185 and $245.

In the Area

Walk two blocks south to Madison Square Park to check out the rotating display of outdoor art, then stop for a burger and a shake from Danny Meyer’s Shake Shack (trust us, it’s worth that around-the-block line). Home to seven restaurants, an espresso bar, a gelato counter and a bustling rooftop beer garden, Mario Batali’s sprawling Italian food mecca, Eataly, is not to be missed, nor is the nearby Strand Bookstore, where you’ll find 18 miles-worth of new, used and rare books. Get your culture fix in the free Museum at FIT, which houses more than 50,000 garments and accessories, from the 18th century to the present.