There's a Small Hotel

There's a Small Hotel

Looking for Ne York, London, and Paris? Look no further!

Many guides offer reliable listings of large, luxury hotels with established reputations. But for those who put a premium on charm and prefer lodging on a more personal scale, we've culled some of the smaller hotels that are catching travel writers' eyes. Prices are in U.S. Dollars and don't include taxes or fees.

New York – Convention-goers may head for the Hilton and heads of state to the Waldorf Astoria, but there's a mini-boomlet in smaller, neighborhood hotels in the Big Apple.

The Lowell: Sets high standard for solicitous service and elegant comfort. Mostly suites, many with fireplaces, all with kitchenettes. Near Madison Avenue shops and galleries. Doubles from $700. Suites from $800 to $3,0000.

Hotels Wales: Civilized, unpretentious atmosphere. Close to the Met, Guggenheim, Cooper-Hewitt museums, and upper East Side shopping. Doubles from $400 with continental breakfast. Suites from $700 to $1200.

The Royalton: Chic, custom decor. Convenient to theater district, shops. Doubles from $500, suites from $1000.

The Surrey: Large, pleasant rooms, all with kitchenettes. Ideal for families and for longer stays. Near Frick, Whitney museums, Central Park. Two-person studios, four-person suites.

Hotel in Jamaica. Photo by Elena.

The Elysee: Attentive service, carefully appointed rooms, Midtown location near business, shopping, top restaurants.

The Franklin: Imaginative, up-to-the-minute styling of smallish rooms at reasonable prices. Vibrant neighborhood with abundant boutiques, antiques,.

London: These days there's a virtual explosion of small and elegant townhouse hotels all over town. A selection of some of the choicest in different settings and price ranges:

47 Park street: Edwardian townhouse in chic Mayfair with spacious rooms and 24-hour room service from the celebrated le Gavroche restaurant, both owned by the Roux family.

Hazlitt's: Three antique-filled, 18th-century terraced houses off lively and fashionable Soho Square. Near Oxford Street and the Royal Opera house.

The Milestone: A handsome 19th-century house, carefully restored with 58 luxury suites and a health spa. Overlooks, Kensington Gardens and Kensingtons Palace.

Cannizard House: Elegantly furnished Georgian house with ornamental lake and gardens. Well-situated for the Wimbledon tournament in June.

Number 16: Adjoining Victorian townhouses with a conservatory and a large rear garden. Near Sloane Square, Knightsbridge.

Halkin Hotel: Sleek and sophisticated Italian design in a modern townhouse-style hotel. No public rooms except restaurant.

Dorset Square: An elegant country house atmosphere with modern convenience. On a handsome garden square near Regent's Park, Oxford St.

L'Hotel: Informal with small, attractive rooms. Children welcome. Close to Harrod's, Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace.

The Fielding Hotel: An 18th-century building houses this charming, cozy hotel, Reasonable prices. On a quiet street in the heart of Covent Gardne, Near the Royal Opera House and West End.

Paris: The Parisian hotel scene is perpetually transforming itself as sophisticated new entries and updated old favorites help fill the insatiable demand for intimate places with charm and desirable addresses.

Montalembert: Luxuriously redisigned rooms may be other Empire or modern in style. Convenient to the Mus/e d'Orsay and St.Germain-des-Pres.

Pavillon Bastille: Petite and ultramodern. Offers compact rooms with many features at bargain prices. In courtyard opposite Bastille Opera House.

Hotel Relais Medicis: An urban country inn with Provençal charm on the Place de l'Odeon, near the Luxemburg Gardens.

Hotel Le Tourville: Good-sized rooms combine antiques and modern comforts. A few have private terraces. Between the Champs de Mars and the Invalides.

Hotek Grande Turenne: Refurbished small hotel near lovely Place des Vosges with smallish rooms, new bathrooms, breakfast buffet.

Hotel Montaigne: Sleek elegance with views across the Seine to the Eiffel. Convenient to haute couture houses.