On The Ave. ***

I've recently had the pleasure of traveling to the great state of New York on three separate occasions, two of them being to the fair island of Manhattan. During one stay, I crashed at the modernly sleek On the Ave Hotel on the Upper West Side.

On the Ave is in a great neighborhood that is a quiet retreat from the bustle of downtown or mid town. It's very modern with the classic black, white and red palate - back-lit photography of Manhattan architecture, piano player after 3pm, flat-screens in the hotel rooms, nice bed linens, guest robe, slippers, and turn-down service. The rooms are small by normal standards, but not bad for New York standards. But the best perk is the price. I was traveling for business and stayed for $279/night. Not bad for New York at all, and the best deal in the city at the time. They seem to be running a current $199/night special for the summer. There's no restaurant, so that's a downer, and the elevators were having a bit of difficulty although that didn't really affect me at all. With a few cute restaurants in the neighborhood, and independent shops and groceries within a few steps, the hotel is a great find, and I'm giving it three stars. Have a nice stay... ***