Ravel Hotel

Perhaps in keeping with the Ravel’s former incarnation as a motel, owner Ravi Patel gave Long Island City’s first independent boutique hotel a vaguely 1960s feel; the lobby has cream leatherette seating, silver-bubble ceiling lights and soulful paintings sourced in South America that recall those doe-eyed Spanish girl portraits. It's also equipped with a "virtual" wine bar: Buy a card at the front desk and use it at a self-serve bank of more than 18 wines. An 8,000-square-foot rooftop restaurant-bar has dazzling views of midtown and hosts film screenings, DJ nights and other events. Rooms are much larger than in similarly priced hotels in Manhattan, and the majority (many with private balconies) face the river—though a Con-Edison training facility directly below is less than picturesque.