Opera House Hotel

Built by prominent theater architect George Keister, who designed Harlem’s Apollo and Broadway’s Belasco among others, the Bronx Opera House showcased the big stars of the early 20th century, including George M. Cohan, the Marx Brothers and Harry Houdini. Now a 60-room hotel, the striking 1913 structure is still a draw for theater lovers—steps from the Third Avenue–149th Street stop, it’s a mere 20-minute ride from the Great White Way, yet prices are a fraction of what you’d pay for similar digs in midtown. You get a lot more space too: Ranging from about 275 to 450 square feet, accommodations are larger than many Manhattan studio apartments and feature either one king-size or two queen beds. Though the rooms are contemporary and comfortably furnished, the decor isn’t at the trendy end of the boutique scale, but comparable to an upscale chain hotel, with a warm, neutral color scheme, custom-made ash-laminate furniture, beige leather padded headboards, and sleek granite vanity tops and floors in the spacious bathrooms. All quarters are equipped with a refrigerator, microwave, flatscreen TV, iHome iPod doc and free Wi-Fi. Though little remains of the original building apart from the Beaux Arts facade, reproductions of Playbills, architectural drawings, and photos of performers in the rooms and hallways are reminders of its past. A complimentary continental-breakfast buffet spread is served on the mezzanine above the lobby, and a Crunch gym—free to guests—is due to open on the premises in fall 2014.