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NIGHT+DAY Ins and Outs (IOs)

Whether you are keeping a dogeared Night+Day guide as your bible to exploring a city, or just relying on nightanddayguides.com, you’re in the right place for the latest and greatest happenings. Herewith are hotels, restaurants, nightlife and attractions that have been open long enough to be tested and earn our recommendation.

August's Top 5: New Hotels

CHICAGO • HOTEL FELIX • Modern
One of the more affordable options among the boutique hotels clustered around the Magnificent Mile, Hotel Felix is also one of the more intimate. At just 12 stories high, it has all the feeling of something quaint and residential, not a surprise considering its previous incarnation as an apartment building back in the 1920s. The rooms, each sleekly done up in muted beiges and tans, will feel a bit snug to those travelers accustomed to more cavernous accommodations. But what the rooms lack in space, they more than make up for in amenities like rainfall showers and plush bedding. As for the on-site Asha spa, it goes beyond standard massages, offering eco-focused treatments such as the Green Science Renewing Facial, which utilizes a heady combination of plant extracts to renew the skin. Those looking to go green will also be pleased to know that Hotel Felix was the first LEED-certified hotel in Chicago; it even has motion detectors that regulate the temperature of every room.
$$ 111 W. Huron St. (Clark St.), 312-447-3440 / 877-848-4040
hotelfelixchicago.com

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DC • W WASHINGTON DC • Trendy
No sooner was W, the president, out of office than W, the hotel group, reclaimed the city and the letter for itself. Staking out priceless real estate at the corner of 15th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, the W Washington has every intention of attracting the attention of the new president, who lives just across the street, as well as that of every other cool character in town. Let us count its winsome ways: a wine bar that opens onto Pennsylvania Avenue, a posh year-round rooftop bar overlooking the White House and the Washington Monument, a Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant, a Bliss spa, and guest rooms in modern whites and timeless ambers. Prime rooms straddle the corner intersection and offer superior views. The hotel occupies the historic shell of the building that once held the Hotel Washington, so its near-century-old façade and interior exude history and pageantry.
$$$ 515 15th St. NW (Pennsylvania Ave.), 202-661-2400 / 877-946-8357
whotels.com/washingtondc

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LAS VEGAS • M RESORT • Trendy
When Tony Marnell II opened the Rio in the late 1980s, it was a huge hit, especially with the locals. Now Tony III has followed in his father’s footsteps with the M, a resort geared primarily toward Las Vegans, but also the Angelenos and Southern Californians who pass by the property on their way to the Strip. The hotel maintains its commitment to value—premium beers on tap and artisanal gelato will set you back around $3 (compared to more than twice that on the Strip)—without sacrificing quality. The expansive pool area—where cabanas and daybeds seem to float atop the water’s glassy surface—has a stunning outdoor stage, which promises to be a prime spot for summer concerts. And at the Hostile Grape, a subterranean wine cellar and bar, you can taste pours of wine (including Opus One for a round $13 an ounce) using prepaid tasting cards.
$ 12300 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (St. Rose Pkwy.)
702-797-1000 / 877-673-7678
themresort.com

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MEXICO CITY • NH SANTA FE • Trendy
Well known for its minimalist design and efficient service, this Spanish chain has been rapidly expanding over the years. Mexico City now claims three properties, the most recent of which is located in Santa Fe. The hotel’s 135 fully equipped, tastefully decorated rooms are situated within an imposing cement-and-glass façade. The location couldn’t be better. It sits near the heart of the prestigious business district just west of the city. Of course, the NH features every imaginable amenity, including plasma TVs, room service, minibar, medical and laundry services, car rental, gym, and convention center. Business travelers are sure to appreciate the express checkout and high-speed Internet. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer wonderful views over the city. The hotel’s NHube restaurant also offers excellent dining in a unique flex space conceived by superstar Catalonian chef Ferrán Adrià. For those with the buying bug, the Santa Fe Mall, Latin America’s largest shopping center, is just around the corner.
$ Juan Salvador Agraz 44 (Vasco de Quiroga), 55.9177.7380
nh-hotels.com

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MIAMI • THE BETSY • Timeless
You may recall the Betsy Ross in South Beach—the sole Georgian-style building in Florida, with columns and pediments amid a sea of pastel Art Deco fluff. The old gal has dropped her surname and neatly converted her colonial roots into a tropical plantation design that now includes shuttered windows, rich wooden floors, and poster beds. Rooms (in shades of lavender, ochre, coral, or spring green) are bright and warm and come with Frette linens, roomy walk-in showers (complete with rainfall showerheads), robes, slippers, and Malin+Goetz amenities. A rooftop lounge, garden wellness spa, and small pool cater to a quiet, genteel crowd, while artwork, photography, and books throughout the hotel aim to create a cultural oasis in a part of town known more for silicone than sophistication. The chic bistro BLT Steak is here, along with a smart lobby bar serving classic cocktails with sweet and spicy popcorn. For those looking to escape the confines of the hotel, the beach, with its throngs of clubs and restaurants, is just across the street.
$$$ 1440 Ocean Dr. (14th St.), 305-531-6100 / 866-792-3879
thebetsyhotel.com

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