If you're looking for wonderfully cheap, attractive, and clean accommodations and don't mind being in the gritty center of the city, book a room here. The Joie de Vivre hotel group is behind this 163-room hotel that was built in 1927 and revamped in May 2004 in "global vintage" decor. The interior design is globally eclectic, with travel photographs from the American Himalayan Foundation, tribal figurines, Oriental rugs, a vibrant sari-like color scheme, imported hand-painted Moroccan tables, and cool Lucite-beaded table lamps in the guest rooms. Outside, the neighborhood is drab, but it's only a 7-block walk to Union Square, and with doubles starting at a mere $99, you can splurge for a taxi with the money saved. Or stick nearby and try Saha, their Arabian-fusion restaurant (think hummus, pizza, Yemenese meatballs, and seared scallops), which serves breakfast and dinner. Heck, they even throw in a complimentary evening wine hour in the lobby.