From Charlyn Keating Chisholm,
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It was Friday night on a weekend trip to New York. I had countless options from which to choose. There were a few dozen interesting restaurants within walking distance of my hotel. My New York-savvy friends gave me a tip about scoring last-minute tickets to Broadway shows ("Walk up to the box office. They nearly always have single tickets for sale.") Grand Central Station was only a couple of blocks away. But I was staying at the Jolly Hotel, in a room with one of the best hotel bathrooms in New York City. I stayed in to take a bubble bath.

You can't blame me, really. With that deep soaking tub, the bathroom radiator warming the marble floor until it was nice and toasty on your bare toes, and a generous assortment of amenities that included luscious-smelling bath salts and foaming bath gels, I felt as if the bathtub was calling to me.

But not before a meal in the hotel's main restaurant, Cinque Terre (named after a town on the Italian Riviera.) I still talk about the dinner I had there, one of the most memorable meals of the year. I'll admit it, I sometimes count the year in meals instead of seasons. This is the kind of setting where you really want to practice your Italian when you order your meal. I started with the Carciofo al vapore farcito con mousse di ricotta di pecora e miele al tartufo con chiacchiere salate (that's "Steamed artichoke filled with sheep ricotta and truffle honey with salted chiacchere" -- or, more loosely translated, mmmmm.)

Ah, but the entree was even more sublime. Scampi alla griglia con spinaci all'aglio (Grilled Langoustine with sautéed garlic spinach.) For the uninitiated, Langoustine looks like a large shrimp (prawn) but tastes like a lobster. They were halved and grilled in their shells, and had a melt-in-your-mouth buttery taste. The saut&eacut;ed spinach was so good, I had to ask for the chef so I could get his secret. For dessert, I skipped the heavier choices and asked them to combine two lighter desserts. They happily obliged, and the result was a combination of tropical fruit slices arranged beautifully around a single scoop of lemon sorbet. Magnifico!

Lest you think all I did was eat and take a bubble bath, I was actually working on this trip, and the Jolly Hotel proved to be a quiet, comfortable and convenient base of operations. In the mornings, I opened my door to see two newspapers (American and Italian). Downstairs, you can catch a quick bite before morning meetings at Caffe' Buongiorno, where a continental breakfast buffet awaits. A small Asian spa on-site offers Shiatsu massage, a steam room and sauna, and fitness machines, although they do not open until 11:00 am.

The desk was roomy with a comfortable working chair and high-speed Internet access. Access started at $3.97 for a half-hour, and the front desk provided me with a free Ethernet cable for use during my stay. You do need to notify the hotel if you plan to use the high-speed access, as not all of the rooms have it.

I stayed in a Deluxe room, which are very different in decor than the Standard and Superior rooms. The Deluxe rooms are quite minimalist with modern decor and a neutral palette. In contrast, other room types at the Jolly Madison Towers feature a traditional European decor.

Profile of the Jolly Hotel Madison Towers (facts about the hotel and where to find the best rooms rates)

Pictures of a Deluxe guest room and bathroom at the Jolly Hotel Madison Towers.