Located in Manhattan, this hotel offers easy access to the city’s hottest neighborhoods.

Cost: Rooms $349, suites $599.

Drive time: 2 hours, 30 minutes.

The scoop: Though it just opened last June as the totally refurbished and newly named James, this distinctively designed Beaux Arts building has been a hospitality landmark in Manhattan’s North Madison Square (NoMad) Historic District since 1904. Among the destinations within easy walking distance: Madison Square Park, Madison Square Garden, the Museum of Modern Art and the Empire State Building.

Amenities: Pets are welcome and can even have their own plush beds. Complimentary coffee, tea and pastries are available in the morning and wine and cheese in the evening. Guests who book online may check out as late as 2 p.m., and the well-known Italian restaurant, Scarpetta, has relocated to the James.

Don’t miss: Find out if you have what it takes to be a real secret agent at Spyscape, a new immersive museum in Midtown. This isn’t kids’ stuff. You’ll try your hand at lie detection, go on a surveillance mission, hear astounding true espionage stories, learn about unusual tools and techniques, and maybe even pick up a few super-spy skills.