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So you've gotten a visit from Mr. Pink Slip, you've tapped your rainy-day fund, and that six-figure jaunt to Bali seems about as likely to happen as a rebound in your 401(k). We always seem to need vacations the most when we're least able to take them.
So what's a cash-strapped traveler to do? Stop pining in the guidebook aisle.
Condé Nast Traveler sent reporters around the world to check out the best new hotels for the magazine's annual Hot List. Among those that made the cut are ten properties that are big on personality and light on the wallet.
You can stay in a colonial house built by Arab gold traders, laze in a hammock at a hip desert oasis or go haute hog at an upscale biker lodge, all for less than $150 a night.
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TRAVEL_Concierge_HotelsUnder150Bucks[i++] = new Array("","Mama Shelter, Paris","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Sections/Travel%20Section/______EDIT/___FUTURES/052909_MamaShelter_Slide2.vlarge.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "358", "239", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
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Located in a funky eastern Paris neighborhood, this sassy hotel is an instant hit for its low prices and tongue-in-cheek Philippe Starck decor.
A renovated parking garage that was part of a meat-and-potatoes housing project, the 172-room hotel doesn't show its cards until you step inside. Then the fun starts with a friendly welcome and a view of the good-looking crowd hanging out in the large multi-mood lounge/bar/restaurant.
Guest rooms are small but as efficient as a well-designed ship's cabin, with exposed cement walls, a tiny kitchenette, and a wall-mounted iMac that also functions as a TV.
Dimestore Halloween masks double as a quirky bedside lampshade, large bathrooms with ceiling-mounted showers come with Kiehl's amenities, and star chef Alain Senderens did the menu.
When to go: Paris is perfect in spring and fall.
Which room to book: Fifth-, sixth-, or seventh-floor rooms facing the back garden to avoid the street noise.
Mama Shelter
Tel: 33 1 43 48 48 48
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TRAVEL_Concierge_HotelsUnder150Bucks[i++] = new Array("","The Nines, Portland","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Sections/Travel%20Section/______EDIT/___FUTURES/052909_TheNines_Slide3.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Bruce Buck", "", "273", "404", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
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When a place bills itself The Nines — and is built into the upper floors of a historic downtown department store — expectations are understandably lofty.
Consider them to have been surpassed: The 331 rooms are stunningly chic, with nods to the building's fashionable history (dark woods, sleek glass, polished metal light fixtures, dangling strands of leaded crystal against the curtains, tufted white leather headboards, and a turquoise-velvet récamier positioned in front of large windows).
The service is no less impressive, from the friendly doormen to the prompt room service staff, who deliver food that's as hot as it would be if you were in the dining room.
The hotel still honors Portlanders' highly local sensibility with a library stocked by Powell's City of Books; locally commissioned original art; and Urban Farmer, a steak house with perfectly prepared beef (no fewer than eight types, including corn-fed, grass-fed, and grain-finished) served under the glow of large-scale video panels displaying the city's trademark bridges.
If you can tear yourself away from your room's luxe embrace, Portland's best restaurants, most interesting arts venues, and top shopping are a pedestrian-friendly stroll away.
When to go: December, for shopping and to marvel at the soaring Christmas tree across the street in Pioneer Square.
Which room to book: For a small premium, upgrade to a corner room with more space—including an uncommonly capacious natural-light bathroom—and a satisfying city view.
The Nines
Tel: 877 229 9995
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TRAVEL_Concierge_HotelsUnder150Bucks[i++] = new Array("","Iron Horse Hotel, Milwaukee","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Sections/Travel%20Section/______EDIT/___FUTURES/052909_IronHorse_Slide4.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "273", "404", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
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Milwaukee may be home to motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson, but hogs are not the only reason for the new Iron Horse Hotel's name.
A former bedding warehouse on the south fringe of downtown, the hotel is set alongside a working freight rail line — the original \"iron horse.\"
And although it's on the periphery, the hotel is anything but marginal. Beneath 300-year-old heart pine ceiling beams and iron chandeliers fashioned from motorcycle gears, Brew City hipsters swill cherry-infused Old-Fashioneds in a two-story lobby lounge that looks like it was accessorized by a Hollywood set designer channeling \"Pretty Baby\" — think vintage wire dress forms, velvet pillows, and Oriental rugs.
That playful sense of nostalgia continues upstairs in the 100 guest rooms, which are dominated by sepia-toned murals of women that feminize the otherwise masculine quarters (black-leather headboards, dark velvet drapes). Each has a spacious slate-tiled foyer where a rough-hewn wooden bench and sturdy metal hooks await guests' leather jackets and helmets and panniers — or laptops and roll-aboards.
When to go: Bike season — spring through fall. For peak bike traffic, the weeks before and after the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally (Aug. 3-9, 2009).
Which room to book: Those on the north side of the building offer a view of downtown, the Menomonee River, and the train tracks.
Iron Horse Hotel
Tel: 888 543 4766
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TRAVEL_Concierge_HotelsUnder150Bucks[i++] = new Array("","Verandah Chiang Mai: The High Resort, Chiang Mai","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Sections/Travel%20Section/______EDIT/___FUTURES/052909_ChiangMai_Slide5.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "273", "346", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
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This breathtaking compound of timber and concrete structures scattered across a valley dense with rice paddies, wildflowers, and tropical greenery is a 30-minute drive from Chiang Mai's frenetic night bazaar.
A tunnel of polished concrete cooled by falling water creates a dramatic entrance into the resort's inner courtyard, which contains charcoal-gray-tiled pools, an open-air Thai restaurant with tables in stilted rice barns, and three low-slung buildings housing 69 guest rooms, all with balconies or patios and several with plunge pools.
Upon arrival, guests are greeted with a neon-blue lemongrass welcome drink — one of the few colors in the hotel's palette that is not derived from nature.
Interiors are sparsely decorated but comfortable and come with a roomy daybed, a generous changing area, and a terrazzo bathroom, and turndown service includes homemade cookies delivered by the quiet but smiling staff.
The activities building has a valley-facing gym, a daytime eatery, a kid's club offering traditional crafts classes, and a four-suite spa that should factor into every guest's schedule (except during the sublime sunsets).
While the rooftop infinity pool may seem contrived given the lovely natural surroundings, the elevation adds drama to the panorama.
When to go: Chiang Mai's sun shines year-round, but the coolest days are in December and January.
Which room to book: Top-floor Valley Deluxe rooms boast the best view-to-value ratio.
Verandah Chiang Mai, The High Resort
Tel: 66 53 365 007
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TRAVEL_Concierge_HotelsUnder150Bucks[i++] = new Array("","Citizen M Schiphol, Amsterdam","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Sections/Travel%20Section/______EDIT/___FUTURES/052909_CitizenM_Slide6.vmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "", "", "264", "198", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
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Riding the crest of the timely wave of high-end design hotels at low-end prices, the CitizenM brand's first property, located within Amsterdam's Schiphol International Airport complex, stands out for its super-efficient, cutting-edge design, conceived by Dutch star architects Concrete, with prefab rooms stacked on top of the ground floor.
Guests check themselves in via high-tech monitors in the lobby (rooms are then preset according to guest specifications) before making their way through a buzzing 24-hour café with bright-red counters and communal tables.
On either side of the café are several open public rooms outfitted with funky multi-colored Vitra chairs, bookshelves, flat-screen TVs, and desktop Mac computers available to guests.
All 230 identical rooms are a compact 150 square feet, but they feel bigger thanks to a clever layout. Two Jetsons-like cylinders each enclose a toilet and a high-pressure rain shower, while the rear half of the room is taken up entirely by a floor-to-ceiling window and an enormous custom-made bed with Frette linens.
A \"mood pad\" allows control of everything from the TV and the window blinds to the colored lighting and wake-up alarm music. If only all airport hotels were this much fun.
When to go: October through December, when it's sunny and mild.
Which room to book: They're all the same, but some have direct runway views.
Citizen M Schiphol
Tel: 31 20 8117 055
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TRAVEL_Concierge_HotelsUnder150Bucks[i++] = new Array("","Temple Tree at Bon Ton Resort, Malaysia","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Sections/Travel%20Section/______EDIT/___FUTURES/052909_TempleTree_Slide7.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "273", "409", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
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Langkawi's popular Bon Ton resort has added a magical collection of nine antique houses from Malaysia's ethnically diverse regions, arranging them in a tree-lined neighborhood a five-minute drive from the beach.
Guests in the Chinese House can take tea and coconut cake on the wraparound veranda, the resort's best spot for viewing sunsets into the Andaman Sea, just beyond the long infinity pool and the bird-filled wetlands.
The Colonial House, built by Arab gold traders in Georgetown, Penang, has four stylishly furnished bedrooms, with plump chairs and couches festooned with ethnic throw pillows.
Bathrooms in all the houses feature deep wooden bucket-style bathtubs, and evening turndown includes delivery of the next day's breakfast (with exotic fruits like mangosteen), placed in the house's fridge.
Guests can visit a nearby animal clinic that is funded by both Bon Ton and Temple Tree and even walk the rescued dogs.
When to go: February and March see the driest days and the most sunshine.
Which room to book: The best value can be found in the Estate House, the best views from the Chinese House.
Temple Tree at Bon Ton Resort
Tel: 604 955 1688
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TRAVEL_Concierge_HotelsUnder150Bucks[i++] = new Array("","Ace Hotel and Swim Club, Palm Springs","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Sections/Travel%20Section/______EDIT/___FUTURES/052909_AceHotel_Slide8.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "273", "411", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TRAVEL_Concierge_HotelsUnder150Bucks[i-1].body = "
Rather than the usual Rat Pack retro or duffer chic, this hip oasis in Palm Springs is a slightly rugged desert escape.
The Sahara-circa-1950s decor features walls covered in tent canvas (and matching bedspreads), steamer trunks (which store extra pillows), striped Berberesque robes, magazine racks stuffed with vintage National Geographics, and a clock/MP3 player that appears to be World War II surplus.
Bathrooms could be bigger, and the water takes a while to get hot, but that just adds to the illusion of being far, far away.
The grounds of this onetime Howard Johnson motor lodge have been transformed into a garden of mature palms and olive trees, with outdoor fireplaces.
The King's Highway restaurant, a former Denny's, now serves Middle Eastern cuisine with a California edge.
Despite its petite size, the spa offers an awesome array of treatments, while the sprawling pool is framed by royal palms, rocky outcrops, and snowcapped peaks.
David Hockney, eat your heart out.
When to go: Early January's Palm Springs Film Festival is the best time for star gazing (extraterrestrial and otherwise).
Which room to book: Rooms in the \"100\" block face the pool and the mountains beyond.
Ace Hotel and Swim Club
Tel: 760 325 9900
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TRAVEL_Concierge_HotelsUnder150Bucks[i++] = new Array("","Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa, Colorado","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Sections/Travel%20Section/______EDIT/___FUTURES/052909_Westin_Slide9.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Chris Mclennan", "", "273", "346", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
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The Westin literally adds a new dimension to Beaver Creek, expanding the ski resort's sphere of luxury to the banks of the Eagle River (the Riverfront Express gondola whisks you to the Lower Beaver Creek Mountain lift in three minutes).
Everything about this nine-story, 210-room Westin is oriented toward the site's stunning view of Beaver Creek Mountain, and despite its large footprint, it's done well enough to create a warm ski resort feel.
The lobby's expansive floor to vaulted ceiling window wall frames the vista, and everything from the plush leather sofas to the five-foot-tall grand fireplace are aligned to maximize the effects. There's a stylish efficiency to the rooms: Closets have plenty of room for ski gear, spacious bathrooms are equipped with double-headed showers, stocked kitchenettes allow for a spot of tea at any time, and timer-operated gas fireplaces mean instant ambience.
The room is packed with mod cons (iPod/iPhone dock, Bose audio system, humidifier), and if you need a taste of mountain air, step out onto your small deck. Staff take the schlep out of skiing, with attendants waiting at the bottom of the gondola at day's end to take your gear.
Save some energy for the après-ski scene, which is always hot at the fire-pit bar at Restaurant Avondale.
When to go: Anytime during winter, but don't rule out the fall, when the surrounding aspen groves turn golden.
Which room to book: Insist on a Mountain View room.
Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa
Tel: 970 790 6000
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TRAVEL_Concierge_HotelsUnder150Bucks[i++] = new Array("","Hotel Ivy, Minneapolis","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Sections/Travel%20Section/______EDIT/___FUTURES/052909_HotelIvy_Slide10.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "273", "346", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TRAVEL_Concierge_HotelsUnder150Bucks[i-1].body = "
Minneapolis's frigid winters are famous, so it's only fitting that this hotel takes icy minimalism to a breathtaking extreme.
The cavernous lobby is an elegant study in sharp edges, marble, glass, and winter-white fabrics, which lends it a mid-century modern air. Remarkably, with a little help from the gracious staff, the overall effect is warm and welcoming.
The economy of design extends to the 136 spare but comfortable rooms. The marble-clad bathrooms are nearly as large as the bedrooms, and each has a separate soaking tub with city views.
Twenty-one handsomely appointed suites are located in the adjacent Ivy Tower, a compact office building built in 1930; this ziggurat-style edifice also houses a top-notch spa, a gym, and a two-story restaurant.
It may all be a bit staid for trendy types, but for grown-ups in search of comfort and style, this is the address.
When to go: Year-round for the Twin Cities' extensive arts and cultural offerings.
Which room to book: A Grand Deluxe, because standard rooms are small.
Hotel Ivy
Tel: 612 746 4600
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TRAVEL_Concierge_HotelsUnder150Bucks[i++] = new Array("","Le Méridien Chiang Rai Resort, Chiang Rai","","","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
TRAVEL_Concierge_HotelsUnder150Bucks[i-1].body = "
The staff at Chiang Rai's spiffiest new accommodations are eager to make visitors feel at home.
Greenery permeates this 159-room resort along North Thailand's Mae Kok River; even the guest rooms take up the hue, with leaf-colored bathroom tiles that brighten up the neutral palette.
All rooms have a balcony with a daybed and table for two, although they lack total privacy.
But no matter: You will likely spend most of the day elsewhere. Rise early to board the hotel's longtail boat, which heads out to nearby caves filled with Buddha statues; afterward, you'll want to dig into the copious breakfast spread at Latest Recipe, the main dining room.
A complimentary shuttle runs to Chiang Rai Town as well as the more interesting Mae Fah Luang Art and Cultural Park, with its impressive Thai antiquities and botanical gardens.
The resort's extensive activities program runs the gamut from archery to yoga, and the riverside pool has plenty of padded loungers and the Chill Bar.
Ten chaises placed on the grass beside the Mae Kok are optimal spots for relaxing and contemplating the river's peaceful flow.
When to go: Avoid only August and September, the rainiest days of the monsoon season.
Which room to book: Deluxe Rooms with river views are worth the small supplement.
Le Méridien Chiang Rai Resort
Tel: 66 53 603 333
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// END editorial data