What to expect: This suburban hotel offers easy access to downtown yet provides a lovely natural setting for its guests. Pets are accepted without surcharge or deposit.

Amenity highlights: Piatta Novo restaurant, specializing in regional Italian cuisine, is cantilevered above the river for maximum views. Adjacent is a cocktail lounge with live music on Friday nights.

Guests have access to an indoor pool and spa tub with walls of windows looking out on the natural beauty.

Insider tip: Less than six miles from the hotel, Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens is a local treasure. The grounds encompass the vast Manor House, a Tudor Revival masterpiece, as well as exquisite gardens, the Corbin Conservatory, and the Gate Lodge, known as the birthplace of the Alcoholics Anonymous organization.