Looking for hotel for a week-end in March that is "hip" (also could say trendy, stylish, post-modern, etc.) Looking to try and stay under $200/night. Basically a come in Friday, leave Sunday, have nothing planned other than party and have fun. Going with girlfriend (early/mid-30's)

The Hudson

Your criteria might just be mutually exclusive, I'm afraid. "Hip," "stylish," and "trendy" NYC hotels tend to cost more that $200/night.

Unless, of course, you're willing to accept a shoebox room, which you'll find at most of the very cool W Hotels, the Hudson, etc. Just remember, if the rate sounds too good to be true, it probably means the room is the size of a walk-in closet.

If you don't mind tiny, I'd start with the Hudson Hotel and then the W Union Square or on Lexington in the low 50's.
Good luck!

The "W" hotels. There are several from 14th St./Union Square up to the 50's on the East side.

Try the new (open 3 months ago) Maritime Hotel on West 15th St -in the "fabulous" meat packing neighborhood, as glamorized in "Sex and the City". The Maritime has smallish rooms, two very hot restaurants Matsuri and La Bottega, and is quite the scene - lotsa fashion & web people hang in the bars. Also check out the Gansvoort - might be opening soon or doing a soft opening - also in the meat district, home to trendy restaurants (Pastis, Markt, Florent, Lotus) and boutiques - Stella McCartney, Jeffrey, Design Within Reach. Good luck!

There is no shortage of "trendy" NY hotels but as others have said, many have tiny rooms, syle over practicality & often bad attitude. Based on some reviews here, I'd avoid the Hudson (put the name in the text search & read Neal Sanders review) & the W in the 50's across from the Waldorf has particularly small rooms. The W in Union Square is at least in a "cool" neighborhood. The Paramount in the theater area was one of the first boutique hotels. It does have small rooms but the place is still "cool" I think & is often available on quikbook.com (a good discount site)
The Royalton is another in the theater district. BTW look at reviews on tripadvisor.com as well as here.

The Mercer, the Soho Grand, Tribeca Grand, 60 Thompson are all located downtown & cool but doubt you'll find them for $200.

Less cool but perhaps a good deal is the Park South Hotel (parksouthhotel.com) They usually have special weekend packages on their website. At least the area is interesting (near lots of trendy bars & restos).

Another area with good value on hotels is the upper west side where a lot of 30 somethings live. Hotels there include the Beacon, Excelsior (Neal Sanders just wrote a glowing review of that place but not sure you'd call it trendy), the Lucerne (this place is sorta cool in the lobby -lots of marble). On the Avenue might be the closest to what you're looking for on the UWS but mixed reviews on tripadvisor.

mp's advice is very good. Forgot about the new Maritime.

Thanks for the recommendations. Park South looks kind of interesting. Thanks again.

If you do go to the park south, I can heartily recommend the restaurant, the Black Duck - a 'sleeper' NY place - the food is very good, the atmosphere fun & homey, service is quite friendly - the bar is very pleasant, and I think there is music or jazz on the weekends . . .
Another hotel that friends have stayed at and loved in that neighborhood is The Giraffe. Not very trendy, but boutique-y, good contemproray funriture rooms and very competent staff. I know they are around $200 or less, depending on your dates. The neighborhood has great access to the popular Flatiron bars and restaurants, also to the Murray Hill neighborhood.