Traveling to New York--Help!!

[Kallessa]

I am attending a conference in New York at the end of April, early May. I get to stay in a Hilton while the conference is on, but I'm staying a few extra days and want to find a hotel more in my price range. I'd like to find a nice hotel for as for as much under $200 a night as I can get and still be in a safe, nice hotel. I want to go to at least one show (anybody want to join me?), so close to Broadway would be nice, but I'll be museum hopping during the day and I'm brave about taxis, so if you know of a quality gem some where in-between, that may be it. I do not want to stay at a Best Western, Comfort Inn or Travelodge--those are fine when I'm in Pendleton, Oregon, but in New York, I want something that says "class" (even if it's a bit of a lie). See, I really want to stay at the Algonquin, but I can't justify the price (I'll settle for a martini in the Round Table Room. Touristy, yes, but I like it. So anyone know of a place with a fancy schmancy name but a reasonable cost?

Some that looked promising--Westpark Hotel, Washington Jefferson Hotel, Ameritania, Gershwin, Hotel Wolcott, and St. James.

Thanks in advance for the help.