Each of these hotels will offer special perks to Wyndham ByRequest members, such as free Internet and a choice of preferred welcome snack and beverage. Ally Miola

Beginning May 1, Asiana Airlines will provide BBB Korea Guide Cards at its international check-in counters with instructions on how to take advantage of this free translation service. In the cell phone age, a quick, free phone call is likely to beat a phrase book any day. AM

WHAT’S IT LIKE?
The third Andaz property to open worldwide, Andaz Wall Street emits the gravitas one might expect of a Financial District hotel, nicely balanced with an innovative, warm design that incorporates touches of whimsy and accessibility. Occupying the lower 13 floors of a 42-story building (luxury condos are overhead), Andaz opened in January, and it feels like an instant classic, though one with a sense of imagination and ingenuity.

All the necessities for doing business are in place, along with luxurious amenities. The drill is a little different here though: Guests check in at the Andaz Lounge, just off the lobby, via roving staff with tablet PCs in tow, rather than at a front desk, with one host and a complimentary glass of wine for each guest.

WHERE IS IT?
On the corner of Wall and Water streets, at the center of the Financial District, and the only hotel on Wall Street, Andaz is within walking distance of the New York Stock Exchange and a host of Fortune 500 companies.

HOW MANY ROOMS?
253 rooms include 98 Kings, 37 Doubles, 78 Deluxe Kings, 36 Executive Kings, three Suite Kings and one Presidential Suite, ranging in size from 345 to 1,465 square feet.

ROOM FACILITIES
All guest rooms feature Wi-Fi, nonalcoholic mini-bar drinks and snacks at no additional charge. Rooms have seven-foot windows, 11-foot ceilings, dark stained-oak floors, textured walls, bleached wood accents, beds with Simmons mattresses, down blankets, 300-thread-count cotton sheets, and cushioned window seats.

There are also dual-line cordless phones, Hyatt Stereo iPod docking stations, safes, and 42-inch LG LCD TVs with cable/satellite channels. Black-tile bathrooms have rainfall showerheads and C.O. Bigelow bath products, and 24-hour room service and concierge are available.

My Andaz King room made good use of its 345 square feet, with a four-sided rotating closet that included a hanging area, a full-length mirror and a mini-bar area. On the back of the 42-inch flat-screen TV was a vanity mirror, and the long desk/entertainment area on which it stood had a wheeled bench, a chair and plenty of work space. A chocolate-brown rug and a lavender lounge chair warmed up the room. An enormous shower abutted a built-in soaking tub, with views into the main room courtesy of a window over the bath. (My only suggestions for improvements to the room are for more ergonomic desk seating and that the tub should be full length, rather than square, which made it impossible to stretch out completely for a bath.)

RESTAURANTS AND BARS
Topping a commanding, curving white steel-and-stone staircase, Wall & Water restaurant serves a seasonal menu of fresh local cuisine, sourced from the Hudson Valley. It’s an impressive, yet welcoming, open space, befitting ambitious plans and big deals, complete with sleek fixtures, dark wood furnishings, recycled oak floors, high ceilings and a display kitchen. Seating 120, with a 10-seat private dining room, and an open chef ’s table seating 12, Wall & Water lends itself to entertaining clients in groups, or meeting one-on-one. Throughout the restaurant, curtain patterns reflect the dollar bill watermark design, and this motif is repeated in its walls, columns and private dining room doors. Main courses on the pitch-perfect dinner menu range from venison filet with red cabbage, smoked bacon and red wine and berry jus, to grilled mackerel with cauliflower, fingerling potatoes, parsnips and anchovy sauce, and the wine list features an impressive, international selection.

Bar Seven Five has floating stations through which bartenders rotate to mix drinks, eliminating the barrier between bartender and patrons. Andaz Lounge, with communal tables, open kitchen and an antique oven, includes a casual, come-and-go area for coffee, pastries and newspapers in the morning.

BUSINESS FACILITIES
Five Andaz Studios meeting spaces range from 395 to almost 1,800 square feet and offer full audio and visual technology, as well as Wi-Fi, sound systems that can be synced with iPods, and espresso makers. The central lounge features deep sofas and a communal dining area with an open kitchen.

LEISURE FACILITIES
The good-sized, well-equipped fitness center is open 24 hours, and The Spa offers massages, facials and body treatments in two treatment rooms. Fifteen or 30-minute express treatments are also available and include a suit press and a shoeshine, and guests may order a fresh take-out lunch.

VERDICT
Andaz Wall Street is a modern, yet solid choice for those with business in the Financial District and neighboring areas. Guest rooms are well-outfitted and sleek, and Wall and Water restaurant is a choice spot for power breakfasts, lunches and dinners for both visitors and New Yorkers.

PRICE
Rates start at $250 for a King room.

CONTACT
Andaz Wall Street, 75 Wall St., New York, N.Y.; tel. 212-590-1234; wallstreet.andaz.com.

— Eva Leonard