(Business 2.0) – HONG KONG Best Western Rosedale on the Park Room rate: $97 Fine print: Close to the convention center, so it books up when big trade shows are in town.

In this new hotel in Hong Kong's Causeway Bay neighborhood, you give up harbor views for an eyeful of glass and steel--not to mention a broadband connection in every room. There's a shuttle from Hong Kong International Airport ($5), Central is just a few subway stops away, and the neighborhood is packed with bars, nightclubs, and great shopping. Don't feel guilty about doing a little exploring: You can always touch base with the folks back home later, since the Rosedale has a 24-hour business center complete with videoconferencing. 011-852-2127-8888; www.bestwestern.com/prop_99801

LONDON London County Hall Travel Inn Capital Room rate: $125 Fine print: Attracts families with youngsters; be prepared for the occasional yowling toddler.

Across the Thames from Parliament sits a budget hotel that doesn't skimp on business essentials, like desks with room for a laptop, modem-friendly dataports on the phones, and a copier and fax available to guests. The fabulous Tate Modern is nearby, as is Waterloo Station, where you can board the Channel Tunnel train to Paris. Next door is a much more expensive Marriott--a great place to meet clients if you don't want to let on where you're staying. 011-44-870-238-3300; www.travelinn.co.uk

LOS ANGELES The Standard Downtown L.A. Room rate: $95 Fine print: Avoid Saturday nights, when a hipster crowd ascends to the rooftop bar (unless that's your scene).

Yes, the Standard is trendy. But ignore that: The price and the downtown L.A. location are unbeatable. The Staples Center is five blocks away, and the convention center is less than a mile south. Rooms come with high-speed Internet connections and large desks. The hotel's 24-hour restaurant serves fancy coffee-shop fare--think tarte tatin instead of apple pie. Just don't plan on saving money by sharing a room with a colleague: The walk-in shower is separated from the bedroom by a wall of transparent Perspex. 213-892-8080; www.standardhotel.com

NEW YORK Thirty Thirty Hotel Room rate: $115 (Web only) Fine print: Discounted rate is available Sunday through Thursday only.

This spare but elegant midtown hotel has the business basics--modem hookups and voice-mail--but be prepared to live like a New Yorker: The rooms are small, and views are mostly of the building across the street. Macy's, the Empire State Building, and Madison Square Garden are all nearby, and midtown offices are just a couple of subway stops away. If you can swing it, arrange your flights in and out of Newark; you can take the AirTrain ($12) to Penn Station, walk a few blocks, and arrive at the Thirty Thirty's front door in less than an hour. 212-689-1900; www.thirtythirty-nyc.com

PARIS Hotel Lindbergh Saint-Germain Room rate: $95 Fine print: Don't plan on a relaxing bubble bath: Many of the rooms lack tubs.

A "hotel de charme" (that's French for "boutique hotel") in the Left Bank, the Hotel Lindbergh is one block from Sevres-Babylone, a Metro interchange that puts you a few stops from anywhere you'll need to go in central Paris. The surrounding neighborhood features lots of lovely 18th-century mansions, including 57 rue de Varenne, the prime minister's residence. The Lindbergh was recently renovated in bright, solid colors, which means no chain-hotel paisley bedspreads. The rooms have phones with dataports and satellite TV, but who needs the boob tube when the Musee Rodin is just half a mile away? 011-33-1-45-35-53; www.hotellindbergh.com

SAN FRANCISCO The Mosser Room rate: $99 Fine print: If your budget is even tighter, rooms with bath down the hall are $49.

The Mosser's south-of-Market location near Moscone Center is perfect for convention-goers; a $6 million renovation changed the hotel's look from neo-Victorian to modern. There's a dial-up line for your laptop, but you may not need to bring it at all: The television has a high-speed connection and a wireless keyboard for surfing the Net. Just as quick is the service at nearby Yank Sing (415-541-4949), the perfect place to grab some dim sum between meetings. Trust us: You'll regret it if you pass up the fragrant sticky-rice-stuffed lotus leaves. 415-986-4400; www.themosser.com

TOKYO Green Hotel Ochanomizu Room rate: $65 Fine print: In true Japanese style, the quarters are cramped. The bathroom sink and tub share a single faucet.

Located five minutes from Akihabara's famous electronics stores, the Green Hotel is an ideal home base for gadget hounds, who can also amuse themselves by playing with the hotel's heated, water-spraying electric toilets. More important, it's a two-minute walk to the Awajicho subway station, which is one stop from the main business district of Otemachi. Word to the wise: Japanese businessmen are very status-conscious, so dodge any questions about where you're staying. Your company's business manager will be impressed, even if your clients aren't. 011-81-3-3255-4161; www.greenhotel.co.jp --OWEN THOMAS