Your friends and ours at Thompson Hotels (6 Columbus, 60 Thompson, Thompson LES, Gild Hall, Smyth, Hollywood Roosevelt, Thompson Beverly Hills, Hotel Sax, and Donovan House) have launched a new blog called Inn-Sight. Spinning off the Room100 concept of yore, Inn-Sight posts about fashion, art, culture, and of course travel, plus interviews and cool stuff happening in and around the various Thompsons. Plus, it's overseen by our pal Steve Garbarino -- check out his Editor's Letter for the goods on what's going down over there.

Hotels are slashing prices, lowering rates, and making deals. You can profit from their losses and take advantage of all the sweet deals out there right now. First up: The Kimpton Hotels "Sweet Tax Relief" deal. They're offering tax-free rooms and meals at their onsite restaurants. To make the deal a little sweeter, they're throwing in cute candy in the mix, like Sugar Daddies, 100 Grands, and Paydays. The no-tax deal can add up to a sizable savings, especially since some room taxes can be $30 a night. This offer is good at many of the properties, including Hotel Palomar, Sir Francis Drake Hotel, Hotel Triton, The Muse, Topaz Hotel, Helix Hotel, and Hotel George.

Smyth, the latest offering from the Thompson Hotels group (60 Thompson, Gild Hall, 6 Columbus, Thompson LES, Hollywood Roosevelt, Thompson Beverly Hills, Donovan House) is opening early this January. Look for free wifi, absolutely modern decor, Kiehl's bath products, and some naughty surprises in-room. Luckily enough, it's a particularly inauspicious time to be opening anything, much less a boutique hotel, and so deals definitely abound. You can check out this normally high-priced hotel for the incredible bargain-basement prices of $119 a night.

A sultry blonde in a slinky black dress propositions me. The penthouse at the Gild Hall in Manhattan's financial district is teeming with young, symmetrical men and women who have gathered for The New York Society's "Town & Country" party, but for some reason, this one singles me out. For a Canadian, the idea of meeting a mysterious Manhattanite in a boutique hotel-cum-house party, dashing away from the festivities, and finding a secret alcove for Marlboro smoking is about as exotic as it gets. The cigarettes will eventually lead to exposed skin, an exchange of cards, and a blurry train ride home. Unfortunately, all she wants is the cigarette. I unwittingly oblige, and find comfort in the dirtiest martinis this side of the East River.

Fortune has a slideshow up of the 33 best new business hotels. We've highlighted the ones we like:

Gild Hall employees will soon be rocking designer duds, courtesy of Steven Alan, New York downtowner designer. The hotel "uniforms" will consist of wool blazers, button down vests and slacks with reverse seams for the gentlemen and "banker's dresses" for the women, both outfits will be accessorized with skinny black ties. We'll call this haute banker couture.

Welcome to the party, see ya’ around campus…

New York ● Hea, Cantonese slang for “chill,” opens in the East Village, serving southeast Asian/Japanese fusion. ● Murray Hill newcomer The Hill opens. The big draw is the big screens for the big games, and the promise of team-specific brewskies to wash down your sorrows or celebrate victories. ● No 7 opens in Fort Greene, festooning the all-white interior with plates of roasted chicken, grilled cod, and hangar steak. Look for local micro-brews on tap.