Your itinerary is slightly booked, with enough room for serendipity. You've found the restaurants you want to experience, the neighborhoods you want to explore, and the museums you can't wait to get energized by. But where to stay? Whether you're a first time visitor to New York City, or an old hand, it's still a conundrum. Pay a lot for a very small room seems to be the motto. But what if you could find totally unique places to stay, in New York? Something that would not only be an integral part of your trip, but also a retreat, something new to experience.

Photo Wikimedia Commons: Ludovic Bertron, adapted by Wandering Educators

Take a look at our top 10 unique places to stay in New York City:

1. The Pod Hotel. If you've been to Tokyo, you know the craze for small sleeping spaces in capsule hotels. The Pod Hotel takes that concept and adapts it, New York Style. The rooms are small - sort of like a train compartment (and much larger than the Japanese capsule hotels). The cool part of the hotel is the extra spaces - a beautiful rooftop garden with plenty of space to hang out, colorful walls in the lobby, and plenty of space to sit and chat. There's even a forum on their website, to get to know other guests before heading there!

2. Stay at a Brooklyn Mansion. Did you know that there are entire HOUSES, nay, mansions, you can rent by the night? If you're planning a family reunion and need lots of rooms, or a place to entertain, this is a good bet.

3. Boats! Did you know you could rent a boat to sleep on? Whether it is a houseboat, a housebarge, or a yacht, if you don't get seasick, this is a really unique and fun place to lay your heads. Don't forget to build in time to explore the community - sailors are very friendly. Extra points for the noises of the marina lulling you to sleep.

4. Get seasick but love the nautical theme? Head to the Maritime Hotel. It boasts a nautical theme, and ship-inspired guest rooms, complete with porthole windows. The bonusus - rainfall showerheads that won't deplete a ship's hot water tank - and the stability of being on land.

5. A B&B with a view. You can find unique B&Bs in New York City, including the Yankee Ferry!  It's a steam-powered ferry, now docked permanently on the Hudson River. You can stay in crew quarters, a guest stateroom, and other fun rooms.

6. B&C? Stay at a form of B&B - the East Side Bed and Coffee! It's a European-type guest house, with shared bathrooms, kitchens, computers and free wifi, and excellent coffee. Grab your coffee and hit one of the many cafes in the area for a delicious breakfast. The bonus here is the insider knowledge of NYC, and being treated as a friend.

7. The Ace Hotel. You want to discover a cool hotel, with hip guests? It's here. The lobby is a " a living room of sorts for New York's creative class. The place positively buzzes with young people huddled over MacBooks and chatting over drinks. The Wi-Fi is open, the alcohol flows freely and the vibe is almost impossibly convivial." This is urban living, personified.

8. Books, books, books! Check out the Library Hotel! It's an ode to libraries - each floor is one level of the Dewey Decimal system - and it's only one block away from the NYPL. Don't feel like venturing out? There are books in EVERY SINGLE ROOM. Yep.

9. Boo! Find a haunted hotel, if you date. The Chelsea Hotel is well-known for its permanent residents, including Thomas Wolfe, Dylan Thomas, and Sid Vicious. Here's something else - more than half of the rooms in the hotel are let long-term to residents - so it's more of an apartment building feel, than a hotel.

10. Step into another world. While New York City is a melting pot, you can also go a little further near Time Square. Stay at the Casablanca Hotel, which was inspired by the movie of the same name. Moroccan-themed, the hotel is an elegant oasis of calm in the busy city. Eat at Rick's Cafe, or snuggle into colorful, well-decorated rooms. 

Need more tips? Check out NewYork.com for places to stay