Many guides offer reliable listings of large, luxury hotels with established reputations. But for those who put a premium on charm and prefer lodging on a more personal scale, we've culled some of the smaller hotels that are catching travel writers' eyes. Prices are in U.S. dollars as of early 1995 and don't include taxes or fees.

Convention-goers may head for the Hilton and heads of state to the Waldorf Astoria, but there's a mini-boomlet in smaller, neighborhood hotels in the Big Apple .

THE LOWELL
28 E. 63rd St. 800-221-4444 fax 212-319-4230
Sets high standard for solicitous service and elegant comfort. Mostly suites, many with fireplaces, all with kitchenettes. Near Madison Avenue shops and galleries. Doubles from $355. Suites from $455 to $1,500.

HOTEL WALES
1295 Madison Ave. 800-428-5252 fax 212-860-6000
Civilized, unpretentious atmosphere. Close to the Met, Guggenheim, Cooper-Hewitt museums, and upper East Side shopping. Doubles from $145 with continental breakfast. Suites from $170 to $250.

THE ROYALTON
44 W. 44th St. 800-635-9013 fax 212-869-8965
Chic, custom decor. Convenient to theater district, shops. Doubles from $255. Suites from $380.

THE SURREY
20 E. 76th St. 212-288-3700 fax 212-628-1549
Large, pleasant rooms, all with kitchenettes. Ideal for families and for longer stays. Near Frick, Whitney museums, Central Park. Two-person studios from $205. Four-person suites from $395.

THE ELYSEE
60 E. 54th St. 800-535-9733 fax 212-753-1066
Attentive service, carefully appointed rooms. Midtown location near business, shopping, top restaurants. Doubles from $195 with continental breakfast.

THE FRANKLIN
164 E. 87th St. 212-369-1000 fax 212-369-8000
Imaginative, up-to-the-minute styling of smallish rooms at reasonable prices. Vibrant neighborhood with abundant boutiques, antiques. Doubles from $135 with continental breakfast.

These days there's a virtual explosion of small and elegant townhouse hotels all over town. A selection of some of the choicest in different settings and price ranges:

47 PARK STREET
47 Park St. W1 44-171-491-7282 fax 44-171-491-7281
n Edwardian townhouse in chic Mayfair with spacious rooms and 24-hour room service from the celebrated Le Gavroche restaurant, both owned by the Roux family. Doubles from $369. Suites from $596.

HAZLITT'S
6 Frith St. W1 44-171-434-1771 no fax
Three antique-filled, 18th-century terraced houses off lively and fashionable Soho Square. Near Oxford Street and the Royal Opera House. Singles from $160. Doubles from $205.

THE MILESTONE
1-2 Kensington Court W8 44-171-917-1000 fax 44-171-917-1010
A handsome 19th-century house, carefully restored with 58 luxury suites and a health spa. Overlooks Kensington Gardens and Kensington Palace. Suites from $330.

CANNIZARO HOUSE
W. Side, Wimbledon Common SW 19 44-181-879-1464 fax 44-181-879-7338
Elegantly furnished Georgian house with ornamental lake and gardens. Well-situated for the Wimbledon tournament in June. Doubles from $188 to $275.

NUMBER 16
16 Sumner Place SW7 44-171-589-5232 fax 44-171-584-8615
n Adjoining Victorian townhouses with a conservatory and a large rear garden. Near Sloane Square, Knightsbridge. Bed and breakfast from $94 to $133.

HALKIN HOTEL
5 Halkin Place SW1 44-171-333-1000 fax 44-171-333-1100
Sleek and sophisticated Italian design in a modern townhouse-style hotel. No public rooms except restaurant. Doubles from $298 to $376.

DORSET SQUARE
39 Dorset Square, NW1 44-171-723-7874 fax 44-171-724-3328
n An elegant country house atmosphere with modern conveniences. On a handsome garden square near Regent's Park, Oxford St. Bed and breakfast from $98 to $228.

L'HOTEL
28 Basil St., SW3 44-171-589-6286 fax 44-171-225-0011
Informal with small, attractive rooms. Children welcome. Close to Harrod's, Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace. Bed and breakfast from $98 to $228.

THE FIELDING HOTEL
4 Broad Court, Bow St. 44-171-836-8305 fax 44-171-497-0664
An 18th-century building houses this charming, cozy hotel. Reasonable prices. On a quiet street in the heart of Covent Garden. Near the Royal Opera House and West End. Bed and breakfast from $60 to $115.

The Parisian hotel scene is perpetually transforming itself as sophisticated new entries and updated old favorites help fill the insatiable demand for intimate places with charm and desirable addresses .

MONTALEMBERT
3 Rue de Montalembert, 7th Arr. 331-45-48-68-11 fax 331-42-22-58-19
Luxuriously redesigned rooms may be either Empire or modern in style. Convenient to the Musˇe d'Orsay and St.- Germain-des-Pres. Doubles from $345.

PAVILLON BASTILLE
65 Rue de Lyon, 12th Arr. 331-43-43-65-65 fax 331-43-43-96-52
Petite and ultramodern. Offers compact rooms with many features at bargain prices. In courtyard opposite Bastille Opera House. Doubles or singles from $160.

HOTEL RELAIS MEDICIS
23 Rue Racine, 6th Arr. 331-43-26-00-60 fax 331-40-46-83-39
An urban country inn with Proven¨al charm on the Place de l'Odˇon, near the Luxembourg Gardens. Doubles from $246.

HOTEL LE TOURVILLE
16 Ave. de Tourville, 7th Arr. 331-47-05-62-62 fax 331-47-05-43-90
Good-sized rooms combine antiques and modern comforts. A few have private terraces. Between the Champs de Mars and the Invalides. Doubles from about $150.

HOTEL GRANDE TURENNE
6 Rue de Turenne, 4th Arr. 331-42-78-43-25 fax 331-42-74-10-72
Refurbished small hotel near lovely Place des Vosges with smallish rooms, new bathrooms, breakfast buffet. Doubles from $140.

HOTEL MONTAIGNE
6 Ave. Montaigne, 8th Arr. 331-47-20-30-50 fax 331-47-20-94-12
Sleek elegance with views across the Seine to the Eiffel Tower. Convenient to haute couture houses. Doubles from $330 to $350.

We've started a library of "Living Footnotes" for this section, and welcome your suggestions and your URLs to make it more useful. Use our customized Lycos search to linkthink your way around the web, or feel free to consult the experts about the above topic.

Living Footnotes

• Frommer's Featured Destination of the Month: NEW YORK CITY - Macmillan Publishing USA
• Travelers' Tales: France - published by Travelers' Tales, Inc.