New Jersey's first W hotel has a cool vibe

— -- What's new:W Hoboken

Claim to fame:Soaring 25 stories across the Hudson River from Manhattan, New Jersey's first W hotel is aimed squarely at skeptics who still associate Frank Sinatra's hometown with gritty brownstones and dive bars instead of a mood-lit lobby and $13 Elderflower margaritas infused with agave nectar and fresh-squeezed lime juice.

Vital statistics:225 rooms, from 280 square feet for about two dozen units facing downtown Hoboken to 330 square feet for those overlooking the Hudson River and the Manhattan skyline. Another 23 water-view suites range from 544 to 1,088 square feet.

The scene:Corporate business dominates during the week. But the 4-month-old W draws a strong bridge-and-tunnel contingent on weekends, when wedding guests straight out of The Real Housewives of New Jersey (think big hair and lots of sequins) mingle with twentysomethings in spiky heels and little black dresses. See-and-be-seen central: the Chandelier Room, a cocktail lounge with an expansive, fireplace-flanked outdoor terrace.

Bedding down:The W's king riverfront rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows and a cushy oval chair big enough for two. (But, alas, no binoculars for keeping tabs on the aquatic traffic below.) Beds are topped with 350-threadcount sheets, rooms come with iPod docking stations, and the slate-floored bathrooms (most of which have walk-in showers but no tubs) are stocked with Bliss toiletries. For the best vantage point of Manhattan, request a north-facing "spectacular" or "corner" room on the 11th to 17th floors. (The W's upper floors are private residences.)

Who will like it:Repeat New York visitors willing to trade a four-block walk to the nearest transit station and a 15-minute commute across the Hudson for killer views and a young, high-energy vibe.

Who won't:Big Apple tourists who want to be in the center of the action, particularly since Manhattan hotel rates have plummeted over the past year.

Wining & dining:The hotel's only restaurant, Zylo, features "Tuscan steak house" fare with views of the Hudson across Sinatra Drive. Specialties include thin-crust pizza ($10-$13), grass-fed beef ($24-$38) and seafood — from a $12 appetizer of local fluke crudo (Italian sashimi) with radish, melon, celery leaf and black sea salt to a $21 entree of ocean trout with mushrooms and asparagus ragu.