Manhattan hoteliers have been hiring more celebrity chefs than ever to shine a spotlight on their properties. In SoHo, the past few months alone have seen two BOUTIQUE HOTEL and brand-name chef pairings—David Burke Kitchen at The James HOTEL and Sam Talbot's Imperial No. Nine at the Mondrian. Another restaurant demigod, Danny Meyer, revitalized the dining scene at the landmark Gramercy PARK HOTEL with the late-2009 opening of Maialino. HOTEL restaurants used to have bland reputations, mainly catering to lodgers too tired to go out on the town. Not anymore. The 10 restaurants in our slideshow have broadened customer bases, luring as many locals as guests.