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CNN.com Best new budget hotels

... Lower-priced hotels have long been the realm of Muzak-filled lobbies outfitted with worse-for-wear furniture and industrial carpeting. But the genre has entered a new era. A wine bar? A sleek lounge area? Free Wi-Fi? Walk into the recently opened Hyatt Place in Columbia, South Carolina, and that's just what you'll find. Guests can order meals on a touch-screen terminal at any time of day; self-service kiosks greet travelers by name and spit out room keys. At only $140 a night, don't expect to be pampered -- this new kind of chain is about modern functionality. Called "select service" by industry insiders, the hotel category is taking a democratized dose of style from upscale predecessors like W and Kimpton. And it's altering the landscape for travelers both here and abroad, with brands that are a step up from bland budget hotels like Marriott SpringHill Suites, Hilton Garden Inn and Courtyard by Marriott. Europe jump-started the trend more than 10 years ago with U.K.'s City Inn; next came Germany-based 25 Hours and Spain's Room Mate Hotels chain.

This month, Citizen M debuts at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, with plans to expand across Europe. The U.S. is following suit: of the 38 hotel chains that have launched in the past three years, 18 fall into this category, and all have plans to extend their scope here (many on the other side of the Atlantic as well). The major players are InterContinental's Hotel Indigo, Hyatt Place, Starwood's Aloft and Nylo.

Aloft's hotels will also express their individual locations through the work of local artists (a talent search is now under way for the Lexington, Massachusetts, location set to open next month). Every property, says company brand leader Brian McGuinness, will have a water feature in the lobby, natural fabrics and a strict landscaping program that mandates a certain number of mature trees.

These hotel groups also say their target clientele is looking for greater independence and does not mind self-service check-in; at Hyatt Place, Aloft and Nylo guests use electronic kiosks (though there's always someone around to help). At Aloft, guests choose their rooms upon arrival; the kiosks have floorplans...