We've been to plenty of hotels where the TV hardly worked and the Internet connection was spotty. But some properties are on the other end of the spectrum: true Geek Hotels. What does it take to be a Geeky Hotel? Way more than just free WiFi, that's for sure. Being geek is a cultural endeavour, so after searching every henhouse, outhouse, and boathouse around the world we have put together our list of the world's top geek hotels. From artificial intelligence, to high end gadgetry, to geek service, and geek movie worship, the hotels on this list have a certain je ne sais quoi de geek.

1. THE TRIBECA GRAND, NEW YORK

True, the Tribeca Grand tries its hardest to emit uber-hip downtown cool. But the hotel's geeky side comes out in the iStudio. It's a room stuffed to the hilt with Apple gizmos and gadgets, the likes of which you can't stuff in your laptop bag. We're talking photo, video and sound editing software, cameras and wireless peripherals. An enterprising guest could even make their own in-room hotel sex tape.

A Bose SoundDock stands at the ready for your iPod, or if you somehow forgot yours, the hotel has an iPod ready and waiting with preloaded tracks from Ratatat to Cat Power. But of course, you can set up your own playlist, too.

Ask for a room number ending in 06 or 16. The hotel will set up other rooms with older computers, but the G5's reside in the 06 and 16 rooms. If you run into any tech problems, which you shouldn't, front desk manager Rob Stone is the resident Mac guru. Or you could ping him at Tribeca Concierge on AIM--no joke.

2. HOTEL @ MIT, BOSTON

The Hotel @ MIT. C'mon that one was obvious, right? (Major geek points ring up when a hotel uses an "@" in its official name.) Still, it was a no-brainer when we found out the hotel promotes itself with info like this:

With historically significant robots from the MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab displayed in our lobby, to high-tech detailed décor, to complimentary wireless and high-speed Internet access in each of our Guest Rooms and public areas - be assured your visit will be comfortable and productive.

Inside the hotel's rooms, you'll find a digital safe big enough for your top-secret-info-carrying laptop. All 210 rooms also have access to a networked laser printer, so no reason to tote your portable ink jet along. Free WiFi is present, but the in room, superfast, T1 line is where the hard core engineers hunker down. And it's not just the in-room technology that sets the Hotel @ MIT apart: it's the decor.

Patents behind the concierge desk, vintage photos from "Intro to Mechanical Engineering Classes", equations on the blankets, chemistry cartoons in the bathrooms, this place tricked out geek from top to bottom.

3. WOODLYN PARK, NEW ZEALAND

The whole New Zealand/Lord of the Rings tourism thing gets plenty of play, but that's usually all about driving through the geeky--but lovely--countryside. Where do you change into your hobbit costume before touring the filming locations? Might we suggest Woodlyn Park?

The hotel's two units burrow underground and have round windows straight out of the film. The furniture is a little modern for Middle Earth, but it seems to get the job done:

Very tastefully furnished with big beds so you feel like a small hobbit! There's one double bed in the main lounge/dining/kitchen area and two bunks in a separate bedroom

This hotel is less than five minutes from Waitomo Caves where you can go blackwater rafting in the glow worm caves.

Matamata is the closest LOTR site, home to--no real surprise here--Hobbiton.

4. FAENA HOTEL + UNIVERSE, BUENOS AIRES

Faena Hotel + Universe is a Buenos Aires design hotel that reeks of chic geek. Each room boasts an appropriately placed flat screen (read: glare was taken into consideration) and the entire property comes complete with a strong internet connection, 802.11 is present throughout, and there is decent throughput--our spy ran a bandwidth test well into the megs. The connection can easily be used for VOIP sessions, poolside, which allows you to live quite decadently while you are on a conference call with someone in the Valley.

Furthermore, while you are poolside not only can you use all your devices as you kick back in a chaise and breathe in the hip, but also expect staffers to offer you charging coils for your devices--nice touch. The coup de grâce? The water is positioned to create the illusion that things on the other side of the pool are floating, nice illusion.