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Actress Taryn Manning was arrested for allegedly whupping her makeup artist's butt -- and it all went down in Lindsay Lohan's favorite NYC hotel.

According to NYPD, Manning -- star of "8 Mile" and "Hustle and Flow" -- was busted early Thursday morning in her room at the Dream Downtown Hotel ... accused of punching and kicking the woman during a brawl.

Law enforcement sources tell us the alleged victim is Manning's 23-year-old makeup artist.

33-year-old Manning has hired famed defense attorney Joe Tacopina.

The Dream has seen a ton of action lately -- that's where LiLo allegedly hit a pedestrian with a Porsche ... and where she hung out with her mother before their limo fight.