Embodying a singular sense of luxury, this luscious boutique hotel in New York’s Midtown draws a cultivated clientele that craves ease and elegance over hard-partying or overdone stuffiness when in New York. Residing in a landmark 1905 Beaux Arts building – it was formerly the Gotham Hotel – the Peninsula greets newcomers with its sweeping, foliage and trompe l’oeil bedecked lobby with dual staircases, while attentive desk staffers set a soothing mood while checking you in. Done up in beiges, golds, and splashes of color, and accented by Deco photos and prints, each guest room is individually decorated and presents an opulent mix of old-school charm and newfangled technology. A bedside control panel allows you to adjust music, lighting, and temperature with ease, and there are flat-screen TVs and phones by the bathtubs. There are several sleek spots to make merry – from the Pen-Top & Terrace rooftop bar, with its stupendous skyline views, to Fives, the lobby’s lovely Mediterranean restaurant. The Bar at Fives features live piano, light bites, and specialty Martinis. If you’ve got energy to burn, the tri-level spa and gym – complete with a swimming pool – will get you toned up in style.