Carlton Hotel

Opened in 1904 as the Seville, this elegant Beaux Arts building underwent a six-year redesign by prolific architect David Rockwell. Before you enter your room, note the ornate moldings above the doorway. Guest quarters are decorated in a classic palette of beige and blue, with luxurious touches like creamy ceiling-height padded-leather headboards, pillow-top mattresses and Molton Brown products in the marble bathrooms. With impressive attention to detail, the pristine gym is stocked with chilled towels. Sample the daily oyster selection or impeccable French regional classics at Millesime, the hotel’s new seafood-focused brasserie on the mezzanine overlooking the soaring lobby (note the gorgeous stained-glass ceiling dome, which was covered over during World War II and revealed during the renovations). For a nightcap, choose between the secluded Bar Millie, accessed via a glass walkway from the restaurant, or the open-to-all Salon Millesime below, which regularly stages live jazz. Rooms: 317.