Sofitel New York

Faced in limestone and glass, the tower rises 30 storeys above West 44th Street, a few minutes' walk from Fifth Avenue. The building reads as contemporary Manhattan rather than borrowed Paris, though the interiors lean French: soundproofed rooms redone in an Art Deco-inspired palette, deep bathtubs, and bedding chosen for a proper night's sleep above the traffic. Two Terrace Suites and a penthouse sit on the 24th floor. From there the view runs straight to the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building, a skyline check-in guests get without leaving the property. Ground level holds Social 45 Bar & Bistro, its cocktail list built for a pre-theatre stop, and La Haute Croissanterie supplies the pastry case. Seven meeting rooms take natural light and can flex from a boardroom for ten to the Paris Ballroom for up to 190 guests. It is a workable size for both a corporate event and a family weekend. Broadway, Rockefeller Center and Bryant Park are all a short stroll away, which matters more here than almost any amenity list. Valet parking runs around the clock for guests arriving by car. The address is 45 West 44th Street, close enough to Times Square to hear it but built to keep that noise out.