A towering red-brick building just blocks from Central Park, The Empire Hotel is a New York institution. The lobby alone makes a luxurious first impression with its bold monochromatic striped floors, flowing drapes and golden furnishings. Get a taste of city sophistication sipping on a Gossip Girl-inspired Chuck Bass cocktail at the marble-topped lobby bar, or head to the rooftop for a relaxing dip in the pool before reclining on loungers – bathed in the cinematic red glow of its mammoth neon si

The luxuriously large rooms at the Four Seasons New York offer a rarely found sense of space in the sardine-tin streets of Manhattan. Each feels made for movie-style makeovers, with walk-in closets and specially-designed makeup areas with custom mirrors. Wake up fresh from an evening at Ty Bar – which specializes in barrel-aged bourbon – to far-reaching views from the massive windows, before taking advantage of the complimentary Rolls-Royce to cruise around Midtown.

Green and lush, the modern 1 Hotel Central Park grounds travelers in the elements after a day spent pounding the city pavement. Reclaimed wooden fixtures and furnishings adorn sleek guest rooms, some of which feature a glass shower in the middle of the room (make sure you’re sharing with close friends!). Close to Central Park, Carnegie Hall and MoMA, it’s the ideal base for exploring Midtown proper.

It’s all sparkle and glamor at the Baccarat Hotel, inspired by the French crystal of the same name. Elaborate chandeliers can be found hanging from the ceiling in the hotel’s lobby, bar and salon. Bright white walls and chrome furnishings bring elegant clean lines to each luxe guest room. Home to the first dedicated spa by skincare brand La Mer, the hotel also boasts its own checkered-floor swimming pool surrounded by Côte d’Azur-style daybeds and cabanas.

Guests looking to relive 1930s New York will feel right at home at the Chatwal, where bellhops wear pillbox hats and the lobby bar serves retro cocktails. The former hangout of Hollywood heavyweights of yesteryear (John Barrymore, Fred Astaire etc), the Chatwal is appropriately located in the middle of Manhattan’s Theater District, near most of today’s hottest Broadway shows.

The Gramercy Park Hotel opened its doors in 1925, and has housed many notable guests since then, including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and President John F Kennedy. Rooms are draped in bold and dramatic colors – think plenty of deep reds and royal blues. Drink at the famed celebrity hangout, Rose Bar, or feast at the delectable Danny Meyer-helmed restaurant, Maialino, which is Italian for “suckling pig.”

Budget travelers looking for an affordable hotel room in the West Village with lots of history should look no further than The Jane. Originally designed as a cheap place for sailors to stay in, these tiny rooms (even for New York) are reminiscent of ship cabins, and even housed survivors of the Titanic in 1912. Stepping into the tiled walls of the lobby, with its dark-wood reception desk, feels like traveling back in time to an era of skeleton keys and white-gloved bellhops.

Housed in the former home of the National Maritime Union, The Maritime Hotel leans heavily into the nautical theme with its porthole windows, dark-wood decor and sea-inspired artwork. The hotel sits slap bang in the middle of the Meatpacking District, surrounded by trendy bars and restaurants. Whether you choose a superior room or a penthouse, guests are guaranteed a first-class stay.

All the glossy tidbits you’ve read about SoHo can be found at the Soho Grand Hotel, Downtown Manhattan’s first boutique hotel. Art galleries, classy cocktail bars (check out the intimate Club Room) and world-class designer shops are all within walking distance. The hotel also provides an amenity you may have never realized you needed: a pet goldfish.

The High Line Hotel is named for the elevated train tracks that were re-envisioned as a linear park in 2009, but the history of the red-brick Collegiate Gothic building goes back much further. Built in 1895, the hotel was originally a seminary (and part of it still is today). Before that, an apple orchard sat on the family estate, which was where Clement Clarke Moore wrote ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.’