Mandarin Oriental New York

A sleek, Asian-inspired hotel set high above a commercial and corporate enclave, the Mandarin Oriental's best feature is its unparalleled views of Central Park.

• Expansive views of Central Park from most rooms
• 35th-floor lobby with floor-to-ceiling windows facing Central Park
• An award-winning spa that set the standard for the city’s hotels
• Prime location near Central Park and Lincoln Center

The transformation of Columbus Circle from a roundabout bordered by a dingy meeting hall to a high-end shopping and cultural hub owes a lot to the hotel that anchors one of the two towers in the Time Warner Center. Mandarin Oriental has long been known for luxury in Asia (specifically its legendary Bangkok outpost), but its 2003 opening in New York helped cement its place as a global luxury brand. Among other features, it gave the city its first sky-high lobby, on the thirty-fifth floor, affording stunning Central Park views: in the morning, you can see hawks soaring among the high-rises, and at night, the show of city lights below hypnotizes.

An Asian aesthetic informs the 244 rooms and suites. The angular configuration of the rooms may at first seem odd, but many of them maximize what the hotel knows is its winning feature: floor-to-ceiling windows, the best of which face east for spectacular views over Central Park.

In addition to its incredible vistas, the hotel has proved that it can deliver the same seamless service in America as it does in Asia, thus attracting sophisticated travelers from around the world. It has also become a popular overnight retreat for couples from Greenwich and Bedford who come into town for opera or ballet at Lincoln Center and would rather walk home than face a drive. Be sure to go downstairs for a performance at Jazz at Lincoln Center, especially if you can hear a concert in the Allen Room, where musicians stand before the four-story-high windows. Listening to Jazz riffs with an electric-cityscape backdrop can raise goose bumps in even the most jaded.

Anyone looking for a picture-perfect view of the New York skyline, framed by Central Park, while enjoying five-star accommodations. The hotel is perfect for couples celebrating an anniversary or business travelers needing a respite from the bustling city below.