5 Iconic Hotels New York

Why it made the list: The most famous hotel in New York, on the corner of Central Park and Fifth Avenue, the château of Eloise, Home Alone and a hundred films. You don't have to stay to see the gilded lobby, and the Palm Court under its stained-glass ceiling is the place for a classic afternoon tea.

Why it made the list: Old-money Upper East Side elegance, and home to Bemelmans Bar, its walls hand-painted by the creator of the Madeline books, a pianist in the corner, and a martini that costs what the room is worth. It's the most romantic bar in the city and a genuine piece of history.

Why it made the list: Behind a plain Financial District facade hides one of the most jaw-dropping interiors in New York, a nine-story Victorian atrium of wrought-iron railings soaring up to a pyramidal skylight, restored from an 1880s office building. Walk in, look up, and it's free.

Why it made the list: The downtown counterpoint to the uptown grande dames, a dark, velvet, candlelit lobby lounge that feels like a members' club that forgot to check your membership. It's the coolest hotel lobby in the city to have a drink in, no room key required.

Why it made the list: The most storied building in bohemian New York, where Dylan Thomas, Patti Smith, Leonard Cohen, Warhol's crowd and half a century of artists lived and worked. Recently restored and reopened, its red-brick facade and famous staircase are a pilgrimage for anyone who cares about the city's creative history.