Langham Place

A classic Manhattan hotel with a 21st century attitude

Word to the wise: The Setai's popularity is such that standard rooms are fully booked until 2013 - but last-minute vacancies often pop up, so call and try your luck.
This grand hotel offers a quintessential New York accommodation experience: elegant interiors, staff galore, and - best of all - views of the Empire State Building from many of its 200-plus rooms. What sets Langham Place (formerly known as The Setai Fifth Avenue) apart from other hotels in the same mould is its newness: it only opened in 2010, and occupies 30 floors of a custom-built residential complex. (The other floors are exclusive private apartments).

There's no "old-school charm" (read: battered furniture and dusty carpets) here - The Setai is all about modern luxe, with contemporary Italian furnishings, plenty of in-room technology, and huge, gleaming bathrooms (even the most modest rooms have tubs). But there are a few nods to the romantic NYC of old: the acclaimed bistro, Ai Fiori, offers homely Italian fare, and there's nightly live jazz at the warmly-lit Bar on Fifth.