Mandarin Oriental, New York

The Mandarin Oriental stands at 80 Columbus Circle. You are steps away from the traffic of the circle, yet the building provides a height that effectively separates the lobby from the street-level grind.

Many hotels in the city force you to choose between being near the stage or the park, but this address splits the difference. It sits a ten-minute walk from the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and is a similar distance from the entrance to Central Park. While the surrounding streets are choked with commuters and tourists, the house car and internal amenities mean you can bypass the neighborhood's gridlock entirely. This is the place for those who prioritize proximity to the city's cultural heart without the logistical chaos of staying directly inside the theater district.