Location On the corner of Fifth Avenue and 55th Street, this is as central as it gets for Manhattan. You’re close to MoMA, the Rockefeller Center and Central Park and two blocks from subway trains that will whisk you to Wall Street in a matter of minutes.

Style A compact, thick-carpeted, florally ambitious grand hotel with an accent on contemporary furnishings and modern efficiency. Any lobby action is in the Gotham Lounge, which hums with social and business meetings, especially around afternoon tea-time and in the early evening. Restaurant Fives serves superb modern American cuisine although atmosphere is sadly lacking as a dining destination. The space works far better as a breakfast room where the à la carte menu is equally impressive. Undoubtedly, a highlight is the lovely Asia-influenced spa, with lots of dark wood, relaxation nooks, ESPA-created treatments, saunas and steam rooms and a glass-encased pool. There is also a well-equipped fitness centre. Asian influences abound in the the Salon de Ning bar with its separate elevator and two outside terraces – perfect for clinching that deal over a cigar and a Ning Sling.

Guestrooms All 293 rooms and suites are classically well-proportioned and elegantly furnished in muted tones with the emphasis on comfort and technology – a signature strength of all Peninsula hotels – rather than big design flourishes. Beds and bedding are sumptuous, lighting sensible and bathrooms big and marbled, with terrific glass-walled showers. Oddly, the bathtubs are short. It is worth springing for a more spacious ‘deluxe room’ but the ‘grand luxe’ is probably an upgrade too far.

Can I work here? Deluxe rooms (and upwards) are particularly well-designed for business, with spacious desks, complimentary high-speed wired and Wi-fi internet access, universal power adapter outlets and a fax/ printer discreetly stowed. The hotel also has a business cubbyhole, with desks and PCs behind the concierge desk, and 307m² of configurable space for meetings or private entertainment on a grand or intimate scale.

The Peninsula
+1 (212) 956 2888
www.peninsula.com