The Empire Hotel New York

Eight-story limestone facade on West 63rd Street, The Empire Hotel New York sits directly across from Lincoln Center's plaza fountain, a thirty-second walk to the Metropolitan Opera House and David Geffen Hall. Central Park's Merchant's Gate entrance is two blocks north, making the address suited to concertgoers and park-first travellers over Midtown business stays.

Rooms lean dark and lounge-like, walnut paneling against velvet upholstery, a nod to the building's Rat Pack-era past. The rooftop bar overlooks the Lincoln Center campus rather than the skyline.

The 1/2/3 and A/B/C/D subway lines converge at 59th Street-Columbus Circle, four minutes on foot.