PRICE:
Frommer's Exceptional

There are many fine hotels on the centrally located block of 44th Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues, but the best in this writer's estimation is the soaring Sofitel. Upon entering the hotel and the warm, inviting lobby with check-in tucked off to the side, you wouldn't think you were entering a hotel that is this young, which is one of the reasons why the hotel is so special. The designers have successfully melded modern, new-world amenities with European old-world elegance. The rooms are spacious and ultra-comfortable, adorned with art from New York and Paris. The lighting is soft and romantic, the walls and windows soundproof. Suites are extra-special, equipped with king beds, two televisions, and pocket doors separating the bedroom from a sitting room. Bathrooms in all rooms are magnificent, with separate showers and soaking tubs. Owned by the Accor Hotels & Resorts company of France, Sofitel reflects its heritage with a greeting of bonjour or bonsoir at reception; a unique gift shop with hard-to-find French products, including perfumes and cosmetics; and a stylish French restaurant called Gaby that bakes delicious croissants for breakfast.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's New York City 2008, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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