InterContinental, London Park Lane

Change has come to the InterContinental London Park Lane. The hotel’s famously posh location— between Hyde and Green parks, with regal views of Buckingham Palace—is now matched by its interiors. The property recently emerged from a $118 million makeover, with rooms swathed in damask and linen. In one loftlike suite, floor-to-ceiling windows frame a panorama that includes the queen’s residence and Wellington Arch. The hot new London design firm J2 added dramatic touches to the knockout lobby, such as cascading chandeliers that drip like icicles.