The Plaza Hotel

The Palm Court's famed stained-glass ceiling was re-created pane-for-pane with the help of New York City's Landmarks Preservation Commission. Touch-screen AMX systems in the 282 guest rooms deliver on their promise to make easy the tasks of controlling lighting, contacting the concierge, and summoning your white-gloved butler. Unfortunately most of the Central Park views went to the 142 new condos. (Try to score one of the Plaza or Deluxes rooms adjacent to an Edwardian Park Suite - they're the cheapest ones partially overlooking the park.) Still, for a European-palace-style experience, this is the only game in town.