This landmark structure, built by the Pearl Assurance Company in 1914, houses this beautiful Marriott hotel. So striking is the architecture that the building was featured in the film Howard's End. The spacious bedrooms are popular with business travelers and the decor has a masculine edge -- lots of leather and dark red fabrics. The day spa in the basement is a peaceful cocoon. There's marble everywhere, from the floors in public spaces and the massive staircase to the in-room bathrooms. The restaurant, Pearl, is known for its modern European cuisine, and the bar, in an old banking hall, has elegant soaring ceilings.
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