Want to see what ascending to modernist heaven is like? Just walk up the towering lobby steps from 57th Street—past the rigid refinement of austere limestone, the legion of polished blond wood. Now you stand at the foot of the altar: the best and most imposing concierge desk in America, the prototype for the much-revered Four Seasons service. Indeed, everything at this hotel comes in monumental proportions—including rooms starting at 600 square feet and a cost of$915 in high season. They all have 10-foot-high ceilings, silk-covered walls, large plasma TVs, English sycamore walk-in closets, and blond-marble bathrooms with tubs that fill in 60 seconds. But even with the whiz-bang frills, the rooms feel sterile at times, and not au courant, design-wise. In addition to the restaurant's famous lunch, dinner at the counter of esteemed restaurant L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon is a can't-miss splurge. Pros: spacious and comfortable rooms; perfect concierge and staff service; afternoon tea in the lobby lounge. Cons: pricey; design can feel a bit lifeless.
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