Empire Hotel

The bones are all that remain of the original Empire, just across the street from Lincoln Center. Wholesale renovations have dressed this hotel in earthy tones and contemporary stylings complete with a canopied pool deck, a huge Empire Rooftop bar and a sexy two-story lobby lounge with a sweeping staircase and floor-to-ceiling drapes. Its 420 rooms feature brightly hued walls with plush dark-leather furnishings.