Baccarat Hotel & Residences

The flagship hotel from Baccarat Crystal leverages every ounce of its two-and-a-half-century heritage here, just south of Central Park, pulling out all the stops to erect a conspicuous Midtown heavyweight just opposite MoMA. Designers Patrick Gilles and Dorothée Boissier make excellent use of signature crystalware throughout, a memorable counterpoint to midtown’s reigning beige affluence. Take the foyer, for instance: 2,000 LED-embedded Harcourt glasses unite in a 24-hour light installation. Or the Grand Salon, a flamboyant assemblage in pleated-silk wall treatments, silver-leaf paneling, fresh roses in orb bouquets, and terrace topiary with a museum view. Resign yourself to the fact that you’ll likely be out-diva-ed by the décor and you’ll be just fine.

Even the smallest of the 114 rooms exceeds 400 square feet, spacious by Manhattan standards. A grayscale palette with notes of champagne, gunmetal, and chocolate signifies a thorough grounding in traditional luxury, resolutely confirmed by the Mascioni jacquard bedding and cashmere throws. At this level, the idea is to keep functionality as close to invisible as possible — the oversize flatscreen hides behind smoked mirrors, the state-of-the-art sound system waits discreetly to be of use, and you control just about every practicality from a personal smartphone. The bathrooms, sizable and marble, boast amenities by Francis Kurkdjian and the sort of pristine fixtures you’re almost afraid to touch. And lest you forget your proprietors, fine crystal scintillates from such unlikely places as the top of the nightstand, sconces, and even the toothbrush tumbler.

Chevalier, the ground-floor restaurant with its own entrance, showcases the genius of Shea Gallante in an unbelievable tasting menu; they call it Paris brasserie-style, but it’s more of a china-borne gastro-sculpture immersion. Underground, a stylish fitness center houses a 55-foot marble pool and La Mer Spa’s first stateside appearance. The upstairs bar comes with not just an eclectic collection of framed art dating back to Baccarat’s founding, but also a 60-foot, barrel-vaulted ceiling from which three ridiculously regal chandeliers dangle precipitously.