Sofitel New York

Maybe we just have a soft spot for all things French. Or maybe it’s the case that for a big-business hotel chain, Sofitel seems to have it pretty well figured out — the consistent quality of a corporate hotel, but with the personality too many others lack, and an aesthetic sense that we may as well just go ahead and describe as Parisian, as long as we’re not shying away from cultural stereotypes.

The Sofitel New York’s curvaceous glass tower turns heads along 44th street, between Fifth and Sixth avenues; this is that part of Midtown that feels close by to everything in the world. There are just shy of four hundred rooms, most of which have some sort of dramatic view or another; the Chrysler Building, if you’re lucky, or just a bird’s-eye-view of 44th.

Inside they’re handsome, but far from over-designed, and comfortable verging nearly on luxurious — separate showers and tubs, standard here, are not exactly common in New York’s tight spaces. Topping off the Paris-in-NYC experience is Gaby, a French restaurant of course, and Gaby Bar, both named for a Parisian model made good in Twenties New York, both decorated in an Art Deco style that inspires that particular prewar nostalgia that’s Midtown’s specialty.