The Beekman, A Thompson Hotel

The Beekman occupies one of Lower Manhattan's most historic buildings, a nine-story red-brick tower from the late 1800s that once counted as a skyscraper. At its heart is the lobby, which the MICHELIN Guide calls perhaps the most impressive in New York, wrapped in built-in bookcases with layers of Persian rugs underfoot. Guest rooms take a retro-modern line, full of light with pops of emerald green or royal purple, and each has art on the walls, its own craft cocktail table and DS & Durga bath products.

Dining and drinking run through Temple Court, Le Gratin and the Bar Room, which make the hotel a destination for downtown evenings rather than simply a place to sleep. It suits history lovers, couples and anyone who wants to stay a short walk from City Hall Park, the Brooklyn Bridge and the old streets of the Financial District. The hotel is marking its tenth anniversary, and the building still feels like a secret much of the city walks past without looking up.