Hotel Giraffe

The Hotel Giraffe is one of those boutique hotels that looks smart, feels smart, and is smart. This one is located on Park Avenue South at 26th Street, and for those who either have business in this part of Manhattan or just want the luxury of a uniquely designed hotel, the Giraffe is hard to beat. Decor is European Art Modern from the 1920s and 1930s—warm wood and lush textures of velvets and leather were fashionable then and are reproduced here with sophisticated colors in upholstered chairs, headboards, and wall coverings. Twelve-foot-high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows draped with sheer silver curtains, groupings of chairs and sofas, and a grand piano softly playing the songs of this period all add to the atmosphere. In the bedrooms subtle colors, ivory diamond-quilted satin bedcovers, chocolate-leather headboards, and pearlized platinum wallcoverings are glamorous and feel good. More than half the rooms have French doors opening to a tiny balcony. The suites have pullout sofa beds and there’s a penthouse that’s nothing short of glamorous.