The Peninsula occupies what is quite possibly the most desirable location in New York: the corner spot where Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue meets 55th Street, making it walking distance from Central Park, the Rockefeller Center and the Museum of Modern Art. Many of the hotel’s guests, mind, will be far more engaged by shopping on Fifth Avenue, and Broadway’s nearby theatres. The building, with its Beaux-Arts exterior, opened as the Gotham Hotel in 1905, before going bankrupt just three years later; further endeavours followed, until the premises became The Peninsula in 1988.

Despite its choice location, the hotel is surprisingly unpretentious. From the bedrooms, you wouldn’t necessarily know where you were based on the interior design alone (a cursory glance out of the windows will, of course, leave you in little doubt). But you can’t fault their style: suites combine soft neutrals with plush fabrics and touches of gold to create an elegant, home-from-home feel. Tawny marble bathrooms have televisions built into the walls – maybe not the stuff of ritzy grand dames, but a good example of The Peninsula’s focus on comfort. The Peninsula Suite, the hotel’s pre-eminent accommodation, includes a ‘personalised sleep experience’ and airport transfers in the hotel’s signature BMW (The Peninsula also owns a fleet of chauffeur-driven Minis, available to all suite-dwelling guests).

A recent refurbishment – the work of architect Bill Rooney Studio – doubled down on The Peninsula’s refined reputation, bringing with it a renewed sense of polished modernity. The hotel’s 219 rooms and suites have been the recipients of updated lighting, soft furnishings, crisp Italian bed linen, blackout curtains, and jacquard textiles in a palette of white-on-white. They’ve also been decked out with touch-screen tablets that provide access to a 24-hour digital concierge and bedside panels that control temperature and lighting.

The renovation nodded to the hotel’s early 20^th-century heritage, specifically the Art Deco movement, with etched glass, moulded headboards, and a curated selection of artworks, books and objets d’art. In the communal areas, low-lit nooks are painted shades of tobacco and cognac, and Keith Harings hang on the walls. The neoclassical foyer is full of hushed voices and flower arrangements, domed by an ornate plaster ceiling and crystal chandelier.

The Peninsula’s much-loved rooftop bar, Salon de Ning, has been transformed into Pen Top, a space populated with lush planting, which feels a little like an artist’s loft. If you’re after sustenance at The Peninsula, Clement Restaurant and Bar is an essential New York dining experience, throwing together ingredients like truffle and oysters in European, American and Asian-inspired combinations. Clement is best known for its weekend brunch, where you can plump for Catskills smoked salmon or Chinese dim sum; the adjoining bar is a sultry spot for barrel-aged negronis or The Peninsula’s own bourbon. Gotham Lounge, a piano bar in chocolate brown and molten chrome serving vintage cocktails, turkey clubs and afternoon tea, is another excellent spot for a tipple.

‘Peninsula Time’ allows guests to check in and out with greater flexibility, and 24-hour in-room dining caters to time zone-hoppers, impromptu meeting-havers and intimate private diners. The Peninsula remains a refined experience elevated by small, thoughtful touches. Ideal for the jetsetter hankering after the ‘old New York’ experience while maintaining a safe distance from the throngs of Times Square.

Prices for a Superior Room start from approx. £1,160 per night, visit peninsula.com/newyork

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