4. The Plaza Hotel

The Plaza Hotel has undergone so many changes and expansions over the years, it can be easy to overlook this actively used interior as a landmark. The first architect, Henry Hardenbergh, also built The Dakota apartments. Gura and Wood write in Interior Landmarks: Treasures of New York that “his ability to translate historical styles into spaces that were both picturesque and comfortable set the standard for luxury hotels.” There’s the original main lobby, in the Beaux-Arts style, the imposing Oak Room with a design fitting for its originally men’s only space, and the Palm Court tea room that “became the archetype for similar spaces around the country,” write Gura and Wood, designed as a “neoclassical fantasy.” Nearly all the items in the hotel were custom made, including the chandeliers. Read about the Top 10 Secrets of the Plaza Hotel.