Readers' Choice 2014: Top 20 City Hotels

Each year, we ask our readers to vote for their favorite city hotels in the world. While the Four Seasons swept the category with its expansive and appealing brand, the landmark of urban elegance, The Lowell, rose in rankings to capture this year’s top spot.

1. The Lowell

New York City, New York — Refined 72-room hotel with a serene residential atmosphere, set along a tree-lined street between Madison and Park avenues close to many of the city’s most notable museums, galleries and shops.

2. Four Seasons George V

Paris, France — This grand luxury 244-room hotel in a landmark 1928 building near the Champs-Elysées is lavishly decorated with crystal chandeliers, 17th-century tapestries, Louis XVI-style furniture, wonderful antiques, paintings and objets d’art.

3. The Peninsula Chicago

Chicago, Illinois — Sophisticated 339-room hotel overlooking North Michigan Avenue in the heart of the premier shopping district.

4. Four Seasons New York

New York City, New York — Dramatic I.M. Pei-designed 52-story modern hotel between Madison and Park avenues, convenient to the Midtown business district.

5. Four Seasons Chicago

Chicago, Illinois — Exceptional 345-room hotel offering impressive views from the 30th to 46th floors of a downtown tower complex incorporating upscale Michigan Avenue shops.

6. Four Seasons Boston

Boston, Massachusetts — Ideally located across from the Public Garden, this contemporary hotel offers 273 guest rooms, many with views of the garden, Beacon Hill and the State House.

7. Alvear Palace Hotel

Buenos Aires, Argentina — Atmospheric Old World hotel situated in the heart of the fashionable Recoleta district near many of the city’s best restaurants and shops.

8. Four Seasons Firenze

Florence, Italy — Magnificent hotel created from a 15th-century palazzo and a 16th-century convent, filled with museum-quality art. The property is set amid an 11-acre private garden a 15-minute walk from the historic center of Florence.

9. The Goring

London, England — Delightful small hotel, run by the same family for four generations and located within a stone’s throw of Buckingham Palace in fashionable Belgravia.

10. Claridge's

London, England — Distinguished 203-room art deco landmark hotel in fashionable Mayfair, near designer shops, auction houses, museums and art galleries.

11. Four Seasons at Sultanahmet

Istanbul, Turkey — Refined 65-room boutique hotel in the heart of the old city, a short stroll from Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia.

12. Hotel Bristol

Vienna, Austria — Beautifully appointed Old World hotel opposite the Opera House and next to Vienna’s main pedestrian-only shopping zone, as well as near many of the city’s attractions.

13. Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok

Bangkok, Thailand — Legendary 393-room resort hotel, founded in 1876 and set on the banks of the Chao Phraya River amid tranquil gardens. Two modern towers augment the atmospheric 19th-century Authors’ Wing.

14. Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong

Hong Kong, China — Grand hotel adjacent to the Bank of China building and Star Ferry terminal in Central on Hong Kong Island.

15. Four Seasons at the Bosphorus

Istanbul, Turkey — Restored 19th-century palace converted to house 170 bright and airy guest rooms and suites, a quarter of which have views across the sea to the shoreline of Asia.

16. Le Bristol

Paris, France — Elegant, impeccably serviced hotel in a mid-18th-century building near the shops of the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, with 188 recently refurbished accommodations, including 92 suites.

17. The Peninsula Beverly Hills

Los Angeles, California — This sophisticated residential-style hotel offers elegantly appointed rooms, plus private villas, set amid tropical gardens in the heart of Beverly Hills.

18. The Stafford

London, England — Ideally located 105-room hotel in three structures surrounding a 17th-century courtyard next to Green Park. Rooms in the Main House retain a residential feel, with Edwardian-style décor, period pieces and marble baths.

19. Crosby Street Hotel

New York City, New York — Visually striking boutique hotel in vibrant SoHo. The interior combines modern design with comfortable furniture, print wallpaper and colorful fabrics.

20. Hôtel Plaza Athénée New York

New York City, New York — Distinguished hotel along a quiet, tree-lined residential street on New York’s Upper East Side. The overall aesthetic is that of a European townhouse.

1. Photo Credit: ©Someone