After a day of exploring a bustling city, it’s a joy to return to a room that’s an oasis of calm and luxury. Ideally, an urban hotel also offers appealing public spaces where one can drink and dine well, for those times when going back out into the fray is unappealing. Europe (and Paris in particular) makes a predictably strong showing here — the continent does city hotels exceedingly well. But North America, South America and Africa also make it onto the list. It seems that Australia needs to up its game!

1. The Lowell
New York, New York

A longtime Manhattan favorite, this refined hotel with 74 accommodations on the Upper East Side is “intimate and beautifully appointed.” The larger suites earn special mention for their “real fireplaces stocked with seasoned wood,” and the “great staff” provides “unsurpassed service.” One member sums up the consensus: “I love this place!”