Constructed and decorated with materials recovered from all over Manhattan and from as far as Japan, The Greenwich Hotel, Robert DeNiro’s passion project, could bring any aesthetically savvy guest to tears. Well situated near downtown’s hot spots, the 88-room property provides a home base for visitors who want big hotel amenities such as a gym and spa on a smaller scale. Thoughtful details—mirrors made with silvered glass from the Flatiron building and antique wood floors—give the interiors an established look, and the pretty interior courtyard, inspired by the Place de Vosges, feels classically Parisian.

The fact that it has a pool certainly sets The Greenwich apart—as does the Shibui Spa, an underground Japanese-influenced sanctuary where guests can book personal training sessions as well as treatments in the traditional bathing shiatsu space. Locanda Verde, the Greenwich Hotel’s restaurant has a reputation in its own right as Andrew Carmellini’s canvas for creating variations of traditional Italian dishes with quality ingredients and a casual vibe. While Locanda Verde is open to the public, guests have exclusive access to a cozy fire-lit drawing room and outdoor courtyard dining space that also serves Locanda Verde food, in a private setting filled with one-of-a-kind pieces from all over the world (including back-lit cartoons and unique paintings by DeNiro’s father, a respected contemporary artist).