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The Ritz-Carlton, which opened in 2000, is the jewel of the Avenue of the Arts, set in a 1908 domed bank designed by McKim, Mead, and White, and an adjacent 30-story marble-clad neighboring building. The tower has been converted into the hotel rooms, and the soaring 140-foot-high lobby is a domed rotunda with rococo Versace furnishings, two restaurants, a clubby bar called the Vault, and a downstairs ballroom. Many architectural details have been preserved, including marble flooring and a bank teller desk.

The hotel rooms occupy floors 4 to 29, with a spectacular concierge/club area in a paneled former boardroom on the 30th floor. (If you can upgrade to this level, you'll consider it money well spent -- the room is gorgeous, and the hors d'oeuvres, champagne, and lavish breakfast are the best club-floor spread we've ever seen.) In guest rooms, you'll find more space than normal allotted to generous bathrooms with opulent marble tub/shower alcoves, and less to the snug bedrooms, decorated with stippled paper in peach and warm ochers. The furnishings and amenities are lovely, from the old Philadelphia prints and engravings to plush terry robes to the high-speed Internet access for laptops.

Pantheon, with its marble Ionic columns and 18-foot high windows, serves breakfast daily and weekend brunch. The Grill, a clubby space on the City Hall side, features an open kitchen, with former Striped Bass chef Terence Feury serving exceptional lunches and dinners. On weekends, a lavish 40-dessert buffet is served in the lobby.

© 2005, Wiley Publishing, Inc.