The Rates at Ambassade Hotel

"Situated two blocks from the flower market and one canal over from the extravagantly hip and expensive The Dylan, this second-tier titan has been dallying with boutique trends since opening in the 1950s"

"A far cry from the minimalist styling adopted by so many city hotels, the designers of the Ambassade evidently believed that more is best; the 10 17th- and 18th-century gabled townhouses sandwiched together to form this elegant frippery are gaily festooned with swags of curtain, chandeliers, and antiques—plus a collection of priceless and colorful CoBrA (an avant-garde movement from the '40s) artwork"