Who better to resurrect London’s Café Royal as a hotel than Sir David Chipperfield, the British architect famous for bringing Berlin’s Neues Museum back to life from ruin? His overhaul of the 147-year-old hot spot, long a beloved haunt of the creative class, was less intensive but likewise inspired. Historic details—gilded boiseries, carved-stone moldings—have been refreshed, and rooms now sport a crisp, modern look, with cast-plaster walls echoing the building’s stone façade. From $715/night; hotelcaferoyal.com