I happened to pass by this hotel on my way to a client meeting in midtown, and it looked out-of-place next to the skyscrapers in midtown. Now called the Lotte New York Palace and a luxury hotel, it was originally six private town homes (the Villard Houses) built in the Neo-Renaissance style surrounding a courtyard. I love the ornate detailing on the gates and the huge Christmas tree in the courtyard (if I’m being honest, the tree was what captured my attention first).