Fairmont Pittsburgh

Fairmont Pittsburgh is the city's polished splurge, a modern glass tower at 510 Market Street in the heart of downtown's business, theatre and shopping district. It has 185 guest rooms and suites, and the defining feature is the windows: floor to ceiling, framing views of PNC Park across the Allegheny, the green face of Mount Washington and the downtown towers, which look especially fine at night. The tower is LEED Gold certified, and the interiors are calm and contemporary rather than old-world. Dining is at fl.2, a modern American restaurant on the second floor that works for breakfast meetings, a business lunch or a relaxed dinner, and there is a Starbucks in the building for early starts. The Health Club and Spa on the third floor is unusually generous, with a gym of around 6,000 square feet, a dry cedar sauna and a eucalyptus steam room, though there is no swimming pool. Pets of all sizes are welcome for a nightly fee, which makes the Fairmont one of the best luxury picks for travellers with a dog.

Location and getting around: Market Square, with its restaurants, outdoor seating and holiday market, is a couple of minutes away on foot, and the Cultural District's theatres and the Benedum Center are an easy walk. Point State Park, where the rivers meet, is about ten minutes' walk, and the North Shore, with the stadiums, the Warhol and the Museum of Illusions, is a short walk across one of the yellow bridges. The T light rail runs through downtown for the North Shore and Station Square, from where the Monongahela Incline climbs Mount Washington. A taxi or rideshare reaches Oakland's museums in about fifteen minutes.

Rooms and who it suits: ask for a city-view room facing the river or the ballpark when you book; the higher floors make the most of the windows. The Fairmont suits couples on a special weekend, business travellers who want a top-end base near the offices, and sports fans heading to a Pirates, Steelers or Penguins game. Families can find space in the suites, though the lack of a pool is worth knowing.

Good to know: valet and on-site self-parking are both available for a fee, so check the current rate when you reserve, or arrive from the airport by taxi or the airport bus and walk everywhere. The pet fee is charged per night, pets must be leashed and cannot be left alone in rooms, and teenagers aged 16 to 18 must be accompanied in the health club. Rates are among the highest in the city and peak on big event and game weekends.