The hotel was designed by French architect Jean-Paul Viguier.

[3] It has a unique knifelike edge on the southern end which extends 33 feet over the sidewalk.

[2] Its design has garnered the American Institute of Architects honor of being on its America's Favorite Architecture list.

[2] In 2008, Expedia named the hotel the best in the world based on user reviews.

[4] The hotel's restaurant, CDA, was originally called the Cafe des Architectes.