It’s official: You have to go to London to stay at the top American hotel.

No, not the U.K. capital, but London NYC, the midtown Manhattan luxury hotel. It ranks as the leading establishment in the Americas according to The 2012 World’s Best Hotels, Institutional Investor’s annual ranking of elite hotels. The boutique property, converted from a residential apartment building in 2006, offers a range of suites and apartments and boasts a Michelin two-star restaurant, Gordon Ramsey, run by the eponymous British chef.

The Ritz-Carlton in Los Angeles ranks second on the list, followed by its New York sister property, the Ritz-Carlton, Central Park. The top 10 includes hotels from seven U.S. cities as well as the St. Regis in Mexico City.

The rankings are determined by the votes of well-travelled II readers, including senior financial and corporate executives.

The full ranking will publish on the site on December 4. In the meantime, we'll publish our ranking of the top hotels in Europe (Wednesday) and Asia (Thursday).

  Americas