The Mark Penthouse, New York: The biggest hotel penthouse in the US

Already claiming the title of New York City's "most boldly lavish hotel," the Jacques Grange-designed The Mark Hotel on Madison Avenue, which opened 2013, now features the largest hotel penthouse suite in the US.

And the space is not just for show. Top-top end accommodation is hot business around the world, but particularly in NYC, where hotels are pouring millions into their top floors and upgrading lower-floor suites. Already The Mark has nearly one suite for every two rooms: 50 suites (not including the penthouse) and 106 rooms. According to The Wall Street Journal, that's because there's a growing call for premium accommodation and hoteliers are betting "…high-margin luxury and penthouse suites will lure more global travellers willing to pay top dollar for palatial accommodations."

"Palatial" is the word for The Mark's Penthouse. The 111.5-square-metre (12,000 square feet) abode features a 232-square-metre (2500 square feet) terrace overlooking Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and beyond. The double-storey suite has five bedrooms, four fireplaces, six bathrooms, two powder rooms and two wet bars. To give a sense of the scale, The Living Room, with an eight-metre (26 feet) ceiling clearance can be transformed into a full-sized Grand Ballroom (it has a grand piano ready for just that). The huge master bedroom is virtually a suite within a suite – it features both his and her bathrooms and dressing rooms.

Continuing the flourish of the legendary French interior designer Grange, every piece of furniture is custom-designed exclusively for the hotel by him. The grand kitchen, designed by Piero​ Lissoni for Boffi, is a full-sized chef's kitchen including a custom island, Sub-Zero refrigerators, wine coolers and appliances by Gaggenau​ and Miele. Which is just as well, because the dining room seats 24 people.

"It is really like a castle in the sky," Grange says. No doubt, royalty will be checking in soon.

See themarkhotel.com