Hi Sam- Also, since you've traveled so much in Europe, a great hotel to visit closer to home is the 2-year old Four Diamond Hotel Providence in RI.
From unique decor from RISD, impeccable antiques from Stanley Weiss's collection, the delicious cuisine at L'Epicureo Ristorante in the hotel, and the property's great downtown location make this a wonderful hotspot.
The Hotel Providence was named Best Hotel in New England for a city other than Boston, by Boston Magazine in 2006. I guess this means that Providence is really up and coming
DL