Penthouse

A penthouse is the top-floor suite, usually the highest available room in a tall hotel, with a wraparound terrace, panoramic views and significantly higher ceilings than the rooms below. The word comes from medieval English "pentis" (a small lean-to attached to a building) and got its luxury meaning in 1920s New York with the first luxury skyscrapers. In hotels, the penthouse is the trophy suite, the one with the city beneath you. Famous ones: Park Hyatt Tokyo's New York Penthouse, Mandarin Oriental Tokyo on the 37th floor, the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong on the 102nd floor (the world's highest), the Penthouse at The Connaught in London. Almost always has a private elevator or dedicated key access.