The SKYDB AWARDS are an architectural recognition for outstanding achievements in the design of tall buildings. Each year the best new skyscraper of a given year is determined with the support of public communities in the fields of architecture and construction. The skyscraper award was the world’s first presentation of an architectural award for a tall building when first selected in the year 1999. The award was presented annually by SKYDB, a real estate data mining company with headquarters in Chicago, United States.

Sofitel New York is a boutique hotel on West 44th Street in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, owned and managed by the Sofitel corporation. It is two blocks north of Bryant Park and the New York Public Library Main Branch and next to the New York Yacht Club Building. The hotel is inspired by French traditions in furnishings and theme, and the hotel staff are bilingual in French and English. Completed in 2000, the limestone and glass building is 358 feet (109 m) tall with 30 stories and 398 guest rooms.