Those that did, such as Frank Lloyd Wright's famous Imperial Hotel, eventually fell victim to the wrecker's ball.

CNN: AFTER THE BANG

It was designed by Junzo Yoshimura, a pupil of Antonin Raymond, who worked on the Woolworth Building in Manhattan and with Frank Lloyd Wright on the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo.

WSJ: Selling a Piece of Old Japan, to Save It

Diplomats and heads of state bed down surrounded by antiques, jewel-toned silk walls, crystal chandeliers and marble bathrooms at the 138-room Hotel Imperial Vienna, which was built as the residence of the Prince of Wurttemberg, a European aristocrat, in 1863.

BBC: Business trip: Vienna

In historic Sultanahmet, where the Ottoman sultans sought to outdo each other with grandiose building programs, muezzins at each of the imperial mosque complexes give their vocal chords a vigorous morning workout, prompting the faithful to their prayers and hotel guests to their breakfast.

BBC: A perfect day in Istanbul