designed in a "North Italian Romanesque or Early Christian" style. Form The hotel building contains setbacks to comply with the 1916 Zoning Resolution; it was one of the first major hotels in New York City to be developed after the resolution was enacted. At the time of its construction, the Shelton was also quoted as the world's tallest hotel; modern sources cite the hotel as being 387 feet (118 m) tall, although a source from 1932 gave an alternate height of . The building is variously cited as being 31, 32, 34, or 35 stories tall. This discrepancy arises from the fact that the hotel's floor numbering system does not have a thirteenth floor, as well as the fact that there is a three-story mechanical penthouse above the primary 31-story roof. Including the penthouse, the hotel has a total of 34 floors. According to art historian Anna C. Chave, Harmon preferred that the hotel's setbacks "be boldly articulated in architectural form, not camouflaged by ornamentation". To maximize the size of the public amenity space, the lowest two stories of the New York Marriott East Side occupy the entire site. On the first 15 stories of the hotel, a wing runs south to 48th Street from the center of the main structure's southern elevation. The wing on 48th Street contains a setback on its rear above the first story, as well as on its front above the second story. At the 3rd story, the eastern elevation sets back into an elongated light court, giving the building a roughly "U"-shaped plan. The northern elevation on 49th Street and the western elevation on Lexington Avenue also have light courts, which are shallower and are flanked by projecting pavilions. Another light court exists on the eastern elevation. The hotel has further setbacks at the 15th and 21st floors; the main roof is above the 31st floor. To comply with the 1916 Zoning Resolution, the top stories of the hotel only occupy one-quarter of the entire lot. The hotel is topped by a set-back penthouse with a pyramidal hip roof. Facade All four elevations of the hotel's facade are visible from the street and are accordingly decorated. The first two stories of the facade are clad with limestone. The upper stories are faced with grayish-brown brick, interspersed with terracotta and limestone trim. The third through 14th stories, and the 16th to 30th stories, have windows