Each hotel is being equally honored in no particular order.
The best hotel bars and lounges offer more than great drinks, they’re also places to see and be seen. Epic skyline views. Perfect icy cold martinis. Hidden hot spots with impeccable vibes. A great hotel bar, lounge, or rooftop scene is more than meets the eye and makes for a rewarding destination for out-of-town visitors as well as local regulars.
What do we look for in the world’s best hotel bars and lounges? Well-made cocktails are only the jumping-off point. That punches an admission ticket but doesn’t seal the deal.
Great hotel bars are a feeling, a mood, a scene. They set the stage for a memorable night, whether it’s your first time visiting a city halfway around the world, or you’re returning to your go-to locale for an evening out on the town. These are timeless destinations in more ways than one: they would shine with supreme excellence in any era, and you could stroll in for a pick-me-up in the middle of the day as easily as you could enjoy a nightcap to close the show.
From well-trodden favorites in London to trendy picks in Bangkok and Tokyo, and even beachy destinations such as Maui and the Riviera Maya, stop into our top hotel bars and lounges for a sip of the good life.
BKK Social Club at Four Seasons Bangkok, Thailand
Beverage manager Philip Bischoff has created a thriving atmosphere at BKK Social Club within the Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, helping to usher in a new era for the city’s cocktail culture at the same time. A vibrant atmosphere features 1920s art nouvelle furnishings and décor, with a drinks menu that pays homage to Argentina with signature libations named for famous people from around the country. It’s a flashy hot spot that still manages to avoid becoming over the top, while attracting a crowd of hotel guests, expats, locals, and tourists staying elsewhere in the city.
7th Floor Terrace at Hotel Hassler Roma, Rome, Italy
One of the best perches to take in Rome’s unique blend of history and modernity is from the 7th Floor Terrace at the Hotel Hassler Roma. The historic property is located atop the city’s famed Spanish Steps, offering a stunning vantage point of the daily intricacies of Roman life, an ongoing performance for almost 3 millennia, unfolding below. A sunset aperitivo after a busy day touring its ancient sites is as idyllic as it sounds.
The Connaught Bar at The Connaught, London, England
The Connaught Bar has become a global sensation since its debut in 2008, winning numerous accolades along the way. Most guests return for the bar’s signature tableside martini trolley service, a theatrical, graceful performance with guests customizing the drink with their choice of bitters and garnish. Don’t bypass the latest signature drinks elsewhere on the menu, though, as you relish a bustling scene with pristine service, where all of London’s beautiful people seem to have gathered, excellent cocktails in hand.
Dukes Bar at Dukes Hotel London, England
Dukes Bar is a quintessential London experience. Rest assured, you won’t need a menu. I’ll order for you right now. You sit down at your table, you request a gin martini, and you watch with glee as longtime head bartender Alessandro Palazzi offers the perfect, precise pour from a tailor-made trolley. Savor it, as the bar won’t serve you more than two of these dangerous, enormous elixirs.
La Isla Secreta by Zapote at Rosewood Mayakoba, Mexico
Speakeasies are a dime a dozen these days. Most of them are advertised as such, with easy-to-find signage and locales, which kind of taints the concept a bit. In the case of La Isla Secreta at Rosewood Mayakoba though, the idea, and the name, hold up. That’s because the only way to reach the bar escape is by hopping on a boat through the resort’s lagoons. No interlopers are to be found at this sexy hideaway, housed within what just may be the finest hotel in the region.
Botanist at Fairmont Pacific Rim, Vancouver, Canada
The abundance of the sea and surrounding forests around Vancouver often stars on the dinner plates of the city’s many excellent restaurants. At Botanist within the Fairmont Pacific Rim, they’ll be found in your glass, too. High-concept cocktails are served with aplomb in a lush space, every detail managing to honor the region at large. Try a headliner such as the Marine Martini, featuring kombu, sea asparagus, and chive oil in addition to gin and vermouth, a drink encouraging you to “get out of that wet coat and into a dry coastal martini.”
Lobby Bar at Hôtel Métropole, Monte-Carlo, Monaco
You’re never drinking alone at the Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo’s Lobby Bar. Even if you walk in solo, you’ll be in great company in the form of two Pablo Picasso paintings, along with one apiece from Andy Warhol and Francis Bacon. Grab a martini or a glass of bubbles and put on your best critic’s hat as you observe Monaco’s glitterati in all its glory. A swanky cigar lounge awaits further within, and you can even snag a bottled signature cocktail to take home with you.
Pilina at Fairmont Kea Lani, Wailea, Hawaii
After visiting Pilina at the Fairmont Kea Lani along Maui’s Wailea coastline, your perspective on what defines a bar with a view will be forever altered. Not only is the sunset sure to be spectacular, but during the right season, the whales meandering in the near distance offshore will put on a constant show as if cued up on demand. General Manager Cameron Hall has crafted a cocktail menu based on 90% local ingredients, with concepts honoring the island and its culture, ensuring that the showy space is more than just a looker, too.
Virtù At Four Seasons Tokyo Otemachi, Tokyo, Japan
Paris meets Tokyo at the 39th-floor Virtù bar within the Four Seasons Tokyo Otemachi, one of the brand’s two hotels in the city. Hospitality impresario and beverage director Keith Motsi pulls the strings for a bar that has risen to become one of the city’s finest, no small sentiment amid Tokyo’s thriving cocktail scene. The Japanese whisky lineup is deep and the drinks are refined, but it’s the small gestures of service across your visit that you’ll remember the most.
Featured image, courtesy of Hotel Hassler Roma
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