A great view at a hotel bar can make the beverage all the more enjoyable. An incredible vista can also make the bar a destination all on its own. Here are 12 must-see hotel bar views, according to Forbes.
1. Grace Santorini, Greece
When the hotel reopens this month after a major renovation, its crowning glory will be the new Champagne & Cocktail lounge, some 1,200 feet above the caldera. The sunset view from the hotel’s location in Imerovigli is every bit as stunning as the one in the much more touristed Oia.
2. Ozone at the Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong
This one isn’t for those with a fear of heights. Occupying the top floor of Hong Kong’s International Commerce Center, Ozone is the highest bar in the world. The eye candy inside is as striking as the view out the windows—the groovy aesthetic is an “Edenic experience” by the groovy Tokyo firm Wonderwall Design.
3. Toiny Beach Club, St. Barth
For a long time, one of the few downsides of staying at Le Toiny was its distance from the beach (though the hilltop vistas and lovely hotel pool made up for it). Not anymore. As part of an extensive redesign that debuted last winter, a new beach club opened on the private cove below the hotel, a buggy ride away from the rooms. It incorporates two original 17th-century coral cottages, as well as café tables, hammocks and plenty of chaises that are perfect for sipping rosé.
4. Top of the Gate at the Watergate Hotel, Washington, DC
Opening this month after a $125 million renovation, the hotel is trading scandal for glamour. A case in point is the new Top of the Gate rooftop lounge, with 360-degree views of the Potomac, the Capitol and the Washington Monument. Asian street food will be on offer, along with specialty cocktails and bottle service.
5. T Bar at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Lake Como, Italy
Campari aperitivo, anyone? This is the place to have one. Or something more exotic—the bartenders come up with new concoctions every day. The T Bar has unparalleled panoramic views of Lake Como, Bellagio and sunsets over the Grigne Mountains, plus live piano music every evening.
6. Vertigo Too at Banyan Tree Bangkok
The original Vertigo earned its name—and a zillion photographs—with is location on one of the highest rooftops in Bangkok. Its new kid sister opened in March on the 60th floor of the hotel, overlooking the Chao Phraya River and the city lights below. Vertigo Too serves Bangkok’s “highest high tea” (with champagne) in the afternoon, and by night its bartenders mix drinks tableside with a cocktail trolley, and a recorded playlist gives way to a three-piece live band at dinner hour and then live DJ sets for dancing well into the night.
7. Beau Rivage Palace, Lausanne, Switzerland
The lobby lounge extends outside onto to the terrace, where the armchairs and couches have views over Lake Geneva and France on the opposite shore. In winter, the terrace is transformed into an ice rink, fluffy blankets are placed on the chairs, and chilled white is replaced by mulled wine and fondue.
8. Salon de Ning at the Peninsula New York
Sure, there are higher hotel bars with more dramatic views over the lights of Manhattan glittering below. But the chic, intimate bolt hole of a bar on the 23rd floor of the Peninsula puts you closer to eye level with Fifth Avenue and feels more closely connected to the city, while also evoking a feeling of Shanghai in the 1930s.
9. Mukul, Nicaragua
The waves of the Emerald Coast lap just beyond the bar, which is under a dramaticpalapa built by some of the most talented artisans in Central America. Flor de Caña rum is a specialty, as Mukul’s owner’s family has been producing it for generations.
10. La Dolce Vitae at the Majestic Hotel, Barcelona
Mediterranean breezes waft through the rooftop lounge here, where the cityscape and sunset views are complimented by a mural by artist Philip Stanton that wraps around the swimming pool. It’s a dreamy spot for Champagne and Catalan tapas like Iberian ham, pan con tomate and artisan burrata.
11. Tierra Patagonia, Chile
The social heart of this luxury adventure resort is the fireplace, where guests gather for pisco sours or Chilean Carmenére (included in the rates), share stories about their days of hiking or boating and take in the captivating view of the Andes.
12. 180blu at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, Calif.
The oceanfront dining lounge here, perched 150 feet above Salt Creek Beach, has panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and the lights of Los Angeles glimmering in the distance. Tequila sangria is a house specialty, and there’s live music on weekend evenings.
Source: Forbes