So many rooftops, so little time to enjoy the thousands around the world
that have been converted into trendy nightspots with comfy sectional
seating, pools and restaurants. It seems that every major city has a
rooftop bar scene, and they’re a must for any hotel claiming to be an
arbiter of cool.
To narrow it all down, we've chosen the 10 best. Some are coveted A-list hangouts demanding key-card access or a VIP pass. Some are thoughtfully designed. Or they’re on the rooftops of the world’s highest buildings. Still other bars were chosen for their killer views -- and we don’t just mean of the waitresses.
Vue Bar at the Shanghai Hyatt
This two-floor bar-lounge has a wooden and brick ground floor lounge
with a circular cocktail bar, DJ and reversible daybeds. Further up a
spiral case on its terrace, you get unsurpassed views of the Bund (the
hotel is a five-minute walk from this waterfront area in central
Shanghai) and Pudong. A marble Jacuzzi is surrounded by daybeds and
armchairs, and these all fill up early in the evening (including the
Jacuzzi). The result is a go-to chic drinking establishment for the
expat community and visiting Westerners.
Three Sixty at Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark, St. Louis, Missouri
Cardinals diehards are given a bird’s-eye view of Busch Stadium from
this bar 25 stories up, so it’s no wonder there are lineups to get into
Three Sixty during baseball season. But it’s so well-designed and cozy,
we predict it’ll become a year-round hangout. Fire pits are positioned
strategically throughout an outdoor patio, enabling comfortable alfresco
lounging in cold weather. And there’s plenty of indoor seating and flat
screens for you to watch hockey on while nibbling on upscale sports-bar
fare this winter.
Sky Blue at Sky Lodge, Park City, Utah
A pool table in your hotel suite? Sky Lodge, in Park City’s
historic Old Town, offers many wow moments like these, including a
rooftop with views of the Wasatch Mountains. Try a Pommard, Park City’s
official winter cocktail for this year, with Calvados, apple cider,
lemon juice, simple syrup, cinnamon, and cardamom, as you slip into the
bar’s oversize hot tub. Or tiptoe over radiant-heated floors to grab a
spot by the fireplace. You’re very close to being able to shake off a
hangover on the slopes. The resort has ski-in/ski-out access to Park
City Mountain Resort, one of the U.S.A.'s best.
Luna Rooftop Tapas Bar, Rosewood San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Munch on Mexican and Spanish tapas on the roof of this urban
resort in a UNESCO World Heritage Site city. Luna Bar is a cozy place to
observe the goings-on below on cobblestone lanes of San Miguel, north
of Mexico City. And the new hotel fits right into its character-filled
surroundings, featuring colonial-inspired wide stone staircases leading
to airy courtyards or high-ceilinged guest suites.
Sky Yard at the Drake Hotel, Toronto
We’ll tip our hat to the Thompson Toronto’s super-trendy
rooftop bar and pool, where Bay Street bankers and traders are known to
book rooms for the night just to secure access to the guest-only
schmooze-fest upstairs. But we like to give credit for originality, too,
and the Drake Hotel, west of downtown, has an edgier, arty scene
complemented by its “pop-up” rooftop bar. The theme of Sky Yard changes
every few months, as do the drinks menu, décor, art installations, and
music. Last fall, the bar was set up as a beer garden, featuring vintage
Oktoberfest picnic seating imported from bygone German bier-fests local
microbrews served by dirndl-clad hostesses.
Mikla at the Marmara Pera, Istanbul
