If we traveled back to the early 2000s to ask adolescent Nicole how a real deal grownup spends their time, I’d point my French-manicured finger directly at the hotel bar. (More precisely: Sex and the City season three, episode nine, in which Big confronts Carrie at the lobby bar of The Stanhope Hotel where he is sipping a midday scotch with a plume of cigarette smoke swirling overhead, as adults do.)
The bar—when it’s really good—is the epitome of why we bother to go out and order a martini with a 400% markup in the first place. It’s less about the drink and more to do with the setting (though a deft bartender doesn’t hurt). What differentiates the hotel bar from a regular bar-bar is the air of transience and enigma underpinning the whole experience. There’s no telling where the individual seated next to you is traveling to or from or who they’re meeting with afterward. It all coats the bar’s atmosphere with a palpable layer of—dare I go there—sensuality?
A few consistent traits comprise a perfect hotel bar, and all these details must live in harmony. The music should feel like Spotify Discover Weekly—before they changed the algorithm—and set at a volume that muffles the outside world yet allows for occasional eavesdropping. The lighting should be dimmed so that it’s moody and flattering but still conducive to reading a menu (extra points for candles or a fireplace). And the design details should encourage both intimate conversations and unencumbered people-watching (think: elegant clusters of tufted sofas arranged side-by-side with leather armchairs and upholstered ottomans). At any moment, the elevator doors might glide open, a stranger could walk into the bar, and the evening would really begin.
I live in New York City, home to numerous legendary hotel bars, several of which I frequent. If I could time travel, I’d return to America’s very first hotel: City Hotel in the Financial District. It was erected in 1794 and designed by John McComb Jr. (an architect credited with other iconic buildings, including Gracie Mansion and the fieldstone Georgian-style church at St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery). City Hotel was designed with a lobby bar and, throughout its heyday, was at the helm of the “Napoleon of bar keeps,” Orasmus Willard (you can thank him for popularizing iced drinks).
Over the centuries, the alchemy of the hotel lobby bar has cemented several properties as iconic destinations for a libation—for travelers and locals alike. American Bar at London’s Savoy Hotel is said to be the longest-surviving cocktail lounge in the British capital. During World War II, Winston Churchill supposedly kept a personal bottle of whiskey within a locked cabinet behind the Art Deco bar. Or there’s Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel on the Upper East Side (one of my top three favorites, despite being dubbed “the latest victim of cool” thanks to the TikToker invasion). This cocktail lounge and piano bar opened in 1947 and is lauded for its fanciful murals, which the author of Madeline, Ludwig Bemelmans, painted. Or there’s The Carousel Bar inside Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans: a 1949-era revolving bar with 25 seats overlooking Royal Street in the French Quarter. (Miraculously, I’ve managed to score a seat here twice.)
Ultimately, the hotel bar is a confluence of everything I seek from a hospitality experience—distinct design, an interesting crowd, and a hint of nostalgia. In other words, it’s very grown up. Collecting new favorite bars as I travel is now something of a hobby. Therefore, continue for a few standout lobby bars at which to enjoy your next drink.
The Lobby at Kulm Hotel in St. Moritz
Courtesy of Kulm Hotel
I will rhapsodize about this iconic Swiss hotel until the cows come home—it’s perfection, soup to nuts. The lobby bar takes up considerable square footage, with an open floor plan broken up only by imposing pillars and architectural details like a lavish fireplace and tall windows overlooking the surrounding mountains and lake. Also! Everything is patterned—wallpaper, rugs, furniture, even those columns I mentioned are painted with an elegant print. Grabbing a glass of champagne here is like stepping back in time, so switch off your phone and enjoy the opportunity to imbibe as they did in the 19th century when the hotel first opened.
The Living Room at The Dewberry in Charleston
Courtesy of The Dewberry
I’ve only been here once, but I still talk about this Charleston bar semi-regularly. It's that memorable. If your idea of the perfect hotel lobby bar feels like you’ve dropped into an episode of Mad Men, then make your way to the mid-century modern marvel that is The Dewberry. My first impressions of the hotel’s bar (The Living Room) was the design; there’s a striking brass bar and the entire space is outfitted with furniture and accents crafted in natural wood and other Pinterest-worthy finishes. But don’t stop there! The service here is top-notch and guided by a team that gives old school vibes in the best way possible (white dinner jackets included). I had the Clay Pot Negroni when I was there, and it’s still, to this day, the best Negroni I’ve ever had.
Pulitzer’s Bar at Pulitzer in Amsterdam
Courtesy of Pulitzer
This Art- Deco-style bar feels like a jewel box with its dusty teal walls, regal seating, and circular light fixtures plucked from an Erté painting. It overlooks the canal, but slightly-drawn window shutters diffuse the light, creating an intimate, magical setting for a craft cocktail or jenever. I came here for a quick drink a few years ago and ended up staying for a few hours, grazing on oysters mignonette and shrimp croquettes. The property itself is also a sight to behold; Pulitzer Amsterdam sits within twenty-five restored canal houses dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries with the redesign overseen by Jacu Strauss.
The Bar Room at The Beekman, a Thompson Hotel in New York City
Courtesy of The Beekman, a Thompson Hotel
Fun fact: This was the very last place I visited before Covid shut down New York City. Thankfully, I’ve returned many times with far less dramatic ensuing events. The hotel is housed in a landmarked Queen Anne-style building (built between 1881 and 1883) and the nine-story atrium accentuated by Victorian-era cast-iron railings is the big wow moment (though there are many contenders). It’s a marvelous setting for their bar with live jazz for their Sunday morning brunch.
Bar Hemingway at the Ritz Paris
Courtesy of Ritz Paris
After you settle in and order your martini at Bar Hemingway at the Ritz Paris, you’ll observe something distinct: no music playing. While this might sound like a snoozy management decision, it has the opposite effect. The lack of loud music’s crutch heightens senses and an unsaid code of conduct takes hold. The bar served its first round of drinks in 1898, shifting from a destination for women to enjoy evening tea and drinks to a co-ed bar in the 1920s frequented by the likes of Coco Chanel, the Fitzgeralds, and (of course) Ernest Hemingway. The bar is first-come, first-served and seats only 25 people, which means you should arrive early and expect a wait (it’s worth it).
Palma at Santa Monica Proper Hotel
Courtesy of Santa Monica Proper Hotel
Some hotel bars have an energetic frequency—Palma at Santa Monica Proper Hotel is one of those bars. The design is a textural feast, with interiors by none other than Kelly Wearstler, and the layout resembles that of a vintage-meets-contemporary living room. Last time I was here, the bar was packed with a stylish amalgamation of patrons (including Laura Dern!), and I was certain there wouldn’t be space for my group of eight, but the team found an ultra-luxe alcove for my friends and I to perch beside stacks of vintage books, shag rugs, and travertine tables. Did I mention it’s a textural feast?
The Sunken Lounge at the TWA Hotel in New York City
Courtesy of TWA Hotel
This 1960s-era terminal-turned-hotel is as immersive as they come. I had a 5 a.m. flight departure recently, so I remedied the early wake-up call with an overnight stay at this stylish property. Set to the tunes of Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys, and other retro classics, The Sunken Lounge is rendered in a Chili Pepper Red carpet with upholstered benches that line the perimeter. This area of the hotel, specifically, is where crowds gathered to watch The Beatles arrive in the United States in 1965, and the floor-to-ceiling windows look out at TWA Hotel’s “Connie” plane from 1958 (there’s a bar inside there as well that’s worth checking out).