The World’s 12 Best Hotel Rooftop Bars
A stunning view is one of the few things that can match a well-crafted drink, excellent glass of wine, or brew. A terrific rooftop bar might be one of the most tempting elements of a great hotel if you want to arrange your visits around amazing hotels. From a Manhattan rooftop with views of the Manhattan skyline to a rooftop in Paris with views of the famed Eiffel Tower, you’ll find the right spot on this list.
Hotel Raphael – Paris, France
The five-star Hotel Raphael, which has been operating since the 1920s, has a rooftop terrace on the top floor with breathtaking views of Paris. The “17” bar and lounge serves refreshing cocktails and afternoon tea, but the upmarket restaurant on-site serves French cuisine for lunch and dinner. There’s also a fitness center with a sauna and hammam, as well as access to the Majestic Hotel Spa Paris’s facilities, which include a pool and two hammans. The accommodations are among the most luxurious in the city. All are very large for Paris, with exquisite décor, lofty ceilings, and approximately equal-height windows. Some have private balconies with views of the Eiffel Tower where you may dine outdoors.
Hotel Unique – São Paulo, Brazil
The Skye Bar, located on the top of the Hotel Unique in So Paulo, offers a spectacular view of the city skyline. With a premium menu, a furnished wooden deck terrace, and a pool with an underwater system for listening to DJ sets, it frequently appears on lists of the world’s greatest roofs. Enjoy Brazilian fusion cuisine, sushi, and more while enjoying outstanding service and a 360-degree view of So Paulo. The rooftop is the main attraction, but there is also an indoor pool, steam room, sauna, and fitness center. Flat-screen TVs, 24-hour room service, and bathrooms with separate showers and soaking tubs are available in the rooms.
1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge – New York City
The 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge includes a lovely pool and Harriet’s Rooftop, which has a cocktail lounge ambience with a large selection of beers, wine, and cocktails to savor while staring out at the iconic Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan cityscape. This is a popular spot with live DJs and the occasional live band, so make reservations ahead of time, especially during the summer. The extra-large rooms at this famous Brooklyn hotel include window-side sitting, Nespresso machines, Smart TVs, minibars stocked with local goods, and yoga mats.
Four Seasons Istanbul – Istanbul, Turkey
The Four Seasons Istanbul is home to the beautiful A’YA Lounge Rooftop, which is housed in a former late-Ottoman jail that once housed artists, authors, and other dissidents. It has a wonderful perspective of the Aya Sofia Mosque’s minarets and domes, which is one of the city’s most stunning structures. You’ll want to be here for sundowner cocktails, and you can also have small snacks from the finger food menu. Balinese massage is available in the on-site health club, and the Ottoman-inspired rooms have flat-screen TVs, DVD and CD players, and well-stocked minibars.
W Atlanta Downtown – Atlanta, Georgia
W Atlanta Downtown is Atlanta’s first hotel featuring an all-weather rooftop pool bar and swimming pool. Guests can enjoy a panoramic view while sunbathing in the zero-edge pool, participating in summer weekend events, or sipping specialty drinks. You won’t have to leave your comfortable poolside loungers because attendants will bring you your drink (and food). There’s a magnificent spa on the 16th level with a menu that includes everything from manicures to massages, as well as a 24-hour fitness facility. Within a two-mile radius, you’ll even get complimentary automobile service. Flat-screen TVs, pillow-top beds, robes, and floor-to-ceiling windows are included in the spacious guest rooms.
Armani Hotel Milano – Milan, Italy
The Armani Hotel, one of the most fashionable hotels in one of the world’s most fashionable cities, is home to the rooftop Bamboo Bar, a haven for fashion and design lovers. It’s one of the few rooftop bars in the centre of Milan, offering stunning views through louvre windows. On Wednesdays through Saturdays, listen to DJ sets, and every other Sunday, hear live jazz. There are also light nibbles available, including foreign and Asian favorites. On the eighth floor, there’s a spa, as well as a fitness trainer, sauna, steam room, and relaxing pool. Nespresso machines, digital music players, minibars, and free Wi-Fi are available in the spacious rooms.
The Colonnade – Boston, Massachusetts
The Colonnade has one of the nicest hotel rooftop pools in the country, a heated saltwater pool with views of Fenway Park, Back Bay, Copley Place, and more, on the 12th level. There’s also a full-service bar here, which not only serves delicious drinks but also has a diverse menu that includes everything from mezze platters to crab cakes. When you’re ready to burn off those calories, there’s a fitness center with a view of the South End where you can work out. Even the basic rooms are large and have floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s a terrific place to bring the kids, who will be greeted with gifts upon arrival, and you can even bring your four-legged companion, who will enjoy amenities such as plush dog beds.
Marriott Marquis Houston – Houston, Texas
The rooftop of the Marriott Marquis Houston, which is one of Texas’ best hotels with a lazy river, is what makes it so special. It has a bar, as well as a hot tub and two pools. The first is an infinity pool, while the second is a gigantic lazy river styled like Texas. If that isn’t enough, the 5,000-square-foot spa offers calming treatments, couples’ massages, and salon services. There are also a number of restaurants with menus ranging from tapas to Mexican cuisine. Guest rooms in this space-themed hotel feature astronomy-inspired décor as well as modern amenities like a 55-inch flat-screen TV with premium movie channels. Book a suite for an even more opulent stay; some include bathrooms with huge tubs and floor-to-ceiling windows for soaking with a view.
Rosewood San Miguel de Allende – San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
The Rosewood San Miguel de Allende is one of San Miguel de Allende’s most opulent hotels. You may relax with a cool drink and great little snacks while looking down at it all from the Luna Rooftop Tapas Bar. There are three pools in which to relax or swim, as well as a fantastic spa and a variety of activities. Half-day horseback riding tours, art classes, wine tastings, and other activities are available. The well regarded 1826 Restaurant serves delectable Mexican cuisine, and the guest accommodations are as impressive. Handcrafted furnishings, wood-beamed ceilings, and local artwork are among the appealing facilities, which include patios or balconies, soaking baths, fireplaces, and flat-screen TVs.
Thompson Nashville – Nashville, Tennessee
Thompson L.A. Jackson, an indoor-outdoor bar and restaurant on the rooftop in Nashville, serves small dishes and light nibbles alongside custom-crafted cocktails, specialty brews, and top-notch wines. What’s better? Enjoy them while taking in the spectacular views of the downtown skyline. It is one of Nashville’s best hotels, attracting both locals and visitors who come to celebrate special occasions, have after-work cocktails, or listen to DJ performances on weekends. A 24-hour exercise facility is also available, as well as in-room spa treatments. Hardwood floors, floor-to-ceiling windows, Bluetooth speakers incorporated into headboards, and rain showers are available in the guest rooms.
Andaz San Diego – San Diego, California
Andaz San Diego’s rooftop, which is located in the trendy Gaslamp District, is known for attracting VIPs. At one point, even Prince Harry made an appearance. It features a wine bar, a fire pit, and one of the city’s largest heated saltwater pools. From any point in this location, you’ll have a spectacular view of the San Diego skyline. If you visit on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night, you can enjoy one of the pool parties, which feature DJs. You can get VIP treatment even if you aren’t royalty or a celebrity by hiring a cabana with bottle service, a TV, Wi-Fi, and a dedicated server. There’s also an excellent steakhouse on site, and guest rooms include huge flat-screen TVs and Keurig coffeemakers.
Eurostars Langford Hotel – Miami, Florida
Bloom Skybar is located on the second floor of the old Eurostars Langford hotel. It still offers the same iconic cocktail in a characteristic bathtub glass, which it used to be known as the Pawnbroker. It’s a laid-back, casual venue that’s ideal for summer cocktails while relaxing on the terrace. The Sunday brunch is one of the most popular among locals and visitors, and exclusive parties are held where you can enjoy the fun with a spectacular view of downtown. The beaux-arts edifice, which was previously the Miami National Bank, is now an urban boutique hotel. All of the rooms offer high-thread-count linens and handcrafted headboards, as well as minibars, flat-screen TVs, and iPod docking stations.
Bonus:
Four Points by Sheraton Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
This sleek and stylishly blue lit, open-air terrace lounge sits 43 floors high, right on the busy and bustling Sheikh Zayed Road, providing its visitors with spectacular panoramic views of the Dubai, United Arab Emirates skyline. Taking you from day to night, Level 43 located inside of Four Points by Sheraton Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai offers a wide selection of signature cocktails, cocktails, freshly made sushis along with tasty treats that will tickle a few taste buds as your mind wanders at the breathtaking views.
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
Marina Bay Sands is an integrated resort fronting Marina Bay in Singapore. The resort is owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation and at its opening in 2010, it was deemed the world’s most expensive standalone casino property at S$8 billion (US$6.88 billion). The resort includes a 2,561-room hotel, a 120,000-square-metre (1,300,000 sq ft) convention-exhibition centre, the 74,000-square-metre (800,000 sq ft) The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands mall, a museum, a large theatre, “celebrity chef” restaurants, two floating crystal pavilions, art-science exhibits, and the world’s largest atrium casino with 500 tables and 1,600 slot machines. The complex includes three towers topped by a connecting 340-metre-long (1,120 ft) SkyPark with a capacity of 3,902 people and a 150 m (490 ft) infinity swimming pool, set on top of the world’s largest public cantilevered platform, which overhangs the north tower by 66.5 m (218 ft). The 20-hectare resort was designed by Moshe Safdie architects.