Public Chicago – Pump Room
Just when I thought the last hotel bar I walked into couldn’t get any more baller, I stepped foot in The Pump Room. The Pump Room was actually a Chicago staple back in the days of Frank Sinatra & John Belushi when The Public Chicago Hotel used to be the Ambassador Hotel.
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La Concha Hotel – Lobby bar
The curvy blonde next to me at the bar in the La Concha Hotel lobby leans into the bartender and announces: I’m having an Affair. Scandalous? Maybe somewhere else, but in this sleek and sexy lounge an Affair is a rum, amaretto and fruit blend cocktail. And it’s delicious. In the thick of the Condado tourist area, the recently renovated La Concha Hotel is the THE current San Juan hot spot, and the modern lobby lounge seems to have a dress code this Saturday night: strappy stilettos and tan lines.
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Hyatt Century Plaza – X Bar
Nestled between fashionable Beverly Hills and the UCLA campus is the Century Plaza Hyatt. A great location for any travelers to the Los Angeles area thanks to being short drives from LAX, Westwood, Hollywood, Santa Monica as well as the popular attractions within LA; such as, the La Brea tar pits and the other famous museums on the Miracle Mile.
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Mooo…. at XV Beacon Hotel
Let me start by saying that I have had lunch at this restaurant/bar during Restaurant Week in Boston ($25 lunch that's normally $50-$60), and have always been impressed by the atmosphere, wait staff, food, and overall experience at Mooo....
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The Huntley Hotel – Penthouse
Santa Monica, Los Angeles’ bustling ocean-side sister city, is a must for anyone coming to the Los Angeles-Orange County metro. Just blocks from the ocean and a block from the 3rd Street promenade is the Huntley Hotel. On the top floor is the trendy Penthouse bar, lounge and restaurant. Riding the glass elevators to the top gives a teaser for the views you will enjoy once in the establishment.
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The Peabody Memphis – The Lobby Bar
I happened to be in Memphis with my family to go to a wedding. Memphis has one of the most famous hotels in the country so of course I had to at least stop by for a few minutes to check out the bar. The hotel is beautiful and the main bar is located right in the center of the main atrium area.
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The Palmer House Hilton Hotel – Lobby Bar
So this is how it all started. I had just finished attending a social media seminar with my friend Brett. We were downtown and I needed to kill a little bit of time before I headed off to my next appointment. Thankfully Brett didn't have to rush back to his office, so we decided to kill time with an afternoon drink. After suggesting we duck into a hotel bar, we soon found ourselves outside of Chicago's iconic Palmer House Hotel.
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The Allerton Hotel – M Avenue Lounge
First impressions are big for me. They make an impact. I always refer back to my first impression. That is, until my second chance mindset starts to kick in and question those first impressions. Am I alone here? Anyone else know what the hell I’m talking about? Maybe it will after you read about the M Avenue Lounge.
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Most Recent Reviews and Blog Posts
The Elysian Hotel – Bernard’s Bar
When a member of the staff at the pristine Elysian Hotel reaches out to you and asks if you've been to their bar yet, and you haven't... You go! And that's exactly what we did! There’s been much buzz about Bernard’s Bar, housed inside this hotel, for quite some time. However, with a recent drink feature on the cover of Time Out Chicago’s February 2012 issue, the buzz has broadened to an all out vibration, and we couldn’t wait to get in there.
Read MoreThe Thoroughbred Club – Charleston Place Hotel
Close your eyes for a moment and try to visualize what the lobby of a grand and luxurious southern hotel might look like. It would be expansive with an inlaid Italian marble floor and an elegant split spiral staircase rising majestically from its center under the watchful gaze of a magnificent chandelier. Elegant shops surround the lobby and off to the right stands the perquisite baby grand piano.
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Public Chicago – Pump Room
Just when I thought the last hotel bar I walked into couldn’t get any more baller, I stepped foot in The Pump Room. The Pump Room was actually a Chicago staple back in the days of Frank Sinatra & John Belushi when The Public Chicago Hotel used to be the Ambassador Hotel.
Read More
Market Pavilion Hotel – The Pavilion Bar
Located on the corner of Market Street and Bay Street, the Market Pavilion Hotel is one of Charleston’s most elegant hotels. Entering the hotel, you immediately notice Grill 225, the hotel’s upscale restaurant with a well deserved reputation for world class cuisine.
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The Vendue Inn – Rooftop Bar
Located in Charleston’s historic French Quarter, the Vendue Inn is a small, quaint, and intimate hotel with a rich and storied southern tradition. Among its many amenities is their two level rooftop bar. I’m not sure what I expected when I first visited this cocktail oasis, but it wasn’t a bar voted by readers of the Charleston City newspaper as the best Charleston bar for 5 consecutive years.
Read MoreThe Clift Hotel – Redwood Room
The modern version of San Francisco’s classic Starlight Room, which does still exist on the top of the Sir Francis Drake just down the street, is one part bustling bar and another part upscale lounge. The name comes from the impossibly tall NorCal trees, who’s bark is used to line the walls of the large, open space that makes up the main Redwood Room.
Read MoreEl Convento Hotel – El Picoteo
There’s something very peaceful about this gorgeous hotel, maybe it’s the old Spanish colonial architecture, or the reverence and curiosity it sparks about the city’s history. Or maybe it’s just the fact that it used to be a convent. No better place for a drink, right?
Read MoreEl San Juan Hotel – Blue Bar
Prepare for a grand entrance. As soon as you walk into this elegant hotel you are greeted by a gorgeous sunken mahogany carved lobby bar crowned with an immense chandelier. Welcome to the lobby Blue Bar, an icon on the Isla Verde hotel tourist strip and a personal favorite since 1990 (full disclosure: I was a cocktail waitress here one summer…long, long ago). The hotel has undergone some management and makeover changes since then, but overall it’s still a stunner.
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La Concha Hotel – Lobby bar
The curvy blonde next to me at the bar in the La Concha Hotel lobby leans into the bartender and announces: I’m having an Affair. Scandalous? Maybe somewhere else, but in this sleek and sexy lounge an Affair is a rum, amaretto and fruit blend cocktail. And it’s delicious. In the thick of the Condado tourist area, the recently renovated La Concha Hotel is the THE current San Juan hot spot, and the modern lobby lounge seems to have a dress code this Saturday night: strappy stilettos and tan lines.
Read MoreThe Cheshire Inn – Fox and Hound Tavern
Walking in, you immediately feel like you just walked into an English-style hunting lodge. There's the fireplace, leather chairs, some mounted animals. Only 1 TV (above the bar), and it's not big (at most 40 people could fit comfortably), but a very cool place to have a Sam Smith Winter Warmer on a cold December night.
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W Hotel Chicago City Center – The Living Room Bar
Call me closed minded, pessimistic, or perhaps even sheltered. Go ahead. But I’m going to just come out and say it. I highly doubt there is anywhere else in this city that you can go at 5pm on a Wednesday and have it be this freaking cool! Just trust me. And if you still think I’m wrong or think you’ve found something to challenge this statement, I want to hear about it. However, right now, all we’re going to focus on is the cool factor at this particular W hotel.
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Hyatt Century Plaza – X Bar
Nestled between fashionable Beverly Hills and the UCLA campus is the Century Plaza Hyatt. A great location for any travelers to the Los Angeles area thanks to being short drives from LAX, Westwood, Hollywood, Santa Monica as well as the popular attractions within LA; such as, the La Brea tar pits and the other famous museums on the Miracle Mile.
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Holiday Inn – Bob O’s
When you walk into the bar, you're immediately greeted at the door. The bar's entrance is inside of the hotel, but you'd almost believe it could be a stand alone bar. It truly has that feeling! The bar has exposed brick and the bar is made of cherry wood. It's actually a a beautiful bar, and you would not notice how bustling with people it is. There are flat screen TV's located around the bar with different channels playing, so if you don't want to watch sports, no problem, just turn to your left!
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Mooo…. at XV Beacon Hotel
Let me start by saying that I have had lunch at this restaurant/bar during Restaurant Week in Boston ($25 lunch that's normally $50-$60), and have always been impressed by the atmosphere, wait staff, food, and overall experience at Mooo....
Read MoreThe Standard – Rooftop Bar
The bar is fancy and well lit with a great atmosphere. No sports, it is an upscale bar and the decor is sophisticated. They have a unique glass layout with nice chairs that compliment the bar. The room has an open feeling to it.
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If you hate the holidays, stop reading.
If you hate the holidays, stop reading. You’ll hate this post. Cuz I love the holidays. LOVE LOVE LOVE the holidays! This is the only acceptable time of year for cold temps and snow in my judgement... well, if you live in a flat non-mountainous region that is. So let me tell you, there is no better time, I mean NO BETTER TIME, to get your ass out of the house or office and into a warm and friendly hotel bar. Hotels take great pride in decorating for this time of year, so indulge them and go take a look at what they’ve come up with this season. Then, stick around and admire from afar with a hot toddy nestled up in your hand.
Read More The Birth of Hotel Barfly…
It was a warm summer Friday in August and a couple of us were winding down the day. We had a bit of time to kill before heading home so we decided to do what we do best... get a drink. This being downtown Chicago, there’s no shortage of watering holes to choose from and before we knew it, we were standing in front of the famous Palmer Hotel.
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The Huntley Hotel – Penthouse
Santa Monica, Los Angeles’ bustling ocean-side sister city, is a must for anyone coming to the Los Angeles-Orange County metro. Just blocks from the ocean and a block from the 3rd Street promenade is the Huntley Hotel. On the top floor is the trendy Penthouse bar, lounge and restaurant. Riding the glass elevators to the top gives a teaser for the views you will enjoy once in the establishment.
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