USA TODAY 10Best
America's Best Hotel Bar? Refinery Rooftop in NY!
Best Hotel Bar (2016)
Pull up a stool, and look over our nominees for Best Hotel Bar. 10Best recruited a panel of cocktail and hotel experts to select 20 nominees based on considerations like skill level of the mixologists, ambience, food menus, signature cocktails and happy hours. Then we turned it over to you! Our readers have been voting for their favorites for the past four weeks, and now the results are in!
The top 10 winners in the category Best Hotel Bar are as follows:
Photo courtesy of Preferred Hotels & Resorts
No. 10: Quill - The Jefferson - Washington
The Jefferson hotel is steeped in inspiration from its namesake president, and Quill is no exception. The parquet floor follows the same pattern as the main salon at Monticello, while maps on the walls trace Jefferson's travels through the wine regions of Europe. Classic and signature cocktails are complemented by an extensive menu of wines by the glass.
Photo courtesy of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts
No. 9: Bemelmans Bar - The Carlyle - New York
Named after a famous author of children's literature, this piano bar in the Carlyle Hotel offers a luxurious reprieve on the Upper East Side. The spot bills itself as a piece of "Old New York," but the author's murals from stories like the classic Madeline balance out the dark, heavy wood and atmosphere. Piano jazz is played here nightly from 5:30PM, and patrons include everyone from mature neighbors to politicians and movie stars.
Photo courtesy of Proof on Main
No. 8: Proof on Main - 21C Museum Hotel - Louisville
The 21C Museum Hotel in Louisville, a Kentucky establishment famous for its own art galleries, also a great bar with a nice collection of – you guessed it – bourbons. The menu is playful while keeping its sophistication, so you'll see items like cotton candy next to yellowfin tuna crudo. A number of small plates options are available.
Photo courtesy of Freehand Miami
No. 7: The Broken Shaker - Freehand Miami
Just a few years ago, a hip little cocktail bar opened up inside the Freehand Hostel on Miami Beach. Today, it is one of the most well-known and sought out places to enjoy a well-crafted drink for a reasonable price. Frequented by locals, tourists, and those in-the-know, the Broken Shaker is paradise for anyone who wants a high-end cocktail without the fuss of many of SoBe's other bars and lounges.
Photo courtesy of The Driskill
No. 6: The Driskill Bar - The Driskill - Austin
The Driskill is one of Austin's most iconic hotels, and inside sits The Driskill Bar, a Texas watering hole through and through. Overstuffed leather sofas create multiple nooks and seating areas, while mounted cattle heads and paintings of the American West hang from the walls. The Driskill hosts live music nearly every night.
No. 5: Redwood Room - Clift Hotel - San Francisco
Within the sleek, Philippe Starck-designed Clift, the much-loved Redwood Room has been reinvented for the new millennium. The venerable venue still boasts its redwood paneling and signature bar, but it's gotten a contemporary punch with sleek furnishings, ambient lighting and digital artwork. Frequented by a glamorous crowd, it's chic and expensive, and you're certain to spot a few celebrities peppered among the well-dressed mix.
Photo courtesy of Hotel deLuxe
No. 4: Driftwood Room - Hotel deLuxe - Portland, Ore.
The Driftwood Room is a Portland landmark located just inside Hotel deLuxe. In their intimate bar they have been serving thirsty revelers since the cocktail lounge heyday of the 1950s and still today at the vanguard of Portland's craft cocktail scene. It's a perfect Hollywood setting for a Hitchcock thriller or romantic romp. If you love Mad Men you will love the Driftwood Room.
Photo courtesy of 2016 Waldorf Astoria
No. 3: The Sazerac Bar - The Roosevelt New Orleans
Named after the world's first mixed drink (according to some), The Sazerac Bar has been quenching New Orleans's thirst for decades. Located within The Roosevelt New Orleans, this classic space features an African walnut bar and murals by Paul Ninas; it was once a popular haunt of politician Huey P. Long.
Photo courtesy of Leading Hotels of the World
No. 2: Off the Record - The Hay-Adams - Washington
Caricatures of past presidents and political figures adorn the cherry red walls of this classic DC bar inside The Hay-Adams. The scotch list shines alongside wine and cocktails in this space where well heeled (or at least well dressed) tourists mingle with locals, lobbyists and politicians.
Photo courtesy of Refinery Hotel
No. 1: Refinery Rooftop - Refinery Hotel - New York
The crown atop the Refinery Hotel in NYC, Refinery Rooftop is where the Big Apple's young and beautiful come for stunning views beneath the shadow of the Empire State Building. Alex Ott developed Refinery's signature cocktail list with an emphasis on natural ingredients and surprising combinations.
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Morgan Greenhalgh (TheDrinkBlog), Talia Kleinplatz (Two For The Bar), Eric Grossman, Marla Cimini (USA TODAY), Roxanne Genier (LuxeInACity), Gerrish Lopez, Christopher Parr (Pursuitist) and Yasmin Pullman (Luxury Travel Diary) were chosen based on their culinary travel experience.
Additional nominated bars included 39 Degrees at Sky Hotel in Aspen, Bar Marmont at Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood, Carousel Bar & Lounge at Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, The Clocktower at The New York EDITION, Clyde Common at Ace Hotel in Portland, The Elephant Bar at The NoMad Hotel in New York, The Hawthorne at Hotel Commonwealth in Boston, LILT Lounge at the EPIC Hotel in Miami, Sable Kitchen & Bar at Hotel Palomar Chicago and The Spare Room at The Hollywood Roosevelt in Los Angeles.
Congratulations to all our winning bars!
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Christopher Parr
Christopher Parr is the Founder and... Read More
Christopher Parr is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief for Pursuitist, the leading luxury travel and leisure website. An award-winning travel writer, Parr is also a luxury marketing veteran, a frequent speaker at luxury and interactive marketing conferences and a pioneer in web publishing. He launched Pursuitist in 2010 as a curated list of the good things in life, with guest contributors from Forbes, Mashable, TechCrunch, Glamour, Saveur and more sharing their favorite luxuries. Follow along on Twitter.
Christopher Parr
Christopher Parr is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief for Pursuitist, the leading luxury travel and leisure website. An award-winning travel writer, Parr is also a luxury marketing veteran, a frequent speaker at luxury and interactive marketing conferences and a pioneer in web publishing. He launched Pursuitist in 2010 as a curated list of the good things in life, with guest contributors from Forbes, Mashable, TechCrunch, Glamour, Saveur and more sharing their favorite luxuries. Follow along on Twitter.
Claire Endean-Cance
Claire Endean-Cance is the co-founder of Luxury... Read More
Claire Endean-Cance is the co-founder of Luxury Travel Diary– a blog about the best luxury accommodation and the most exclusive transport for your travels. Additional features hi-light essential style & fashion items required for luxury travel. The site also hosts their own online auctions, allowing users to bid on a dream holiday or luxury items.
Claire Endean-Cance
Claire Endean-Cance is the co-founder of Luxury Travel Diary– a blog about the best luxury accommodation and the most exclusive transport for your travels. Additional features hi-light essential style & fashion items required for luxury travel. The site also hosts their own online auctions, allowing users to bid on a dream holiday or luxury items.
Eric Grossman
Eric Grossman is a travel and food/drink writer... Read More
Eric Grossman is a travel and food/drink writer who has visited more than 60 countries. Always up for an adventure, Eric is constantly searching for new and inspiring experiences, with a keen interest in luxury travel and urban exploration. Memorable experiences have run the gamut from discussing the future of food with Ferran Adrià to sharing a stage with Coldplay.
Eric Grossman
Eric Grossman is a travel and food/drink writer who has visited more than 60 countries. Always up for an adventure, Eric is constantly searching for new and inspiring experiences, with a keen interest in luxury travel and urban exploration. Memorable experiences have run the gamut from discussing the future of food with Ferran Adrià to sharing a stage with Coldplay.
Gerrish Lopez
Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel... Read More
Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel writer/photographer whose adventures have taken her from tiny islands (Isle of Man, Lanai) to mega-cities like Mexico City and Hong Kong. A former vegetarian, Gerrish has grown to appreciate carnivorous fare through sampling the best meats in the world, including smoked pork jowl in Thailand and whole hog barbecue in South Carolina. Gerrish is always looking for products and services to make her travels easier and more efficient.
Gerrish Lopez
Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel writer/photographer whose adventures have taken her from tiny islands (Isle of Man, Lanai) to mega-cities like Mexico City and Hong Kong. A former vegetarian, Gerrish has grown to appreciate carnivorous fare through sampling the best meats in the world, including smoked pork jowl in Thailand and whole hog barbecue in South Carolina. Gerrish is always looking for products and services to make her travels easier and more efficient.
Marla Cimini
Marla is a writer with a passion for travel, music... Read More
Marla is a writer with a passion for travel, music and culinary adventures (and combining those whenever possible)! As an avid globetrotter, she encourages respecting and learning about other cultures while traveling. She has visited Hawaii multiple times, and has explored destinations worldwide, including the Mediterranean region, South America, Asia and more. Marla is a contributor to Fodor’s Hawaii guidebooks (Oahu and Kauai 2020) and her articles have appeared in a number of international publications. She calls New Jersey (Philadelphia area) home. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter and read her travel tips and adventures on her website.
Marla Cimini
Marla is a writer with a passion for travel, music and culinary adventures (and combining those whenever possible)! As an avid globetrotter, she encourages respecting and learning about other cultures while traveling. She has visited Hawaii multiple times, and has explored destinations worldwide, including the Mediterranean region, South America, Asia and more. Marla is a contributor to Fodor’s Hawaii guidebooks (Oahu and Kauai 2020) and her articles have appeared in a number of international publications. She calls New Jersey (Philadelphia area) home. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter and read her travel tips and adventures on her website.
Morgan Greenhalgh
Morgan Greenhalgh is a drinker with a writing... Read More
Morgan Greenhalgh is a drinker with a writing problem. He's the co-founder of TheDrinkBlog, a Saveur nominated cocktail blog, a cocktail consultant, an expert drinker, a masterful storyteller and a sometimes scoundrel.
Morgan Greenhalgh
Morgan Greenhalgh is a drinker with a writing problem. He's the co-founder of TheDrinkBlog, a Saveur nominated cocktail blog, a cocktail consultant, an expert drinker, a masterful storyteller and a sometimes scoundrel.
Roxanne Genier
Roxanne Genier seems to be on an endless adventure... Read More
Roxanne Genier seems to be on an endless adventure experiencing sheer luxury around the world, having sailed 60,000+ nautical miles aboard superyachts, clocked up 40,000+ miles on a Pan American road trip, visited 65+ countries in a span of 100+ months abroad, Roxanne proves that travel can be a work of art. Roxanne is a nomad at heart and describes home as "the place I sleep tonight". Although she is a considered by many to be a leading luxury expert, Roxanne describes luxury has having time to travel the world to discover nature at its best. Roxanne has been voted one of the Top 10 Best Luxury Travel Bloggers by the readers of USA Today in 2014 for her blog LuxeInACity.
Roxanne Genier
Roxanne Genier seems to be on an endless adventure experiencing sheer luxury around the world, having sailed 60,000+ nautical miles aboard superyachts, clocked up 40,000+ miles on a Pan American road trip, visited 65+ countries in a span of 100+ months abroad, Roxanne proves that travel can be a work of art. Roxanne is a nomad at heart and describes home as "the place I sleep tonight". Although she is a considered by many to be a leading luxury expert, Roxanne describes luxury has having time to travel the world to discover nature at its best. Roxanne has been voted one of the Top 10 Best Luxury Travel Bloggers by the readers of USA Today in 2014 for her blog LuxeInACity.
Talia Kleinplatz
Born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Talia... Read More
Born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Talia Kleinplatz fell in love with food at the apron strings of her mother and grandmother whose kitchens wafted the intoxicating aromas of fresh dill, homemade pies and painstakingly slow-cooked brisket. She completed her degrees at Concordia and McGill, graduating with a Master’s in Social Work in 2009. Her six years in Montreal taught her to eat well but it was her move to Vancouver in 2011 that taught her to drink well. In 2013 she launched her award-winning cocktail blog, Two For The Bar. She lives in Vancouver with her husband and her three-legged, curmudgeonly cat.
Talia Kleinplatz
Born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Talia Kleinplatz fell in love with food at the apron strings of her mother and grandmother whose kitchens wafted the intoxicating aromas of fresh dill, homemade pies and painstakingly slow-cooked brisket. She completed her degrees at Concordia and McGill, graduating with a Master’s in Social Work in 2009. Her six years in Montreal taught her to eat well but it was her move to Vancouver in 2011 that taught her to drink well. In 2013 she launched her award-winning cocktail blog, Two For The Bar. She lives in Vancouver with her husband and her three-legged, curmudgeonly cat.