Le Bar du Hôtel Le Bristol: Paris
112 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
75008 Paris
Opened in the 1920s, Hôtel Le Bristol quickly became a hangout for fashion barons and successful artists, including Dalí, Picasso, and Coco Chanel.
Le Bar du Hôtel le Bristol, the hotel’s marble-floored drinking den, is staggeringly grandiose, studded with chandeliers and flowery sculptures, while the seasonal courtyard is where today’s see-and-be-seen laze about their summer days sipping €35 cocktails.
Travaasa Hana: Maui
5031 Hana Highway
Hana, HI 96713
Regularly voted one of Maui’s top resorts, Travaasa Hana is an all-in-one retreat, offering everything from spa treatments to net fishing to a stylish restaurant overlooking the sea.
Granted, Hemingway never slung any of the bar’s delicious mojitos (Travaasa didn’t exist yet), but he adored the stunning Hamoa Beach down the road.
Grab a pitcher to go and hit up this black lava-lined pocket of paradise.
The Empire Hotel Rooftop: New York City
44 West 63rd Street, 12th Floor
New York, NY 10023
The Empire Hotel may not be the fanciest lodging in all of NYC, but its exclusive rooftop bar is still a hotbed of sultry fashion shows and celebrity after-parties.
Big names have been coming to The Empire Hotel Rooftop since the 20s, but whether visitors grab a spa treatment by the pool or dance the night away to DJs, the views of the Upper West Side make everyone feel like a star and one of the primary reasons this is viewed as one of the top bars in NYC.
Gran Hotel La Perla: Pamplona
Plaza del Castillo, 1
31001 Pamplona
The balconies of the opulent La Perla were Hemingway’s favorite to watch the Running of the Bulls during San Fermín – and its luxurious bar a favorite of his to drink the other 51 weeks a year. Orson Welles and Charlie Chaplin were notable regulars, too.
Surely they could handle the $2,200 per night room rates during San Fermín nowadays.
The Blue Bar Berkeley Hotel?: London
Wilton Place?, London SW1X 7RL
Mirroring the same luxury standards as The Berkeley Hotel’s five-star accommodations and service, The Blue Bar is an in-house drinking den where both hotel guests and affluent visitors indulge in cocktails and caviar.
Titanic in grandeur yet more like a submarine in layout, the venue harkens back to the hotel’s 19th Century origins retaining an air of exclusivity with its network of small chambers and intimate lounging quarters, perfect for stylish socialites and successful professionals looking for a touch of privacy.
Although the gracious Blue Bar welcomes any well-dressed guest, its white-collar prices have made it an easy choice for history makers looking to spend a few hours in the lap of luxury.
Chateau Marmont: Hollywood
8221 West Sunset Boulevard?—West Hollywood, CA 90046
Perched on the Sunset Strip hillside and modeled after a French villa, Chateau Marmont is perhaps Hollywood’s most historic celebrity hideaway, most likely thanks to a staff known to turn a blind eye to outrageous behavior – after all, this is the place where John Belushi overdosed, Jim Morrison fell off the roof, and members of Led Zeppelin rode their motorcycles through the lobby.
Nowadays, this fairy-tale castle is usually full of mostly A-list guests from the worlds of fashion, music, and film who check in to enjoy a few lazy and luxurious days of international cuisine and poolside cocktails.
One of the rare high-end bars in Los Angeles that eschews the fickle nature of normal Hollywood hotspots, Chateau Marmont endures as a go-to spot where celebs can mix and mingle without fear of reading about their escapades in the gossip blogs the next day.
De Las Letras Hotel and Restaurante: Madrid
Calle Gran Vía, 11?28013 Madrid
Situated right in the center of Gran Vía, De Las Letras Hotel and Restaurante is an iconic four-star hotel that’s been at the forefront of modern architecture and design since its start back in 1917.
The real treat at Las Letras, however, is El Ático, a rooftop terrace accessible through the elevators located just past reception.
The panoramic view of the elaborate architecture and spires of Gran Vía and downtown Madrid provides a spectacular backdrop for patrons eager to escape the sounds of the bustling city streets below.
Le Bar du Plaza Athénée: Paris
25 Avenue Montaigne ?75008 Paris
Tucked inside a luxurious five-star hotel that has hosted everyone from Rudolph Valentino to Jackie Kennedy, Le Bar du Plaza Athénée is a chic little hideaway with high-end cocktails in swanky surroundings that outshine most other bars in Paris.
Molded wood paneling, delicate chandeliers, and high ceilings recall the art nouveau elegance of the hotel itself, while distinctly modern features like metal and leather stools, high glass tables, and an immense sculpted glass bar illuminated from within give the space a slick, iced-out aesthetic.
Never a rowdy scene, Le Bar’s sophisticated environment is more conducive to meeting friends for a drink or two and reveling in the white-glove service.