The World's Seven Best Hotel Bars

The days of choosing a hotel for its room service, spa and unbelievably plush mattress are over. Hotel bars are the latest craze in turning the hotel into the after-work hotspot. You don’t need to stay at the hotel to enjoy its amenities and ambiance.

Places like the Standard Hotel have turned the hotel bar into the go to place for great drinks. Hotels are no longer just a place to sleep, but the place to hang out, whether you are traveling or live around the corner.

We’ve picked seven hotel bars from all over the world that offer great ambiance, style, food and most importantly pour a great drink.

THE BIG 4, Huntington Hotel, San Francisco Huntington
Atop Nob Hill in the refined Huntington Huntington, this is the hotel bar as posh club. Think dark, polished wood, green leather chairs, framed memorabilia of a bygone San Francisco festooning the walls.
The Big 4 name comes from a quartet of 19th century railroad barons, one of whom was the hotel's namesake, C.P. Huntington, of the Central Pacific Line.

Although it is linked to the past, the bar (and the Big 4 fine-dining restaurant) is far from musty. It has a good wine list, offers generous pours of wine and cocktails and showcases live piano nightly. The place draws a comfortable blend of hotel guests and locals who pop by for drinks and music. It's especially popular on Friday and Saturday nights.
1075 California St., San Francisco, Calif.,

Tel. 415-474-5400.

CENTRO, Kerry Center Hotel, Beijing stylish, see-and-be-seen bar
Edgy in the good sense and very much of-the-moment, this stylish see-and-be-seen bar stylish, see-and-be-seen bar attracts a mix of locals and international business travelers.
In the early evening, you might see a high-tech globetrotter glued to the cell phone sipping bottled water. Later on, alcohol replaces the water, flirting replaces networking and the music is turned up.
It's entirely possible that a product launch party or fashion event will unfold while you're there, enhancing the entertainment value. The drinks are good, and the wait staff is attentive without being obtrusive.
1 Guanghua Lu Road, Chaoyang district, Beijing, China,