Boutique hotel experts Mr & Mrs Smith have scoured the globe for the hottest hotel bars worldwide, so you'll know just where to sip.
Voting for the Smith Hotel Awards 2014 is open now till September 30, so read on to choose your favourites from the world's most stylish stays...
It's hard to beat this hipster hangout, so head straight directly after you touch down in NYC. With live acts throughout the week and notable DJs gracing the decks at weekends, you'll know you've wound up at a winner of a bar. The cocktail menu – featuring sugar-snap-pea-infused vodka – is captivating, and the drinks are ideal for washing down the kitchen's (gourmet) fried-chicken feast!
Forget minimalism: your eyes won't know what to rest on at this eccentric cocktail lounge. Designed to look like the sitting room of your eccentric great aunt (Wilhemina, to the staff), every inch of each room is covered with Instagram-worthy knick-knacks. Be entertained by the skilled bartenders, then sit back by the crackling fire to take in the taxidermy.
Das Stue aims to revive Berlin's Old-World glamour, so drink in the intriguing cocktail menu, packed with reinvented 1920s tipples – or just settle by the window overlooking the zoo and spot an emu while sipping a whisky sour. If you're more of a grape fan, there's a 400-strong collection of German and Spanish wines to work your way through. It's an ideal spot to hang out, unwind and enjoy the live music and DJs.
You can always tell how good a bar is by the number of locals who frequent it, and the Story Bar wins maximum points for reeling in the locals – it's beloved enough to have its own separate entrance. The shabby-chic furnishings, chaise longues and graffiti'ed walls give the bar a seriously edgy feel but that doesn't mean it's intimidating – the vibe is decisively easygoing.
Izakya loosely translates to from Japanese to 'pub', and everything in this laid-back bar is infused with Japanese flavours. There's a tempting Asian grazing menu on offer, and plenty of shochu, a Japanese spirit. The interior, inspired by traditional Japanese elements of earth, water, wind, fire and heaven, lends the bar an industrial-chic design finish. And trust us, this place throws a very good party.
The cocktails at Ohla Boutique Bar are as artistic as as the bar itself, with its wine-crate feature walls and scarlet tulip chairs. Indulge in some gastro-bar tapas, wander up to the rooftop terrace with a glass in hand (mixed by an award-winning bartender, of course) and take in the beautiful Barcelona streets as dusk falls. Sigh.
To see all 20 Mr & Mrs Smith hotels shortlisted in the Hottest Hotel Bar category and vote in the Smith Hotel Awards 2014, visit smithhotelawards.com. Voting is open until 30 September 2014.
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