Once a watering hole of last resort, hotel bars are back with a vengeance and they're no longer just for business travelers and tourists. Today, it’s not uncommon, even in major metropolitan areas, for the more popular drinking establishments to call a hotel their home, and the trend continues to grow as competing hospitality groups race to up the ante. Signature cocktails, tantalizing small bites, refined interior design and unique entertaining concepts lead the way, with new projects and reworking of old venues providing fresh fodder for out-of-town visitors, as well as the local crowd.

The Rose Club

The Rose Club, located inside New York City's iconic hotel, The Plaza, where the infamous Persian Room once was, is a classic example of a great American Bar. Since opening its doors in 1907, The Plaza has remained one of America's most celebrated hotels. Hailed upon its completion as the greatest hotel in the world, The Plaza was certainly the most luxurious, boasting 1,650 crystal chandeliers, gold-encrusted china, and a breathtaking glass-ceilinged Palm Court. The Persian Room, its legendary nightclub, played host to the likes of Bob Hope, Liza Minnelli and jazz icons including Duke Ellington, Miles Davis and Billie Holiday. Today, the grandeur of the hotel is perfectly preserved inside The Rose Club, which features dramatic fuchsia lighting, dark mahogany wood walls, and gold-accented Louis XIV-style furniture. The Rose Club menu features an array of signature and classic cocktails, wines, champagnes, and a select epicurean menu including lighter gourmet fare. Posh, yet cozy, it’s a popular destination for hotel guests and New Yorkers alike, especially on Wednesday evenings when it hosts live jazz performances.

Vertigo Sky Lounge

Heading west, one of the Windy City's more popular hotel bars can be found high atop the Dana Hotel and Spa. This boldly original luxury boutique hotel evokes a vibe that isn't about seeing and being seen – only about living in the moment. Located on the hotel's 26th floor, Vertigo Sky Lounge is the first year-round, indoor/outdoor lounge in Chicago and features live DJ's nightly, an outdoor fire-pit for added ambiance, and in the colder winter months – the city's only Outdoor Rooftop Ice Bar. Its expansive outdoor patio features an array of comfortable places to lounge, including communal L-shaped seating and chain-suspended cabana seating. Winner of numerous awards, Vertigo is a favorite rendezvous for locals in-the-know and is considered by many to be Chicago's premiere party lounge and bar. Beautiful skyline views, light bites, craft cocktails and a popular weekday happy hour complete the package. Weeknights, the music sets the tone for a chill lounge setting, and on weekends, they ramp up the music playlist and spin a nice mix of up tempo dance music, mainstream house, Top 40, and the newest live remixes.

Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar

Over on the West Coast, the Fairmont San Francisco Hotel has played host to U.S. presidents, world leaders and entertainment stars for more than a century. Located atop Nob Hill, this landmark hotel has pampered its guests with luxurious accommodations, awe-inspiring views, incomparable cuisine, and a heritage of grand hospitality since 1907. In 1945, the Fairmont opened its infamous Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar, delighting guests with its tropical décor, decadent libations and Asian cuisine. Having reigned as a swanky outpost of South Seas high-style for much of its storied history, Tonga Room more recently gained a following as an icon of tiki’s pop culture heyday of the 1940s and 1950s. A $1,000,000 restoration rekindled the excitement of its unique and time-honored décor to recapture the glory of one of the nation’s first tiki palaces. Open Wednesday through Sunday, Tonga Room features a top-40 band each evening; a dance floor built from the remains of the S.S. Forester – a lumber schooner that once traveled regularly between San Francisco and the South Sea Islands; and periodic light tropical rainstorms, complete with thunder and lightning. One of the nation’s hottest bars, The Tonga Room was recently featured on ABC, Travel Channel, and Food Network.

The Mixing Room

Travel down the coast about 350 miles and you'll most likely find a large crowd at The Mixing Room, located on the lobby level of the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE. Known for world-class mixology, innovative small plates, and lush comfortably designed indoor and outdoor seating, it’s the ideal location for stargazing and people watching. Open seven days a week, The Mixing Room maintains a spirit rooted in warmth, hospitality, and a sense of fun, while combining cutting-edge mixology with the reinventing of classic cocktails created for a modern audience. JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE shares space with The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles, and The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE. A massive sports and entertainment complex, L.A. LIVE bills itself as "The Most Entertaining Place On The Planet" and boasts six live entertainment venues, a fourteen screen cinema, the Grammy Museum^®, and nineteen dining experiences. It's the host of the Grammys, Emmys, American Music Awards, ESPYs, American Idol Finals and a year’s worth of red carpet premieres.