- Forbes releases worldwide critic-curated travel recommendations every year, from best destinations to restaurants and even hotel bars.
- This year, of the 44 hotel bars Forbes Travel Guide included in its worldwide roundup, only 10 were in the United States.
- Those 10 bars were all located inside luxury hotels and most were noted for having a classic, cozy feel.
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Many hotels boast receiving stars from Forbes. Sea Island, a private luxury resort on the coast of Georgia, even has the designation featured front and center on its homepage: “The only resort in the world to achieve four Forbes Five-Stars 11 years in a row.”
Sea Island is regularly celebrated by Forbes for its hotel and spa, but this year it was celebrated for something else – its bar.
Forbes Travel Guide released a list of 44 noteworthy hotel bars worldwide – and Sea Island’s bar, The Oak Room, was one of only 10 picks located in the United States.
Winners are decided by Forbes Travel Guide critics who stayed at over 1,000 hotels anonymously, the publication notes. The properties are evaluated based on 900 different criteria delineated by an entire standards advisory committee of hospitality and luxury industry leaders.
As far as hotel bars were concerned, the specific, extremely granular criteria for ranking (beyond facilities and service) included whether cocktails were served at the right temperature and if the napkins were linen or cotton.
Keep reading for a look at the swanky bars that made the cut. The bars are listed in ascending order of price, based on the hotel's nightly starting rate sourced from luxury travel website Skylark or the hotel's individual website.
Park Lounge at Park Hyatt Aviara Resort
Location: Carlsbad, California
Starting rate per night: $237
The Park Hyatt Aviara is located right outside San Diego. The property is surrounded by a wildlife preserve and hiking trails. It also boasts an Arnold Palmer-designed golf course, an expansive spa, and the Park Lounge bar, which has sunset views and housemade simple syrup.
Z Bar at The Peninsula Chicago
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Starting rate per night: $333
Z Bar is a rooftop terrace bar in The Peninsula on Chicago's famed Magnificent Mile. It is one of two Peninsula hotel bars on this list. The new bar was named for the hotel's first female general manager, Maria Zec, and has been touted by Chicago Magazine for its "pitch-perfect old fashioned."
Garden Room at Weekapaug Inn
Location: Westerly, Rhode Island
Starting rate per night: $410
The Weekapaug Inn is situated on the Rhode Island shoreline and aims to be "quintessentially New England." Its bar is no exception - the Garden Room is outfitted with antique chairs and cozy sofas and serves cocktails along with clam chowder. Forbes Travel Guide recommends the maple bourbon old fashioned, which has a simple recipe of maple bourbon from Vermont, water, and bitters.
Rowes Wharf Bar at Boston Harbor Hotel
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Starting rate per night: $420
Forbes Travel Guide referred to Rowes Wharf Bar as "dark and seductive" and noted that it's home to "Boston's largest scotch collection." The Boston Harbor Hotel in which it is situated is also known for its stellar service - it was named the best hotel in the US by the Preferred Hotels & Resorts Awards of Excellence.
The Oak Room at Sea Island Golf Club
Location: Sea Island, Georgia
Starting rate per night: $426
Sea Island is a private resort on the Georgia coast. Its main bar at The Lodge has a view of the golf course and serves southern favorites like shrimp and grits. Forbes Travel Guide said it has "the look and feel of a high-class pub," except it's only open to golf club members and resort guests.
33°North at Monarch Beach Resort
Location: Dana Point, California
Starting rate per night: $504
A Southern California resort stay wouldn't be complete without a tropical cocktail - Forbes Travel Guide recommends the Beached Quail, which includes rum, whiskey, orange curaçao, pineapple, cinnamon syrup, and lime juice. The bar is separated into a salon and an ocean-view patio.
Thirsty Camel at The Phoenician
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona
Starting rate per night: $529
The Thirsty Camel at The Phoenician, A Luxury Collection Resort is an outdoor bar complete with fire pits, live music, and panoramic views of Scottsdale. Forbes Travel Guide recommends drinking a Cloud Nine, which is made with Belvedere, St-Germain, lime juice, mint, cucumber, simple syrup, and egg white.
The St. Regis Bar & Wine Vault at The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort
Location: Bal Harbour, Florida
Starting rate per night: $598
The only bar on the list that focuses solely on wine, the bar at The St. Regis just outside of Miami has over 2,500 bottles from 450 vineyards. The bar, in addition to the hotel, has a luxurious feel with black marble tiling and mirrored walls.
MO Bar + Lounge at Mandarin Oriental Miami
Location: Miami, Florida
Starting rate per night: $599
The bar at the Mandarin Oriental has citrus-y cocktails, live Cuban jazz, and is situated right on the water, providing views of the bay and of the Miami skyline. Condé Nast Traveler also named the Mandarin one of Miami's best hotels.
The Club Bar at The Peninsula Beverly Hills
Location: Beverly Hills, California
Starting rate per night: $680
The Club Bar's old school ambience landed it on Forbes' list. Rebecca Goldberg, the hotel's director of food and beverage, told Forbes that while the bar is "incredibly comfortable," it's the team that sets it apart: "The team in [the bar] is probably the strongest in the hotel. They know who's going to like each other. They know who they should introduce. They really know how to create an evening for people."