For some reason I love a good hotel bar. It could be because of their short proximity to the room after several rounds of drinks. Some hotel bars I’ve come across share their kitchen with the hotel’s restaurant, offering up better food than a vast majority of places you might stumble into. In Orlando, our occasional hang-out is the Ohana’s restaurant bar in the Polynesian. I know, it’s fake and sort of cheesy, but it’s a great place to get a beer and some food. Time it right and you’ve got a great seat for fireworks too.
It seems hotels are finally taking notice and turning their once crappy bars (anyone remeber those horrible sports bars in Marriotts? Are those still around?), into places people can actually enjoy. The New York Times took notice and writes about the transformations.
Hotels increasingly see their lobbies as more than a way station to somewhere else, offering wireless Internet service, for instance, and comfortable chairs and sofas to encourage socializing and informal meetings. The changes at hotel bars are part of that trend, inspired by the thriving bar scene begun at boutique hotels run by Ian Schrager and the W brand from Starwood.
(Link courtesy of Gridskipper, picture from Critiki)
