Boston’s Best Hotel Bars
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As this NY Times article points out, hotel bars around the country are shedding their stodgy, tired reputation and replacing it with inventive drink menus and cool new digs. This is especially true in Boston, where you’ll find plenty of locals frequenting the city’s many hotel bars. Clink in the newly opened Liberty Hotel is a great example of this hotel bar phenomenon.
Whether you want a wild night on the town or a relaxing drink after a long day of sightseeing, Boston’s hotel bars have the recipe for what you’re looking for. Bottoms up!
If you’re feeling like a fruity cocktail… Foundation Lounge at the Hotel Commonwealth has a lively scene most nights of the week, especially when the Red Sox are playing at nearby Fenway Park. Other times, guests enjoy live jazz music as they sip Wild Mango Martinis and nibble on zensai (think tapas but with a Japanese twist). Foundation’s well-wheeled crowd includes business travelers, young professionals, and the occasional group of college kids flaunting their trust funds.
If you’re in the mood for a martini… Noir at the Charles Hotel serves old standbys like Mint Julep or Dark & Stormy, as well as specialty drinks like Noir’s Boudoir and the Femme Fatale. Both martinis are inspired by the “film noir” décor of this sleek, intimate bar. Flickering candles and sultry music complete the classic romantic ambiance, and the location is ideal for a pre- or post-show drink if you’re going to the American Repertory Theatre.
If you gotta have your Guinness… Sólás Irish Pub in the Lenox Hotel offers a laidback option for world-weary travelers to enjoy a cold beer and delicious pub food in peace. With beer, wine, cocktails, and Irish whiskey, Sólás is a bit more casual than its sibling City-Bar next door. Fittingly, its name means “comfort” in Gaelic.
If you want to unwind with a glass of wine… Bristol Lounge in the Four Seasons Hotel offers a classy way to relax and admire views of Boston Commons. This spacious lounge is popular among well-heeled thirty and fortysomethings, so you’re more likely to spot a local mogul than a group of rowdy college students.
If you want your whiskey on the rocks… Whiskey Park in the Park Plaza Hotel feels like a swanky bachelor pad with faux fur couches, leather loveseats, and a dark wood bar. Rumor has it that Yankees players stop by when they’re in town, so expect guests to scan the crowd as they sip bourbon and rye cocktails.
If we didn’t mention your favorite hotel bar, leave a comment and let us know!
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