5 great rooftop hotel bars and restaurants for summer

Park place: The Gansevoort Park Avenue NYC has a stylish rooftop venue.

By Mark Chesnut

With summer heating up and business travel continuing to fill up hotels, the time is right to head to the roof for the best views and the freshest breezes. Here are five scenic options to enjoy a meal or drink.

1. The sleek Gansevoort Park NYC has become a hot spot for style-conscious travelers. Penthouse 2, which is also the pool level, is open from noon through the evening hours, welcoming a business-oriented crowd for drinks and light meals in both indoor and outdoor settings. After 9pm, you can head to Penthouse 1, which becomes a hub for well-dressed night owls.

2. The Panorama Restaurant & Sky Lounge, on the eighth floor of the Sonesta Bayfront Hotel Coconut Grove, serves up creative Peruvian cuisine as well as excellent views of Miami’s Key Biscayne and Peacock Park. You can enjoy the view whether you sit indoors or on the outdoor terrace; lunch and dinner options include South American favorites like ceviche as well as classic U.S. dishes including burgers and salads.

3. The Melia Atlanta has opened a new rooftop pool bar and dining area called Sol Deck, which hosts live entertainment twice a week. The Sunday brunch special lasts from 11am until 3 p.m., with a DJ spinning music through the evening. Business or leisure travelers with some free time might want to partake in the Tuesday evening movie night, during which the Sol Deck screens an international array of films, accompanied by cocktails.

4. The Park Hyatt Chicago reopened its seventh-floor facilities in June following a four-month renovation, with four separate concepts: NoMI Kitchen, NoMI Lounge, NoMI Garden and NoMI Spa. The Kitchen features open and private dining spaces with Dale Chihuly hand-blown glass sculptures. The open-air Garden has a new, 30-foot teak bar with a black granite countertop, and plenty of seating with views of Chicago’s impressive skyline.

5. Across the pond, the Fairmont Monte Carlo is home to the new L’Horizon Deck, Restaurant and Champagne Bar, a seventh-floor terrace that overlooks the Opera and the Mediterranean Sea, with views of the Prince’s Palace and legendary casino. A live DJ or saxophone player is often present to add to the evening ambiance, providing the perfect backdrop for sipping Champagne and sampling tapas.

Related resources

• Atlanta hotels
• Boston hotels
• Chicago hotels
• New York hotels
• Toronto hotels

Mark Chesnut is a travel writer, editor and publisher of LatinFlyer.com, which focuses on business and leisure travel to Latin America.

Tagged: Hotels, New York