restaurants

SURE, BUSINESS TRAVEL CAN BE FUN, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU DISCOVER NEW AND EXCITING aspects of a city— but as any frequent traveler will tell you, being on the road has its lonely moments as well. That’s why the hotel bar, a convenient and safe place to unwind after a long day of meetings, will always have a special place in the hearts of those who log more air miles in a month than many do in a year.

Some of these bars are known for their cocktails, others for ambience; some are steeped in history, while others are more modern. The following are a few tried and true hotel watering holes that are worth visiting on your next trip out of town.

Whiskey Bar at the Hotel Icon

Houston, Texas 220 Main Street, 713-224-4266 Smack dab in the heart of the downtown Business District, the Whiskey Bar is perhaps the city’s coolest lounge. It’s located on the mezzanine level of the Hotel Icon, a design-conscious boutique hotel housed in a former bank (the soaring lobby features two rows of 30-foot Doric columns) and owned by nightlife impresario Rande Gerber (husband of Cindy Crawford). The decor is Asian-inspired, with a red-and-black color scheme, mood lighting and ruby-hued curtains and throw pillows. On weekday evenings, you’ll find an upscale business crowd, while weekends attract hip Houstonians who enjoy cocktails like the signature Smoking Cosmo, made with Findlandia vodka, triple sec and cranberry juice and topped with dry ice. Those seeking a little more privacy can book the Den, a VIP room decked out with black lacquered walls, a cast-iron gas fireplace and Buddha statues. Downstairs in the lobby is the Bank restaurant, owned by celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

Lobby Lounge at the Ritz Carlton Buckhead

Atlanta, Georgia 3434 Peachtree Road NE, 404-237-2700 During afternoon tea, the Lobby Lounge is an oasis of calm, with scones and smoked salmon sandwiches being daintily eaten by society ladies and tourists; while during the late afternoon, solitary figures in dark suits hammer away on laptops while polishing off strong coffees or stiff cocktails. By 5 p.m., the bar becomes a bustling hangout for workers from the nearby financial and high-tech businesses (Buckhead’s sister property downtown, 10 miles away, does a steady after-work business as well, particularly with CNN and Coca-Cola employees). They come for the comfortable ambience—think soft cushioned chairs and couches, wood-paneled walls, gilt-framed paintings and a large marble fireplace—and the specialty cocktails and wines by the glass (including Stags Leap Chardonnay and Kemblefield Sauvignon Blanc), with live jazz music in the background. The Lobby Lounge is definitely Atlanta’s prime people-watching spot, so expect it to be busy just about every night of the week (especially Thursdays and Fridays).

Oak Bar at the Fairmont Copley Plaza

Boston, Massachusetts 138 St. James Avenue, 617-267-5300 The Fairmont Copley Plaza has been a Boston landmark since it opened in 1912, and one of the hotel’s most celebrated spaces is the Oak Bar. Wood paneling, damask curtains and upholstered chairs recall a British officers club. The hotel is just steps from Beantown’s business hub (Hancock Tower, Hynes Convention Center, etc.), so the Oak Bar is a magnet for professionals as well as prominent Bostonians, including Mayor Thomas Menino, members of the Kennedy clan and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. They appreciate the intimate atmosphere (ideal for an informal meeting or a post-meeting nightcap), as well as the extensive martini list—there are more than two dozen varieties, including the watermelon martini, the Charles River martini (similar to a dirty martini) and more unusual concoctions created by longtime bartender Luis Alvarenga. A newly introduced bar menu includes mini crab cakes, mini Kobe cheeseburgers and steak kabobs. Most nights, there is live music, either a pianist or a jazz quartet.

Round Robin Bar at the Willard InterContinental

Washington, D.C. 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue, 202-628-9100 Just two blocks from the White House, this historic bar at the historic Willard Hotel (dating from 1850) is a hub of activity. On any given night, you can rub shoulders with lawmakers and lobbyists, corporate bigwigs and celebrities. Everyone in town knows the Round Robin—it’s even been immortalized in a poem by Walt Whitman. Take in the scene from a stool at the circular mahogany bar or one of the hunter-green banquettes, and watch old-school bartenders like Jim Hewes, who knows a Beltway secret or two, serve traditional cocktails like the old-fashioned, gin rickey, sidecar and, of course, the mint julep, which was introduced to the bar by Kentuckian Henry Clay shortly after the hotel opened. As you sip your drink amid portraits of prominent Americans, including writer Mark Twain, composer John Philip Sousa and former presidents Harding and Taft, savor the fact that places like the Round Robin still exist.

Bull & Bear Bar at the Waldorf-Astoria

New York, New York 301 Park Avenue (entrance on 49th Street and Lexington Avenue), 212-872-4900 When you think of hotel bars in Manhattan, the Bull & Bear immediately comes to mind. This Edwardian-style room, named after the highs and lows of the stock market, is the quintessential midtown meeting spot. It’s popular at lunch, but the joint is really jumping after work. You’d be hard-pressed to find an empty seat at the pentagon-shaped mahogany bar, or even at one of the wooden tables where business deals go down and office workers share gossip and a quick drink before catching Metro North trains back to Connecticut or Westchester from nearby Grand Central Station. The bartenders serve classic cocktails like martinis and the Rob Roy (which was invented here), and those who end up staying for dinner will most likely order a juicy steak—perhaps a New York strip or filet mignon with a béarnaise sauce (lamp chops, lobster and chicken pot pie are also on the menu). As the night wears on, it’s likely that many trains will be missed.

Lobby Bar at the Peninsula Hotel

Chicago, Illinois 108 East Superior Street, 312-537-6766 It’s not surprising that one of the Windy City’s best hotels has one of its most happening bars. Known simply as the Bar, this intimate space with Art Deco light fixtures, deep armchairs and smooth jazz on the sound system is where Chicago’s movers and shakers kick back. The premier perch is on the plush couches in front of the gas fireplace in the center of the room, but there are also several cozy nooks for serious conversation. The cocktail menu features an extensive list of single-malt scotches, ports and cognacs, and the signature drink is the Cosmolini, a cosmopolitan made with Champagne. Visitors, who include CEOs, sports stars and tourists, can puff away on their favorite cigars (think Montecristo and Davidoff) or nibble on appetizers like sushi, lobster quesadillas and caviar. After a few drinks, many patrons head to the hotel’s Shanghai Terrace restaurant, modeled after a Chinese supper club circa 1930, known to have Chi Town’s best dim sum (served even at dinner).

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Jill Fergus is a freelance writer based in New York City. Email Jill at editor@executivetravelmag.com.