The History Behind the World's Most Iconic Hotel Bars

Singapore: Long Bar

Take Singapore’s Long Bar, tucked inside the sprawling oceanfront Raffles Hotel in Singapore. Opened in 1887, the bar was a hub for local society. In its prime, it was a magnet for celebrities like Ava Gardner, Elizabeth Taylor, Alfred Hitchcock, and Ernest Hemingway (a prominent presence at many of the world’s most iconic bars). It was also the birthplace of the Singapore Sling, a gin-based fruity cocktail invented in 1915 by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon, whose clever, rose-hued creation allowed women to sip liquor undetected during a time when they were not allowed to imbibe publicly. Today, guests can sip this signature drink in wicker armchairs or behind the polished wooden bar among lush greenery and 1920s-era lamps and tiled floors.

London: American Bar at The Savoy

Another late 19th-century hotel bar, the storied American Bar at The Savoy in London opened in 1893 and had a similar role in celebrity and cocktail culture. Named for its menu of American-style cocktails, Britain’s oldest surviving cocktail bar has been a favorite of A-listers as diverse as Marilyn Monroe, Mick Jagger, members of the Royal Family, and Winston Churchill (who was known to stash his own bottle of whiskey inside a locked cabinet behind the Art Deco-style chrome bar).

More than a century later, the bar continues to top “World’s Best Bar” lists, and guests can watch barkeeps donned in white blazers mix its signature drinks—including the White Lady, a gin-powered sour, and the Hanky Panky, a sweeter riff on the gin martini. And for the first time in the bar’s 128-year-old history, an American—Shannon Tebay, formerly of Death & Co.—is serving as its head bartender.

Paris: Bar Hemingway at the Ritz Paris

Across the Channel, the renowned Bar Hemingway at the Ritz Paris at Place Vendôme served its first round of drinks in 1898. Originally opened as the hotel's “Ladies’ Bar,” the intimate room off the hotel’s main lounge served evening tea and elaborate drinks garnished with fresh flowers, a touch that remains today. By the 1920s, the bar had transitioned to a co-ed drinking den and was dubbed the “Petit Bar,” becoming a favorite of Coco Chanel, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, and Ernest Hemingway. (It was here that the bar’s now namesake celebrated the Nazi’s retreat from Paris with several rounds of martinis.) Still a destination for A-listers and cocktail aficionados, the small, timber-paneled bar seats only 25 patrons, first-come, first-served. Try to snag a seat on one of the leather barstools and order Ritz Pimms or the Serendipity. Created by Collin Field, the spot’s lauded, longtime bartender, the latter is a bright, refreshing drink with a base of Calvados and topped with champagne.

New York City: King Cole Bar at The St. Regis

Dating back to the early 20th century is King Cole Bar at The St. Regis New York. One of America's most legendary hotel bars, it is the birthplace of a beverage favored by brunch-goers worldwide: the Bloody Mary. Called the Red Snapper (its common name dubbed too “vulgar” to appear on the elegant hotel’s menu), the spicy vodka drink was created in 1934 by bartender Fernand Petiot for visiting Russian aristocrat Serge Obolensky. Frequented by celebrities ranging from Ernest Hemingway (again!), Marilyn Monroe, and Salvador Dalí to Jason Wu and Uma Thurman, the intimate space and its Maxfield Parrish mural were also featured in an episode of the CW's original “Gossip Girl.” Belly up to the wood-paneled bar to sip on several varieties of Bloody Marys and classic cocktails and wine by the glass and bottle. The best seat in the house? Table 55 can be reserved for $2,500 and includes a custom menu featuring caviar, lobster, exclusive wines, rare whiskies, and other spirits.

Venice: Harry's Bar

Another iconic brunch drink, the Bellini was also invented at a sophisticated hotel lounge: Harry’s Bar, a Venice institution since opening its doors in the 1930s. A haunt of artists and aristocrats like Katharine Hepburn, Alfred Hitchcock, and Aristotle Onassis in its prime, modern-day fans sometimes include Italian resident George Clooney. The space is as timeless as its cocktails, decorated with mid-century modern furniture, glamorous brass light fixtures, and other throwback pieces. In addition to a Bellini, be sure to order a dry martini, served in a small, stemless glass.

New Orleans: The Sazerac Bar

From the sweet and foamy Brandy Milk Punch to the silky Ramos Gin Fizz, New Orleans has contributed more than its share of iconic drinks to the cocktail lexicon. Two of the Big Easy’s most notable drinks were invented—of course—in hotel bars, including the Sazerac. A riff on the Old Fashioned, it was created by pharmacist Antoine Amédée Peychaud to promote his line of bitters (spoiler alert: it worked!). The Sazerac Bar's moniker derived from its namesake cognac-based drink, oft-cited as America's first cocktail. Drink one behind the elegant walnut bar inside the historic The Roosevelt New Orleans, just on the edge of the city's famed French Quarter.

New Orleans: Carousel Bar & Lounge

Only a few blocks away is the Carousel Bar & Lounge at the historic Hotel Monteleone, opened in 1949 and frequented by literary legends like Ernest Hemingway, Eudora Welty, William Faulkner, Tennessee Williams, and Truman Capote. While you can’t go wrong with any one of the seats in the enchanting, luxurious space, wait for a spot at the revolving bar. Sip on a Vieux Carré, a sophisticated and boozy New Orleans original made with rye whiskey, cognac, and two types of bitters. It was invented here by bartender Walter Bergeron.