Best Hotel Bar

The W Downtown watering hole DRINKSHOP is where you go when you’re rich, beautiful or hoping to brush shoulders with either (or preferably both). The cocktails ain’t cheap, and if you’re hanging out here, you shouldn’t be, either. The space itself is sultry and space age-y, with a glowing bar and crushed blue velvet benches drenched in the type of intoxicating light that makes you feel woozy before even taking a sip. And oh, the cocktails. DrinkShop is the brainchild of New York cocktail master Sasha Petraske, and the bar’s head mixologist, Eric Simpkins, knows what’s up. We’re talking house-made mixers (including ginger beer crafted from the root itself) and even artisan ice, chipped off a 150-pound block. Now that’s the kind of swank worth toasting to. 45 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd., 404-582-5800. www.starwoodhotels.com/whotels. less...

Opened in August 2003, THE MARK took the space infamously known as Karma and applied a veneer of disco-deco angularity, replacing the roughly hewn with a refined ultralounge modeled after boutique hotels. Perched on molded plastic furnishings, it’s easy to want to nestle in, wishing you had a room nearby for the wee hours. And much like in prestigious hotels from New York to Paris, internationally renowned DJs are presented in an intimate setting. On those nights you can display your stamina on the dancefloor and, fate willing, meet someone inspired to do the things that demand the phrase “get a room.” The club may no longer be overtly debauched, but a little sophistication goes a long way behind closed doors. “79 Poplar St. 678-904-0050. www.themarkatlanta.com” less...

There’s a reason the word “ritzy” was coined to describe the Ritz-Carlton hotels. The Buckhead location’s Dining Room is a AAA Five-Diamond winner, and that quality shines through in the Lobby Lounge. Light fare, a selection of fine wines (also found in the restaurant and wine bar) and premium spirits are available in a luxurious setting infused with a primarily jazz beat except on Thursdays when Gaelic music is featured. From a French marble fireplace to the honored British tradition of afternoon tea, the Ritz-Carlton’s Lobby Lounge offers relaxation at its finest. less...

Atlanta never looks better than it does from the Sun Dial. Even on its worst days, the city manages to shimmer and twinkle sweetly far, far away as the Sun Dial spins slowly atop the Westin Peachtree to the tune of Mose Davis, the piano player who’s performed there for years and who wishes like hell that people would request something other than “Misty.” It’ll cost you $5 to ride up on the glassed-in elevator with height-frightened tourists, but it’s worth it. less...