Aer made a splash when it opened last December on the top of the Four Seasons Mumbai.* The highest bar in the city, the lounge sprawls across the entire rooftop of the hotel, offering incredible panoramas of the city’s bustling Worli district and the Arabian Sea. Needless to say, Aer recently scored a spot on ABC News Travel’s list of the “World’s Best Rooftop Bars.” The views may be sensational, but the “dining is equally as inspiring,” claims the hotel’s official website, “with the emphasis on shared plates featuring an innovative selection of hot and cold Lebanese and Middle Eastern dips, Mediterranean tapas and other international favorites.” Order up a personalized cocktail- perhaps a blend of fresh fruit and Champagne- while sampling some midnight mezzes. A live DJ plays nightly sets in this open-air bar. Evening happy hour (running from 5:30 pm- 8 pm every evening) means half-price Champagne cocktails and Champagne.

by Mary Winston Nicklin

The Informed Traveler Cal Simmons’ Guide to Luxury Travel

The Surrey Hotel, the boutique hotel on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, has opened a spectacular private roof garden complete with expansive views of the Manhattan skyline and Central Park. The roof garden features lounge seating amidst seasonal florals, ranging from brilliant purple Salvia East Frieslands to pink, yellow and orange Lantana. There are lovely box trees that are framed by rows of English dwarf lavenders. Located on the Penthouse level of the hotel, the rooftop garden is available seasonally and exclusively to hotel guests.

The 2,200 square foot terrace is a serene escape and can only be compared to a penthouse terrace found on the top of some of the most exclusive apartment buildings in Manhattan. The roof was completely resurfaced, and features Ipe Brazilian decking and trellises, with ivy and box trees growing throughout the garden. It was designed by Lauren Rottet, the renowned interior and architectural designer who spearheaded The Surrey’s recent renovation.

The garden is open daily from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm, and offers butler service for beverages and light means, enabling guests to dine any time of the day, including breakfast, lunch and dinner. Featured menu items range from the Smoked Salmon Club to the New York Strip Steak Frites. The terrace has bar service with its signature cocktail being the “Muddled Lemonade”—a combination of fresh herbs, fruits and spices mixed with home-made lemonade (available with or without alcohol). The menu also features classic cocktails such as the “Dark and Stormy”. “Moscow Mule” and innovative concoctions including the “Blackberry Mint Margarita” and the “76th Street”, which is made with fresh lime, club soda, orange bitters and Patron Silver.

Guests and selected members of the neighborhood will be invited to themed evening festivities, such as the Backgammon night and Pimm’s night, as well as wine tastings and book readings.

The terrace is a wonderful addition to The Surrey, which recently reopened after a $60 million-plus complete renovation. The hotel, which is located in one of Manhattan’s most exclusive of neighborhoods, is a black, white, cream and sepia space, which melds traditional sophistication with a modern edge. Its high ceilings and archways, limestone walls and marble floors evoke the ambiance of a grand residential townhouse. There’s also a private suite that is available for that is for private functions that rents for $5,000 a night. The suite, which is 1,100 square feet, has a private outdoor terrace, kitchen and wet bar.

The Surrey features 190 well-appointed salons, including 30 one-bedroom suites, a Penthouse and a Presidential Suite, ranging from 350 to 2,127 square feet in size. The hotel is now the destination of choice for well-heeled visitors to New York, ranging from tourists and business travelers to those who are visiting relatives who live in the area.

The Surrey offers a complete luxury experience for hotel guests and Manhattanites alike with its beautiful day spa, “Spa at the Surrey” that is complete with luxurious private therapy rooms as well as a range of customized spa treatments. There’s also a world-class restaurant, Cafe Boulud, which is operated by celebrity chef, Daniel Boulud, offers a contemporary approach to classic French cuisine. Boulud also operates Bar Pleiades, located on the lobby level of the Surrey, an Art Deco-inspired lounge that is quickly becoming the destination of choice for the residents of the Upper East Side.

The hotel’s impressive art collection is also worth checking out. Curated by Rottet, it includes 31 original contemporary works by notable artists such as Chuck Close and Helen Amy Murray, dispersed throughout the private and public spaces. The collection pays homage to the hotel’s impressive Upper East Side location just steps from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the other well-known institutions that make up Museum Mile.

The Surrey Hotel is located at 20 East 76th Street, between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue.

by Carrie Coolidge Rss Feed

Luxist

A stiff drink and a view of Nelson’s Column. Lovely.

London may be suffering from bad weather today, but that doesn’t mean we can’t dream about the sunny days which (positivity, people) we’re sure will come along any day now.

And when they do come, we’ll be popping up to the new rooftop bar at the Trafalgar Hotel (Hilton’s first unbranded London property just off the side of Trafalgar Square), Vista, which opened last week.

There was a bar up there before (called The Trafalgar Roof Garden), but this one sounds pretty special – it was designed by the same people who did Whisky Mist (the superswanky, favorite-of-the-royals-and-their-hangers-on at the Hilton Park Lane) and the roof has been completely revamped to maximize the views and bring in a “relaxed atmosphere of Mediterranean chic”.

Talking of Mediterranean, the menu includes things like stuffed baby pepper with halloumi and herbs, platters of antipasti and a watermelon, tarragon and feta salad, while there will also be a cocktail menu of drinks made with English fruit and herbs grown on the roof.

The catch? There’s a £5 cover charge. Not good, but seeing as cocktails start at £10, it could be worse. Plus, at least this way, you should get a seat, no?

Juliab @ hotelchatter

Tequila and Tacos Help Mondays Go Down at 60 Thomson

We already know that overpriced drinks are a lot easier to swallow when perched on a hotel rooftop bar high above the city. But you know what’s also pretty delish from upon high? Tacos. So we’re totally into the new Tacos & Tequila night at 60 Thompson‘s A60. Especially since it’s on a Monday.

Also? You don’t have to be a hotel guest or A60 member to get your Rooftop Mex on—you just have to rock up early. Non-members are welcome ‘when space permits’, so we recommend hitting up the bar as soon as the taco stand opens at 5 p.m.

There are three varieties on the menu, including grilled coriander chicken, flank steak a la plancha and sautéed shrimp in salsa verde, all priced between $10–$14 (there are 3 tacos per order). You can also order chips with salsa or guacamole ($6–$8) and caramel flan with shredded coconut ($5).

Since all of these snacks demand a little (or a lot of) tequila on the side, the drink specials on Monday nights include a T&T Margarita and Ruby Red Chili (Svedka vodka, limoncello, muddled grapefruit and chili) for $10 each, and shots of Cabo Wabo tequila for $7.

If you plan to stay awhile, you may prefer a pitcher of passionfruit margarita or white sangria spiked with tequila and fruit—there are five drinks in a pitcher for $45.

We never thought you’d hear us say this, but … Uh, is it Monday yet?

MsRebecca @ HotelChatter