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How to make your bar a guest magnet

A lively bar establishes a certain tone and energy for a hotel. An empty space is a lost opportunity, not only for that shot of energy but for profit. Here are six ways to keep that space humming:

The Library bar at the Ambassador Chicago Hotel has a cocktail menu based on the space's previous, legendary bar, the Pump Room.
The Library bar at the Ambassador Chicago Hotel has a cocktail menu based on the space’s previous, legendary bar, the Pump Room.

Create a local connection. Booth One, which opened last year at the Ambassador Chicago Hotel, captures a slice of the Windy City’s history at the Library bar, with a cocktail menu inspired by the hotel’s legendary Pump Room.

“It’s about being classic and timeless, with cocktails and food that are straightforward, sourcing good ingredients and staying true to the craft and preparation,” says Nate Redner, Booth One’s beverage director.

In London, the American Bar at the Stafford serves classic American cocktails alongside drinks influenced by the historic St. James neighborhood. The cocktail list shares the secret stories of the hotel and secluded streets that surround it.

The Driskill Bar at the Driskill in Austin, Texas, has history-themed cocktails, local spirits and live music.
The Driskill Bar at the Driskill in Austin, Texas, has history-themed cocktails, local spirits and live music.

Décor and menus can both forge the local connection. The Driskill Bar at the historic Driskill in Austin, Texas, nails the Texas spirit with history-themed cocktails, inclusion of local spirits, cowhide chairs, original statues, a state flag and live music 365 days a year.

The recently debuted DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London — Tower of London’s Savage Garden riffs on the prison theme with graffiti walls, black pudding fries and a beverage menu with names like Wild Poison and Devil’s Advocate. Bars like the Savage Garden that are themed and innovative cocktail programs that lend themselves to social media shares are especially popular, says Jonathan Wilson, Hilton’s vice president of customer experience and innovation, food and beverage.

Be a specialist. Being known for shaking up the city’s best martini, or offering a pages-long list of bourbons, is a great way to build a loyal local following. Bar888 at the InterContinental San Francisco carries the largest selection of grappas in the U.S. — more than 100 — and mixologists blend them into grappa cocktails.

The nearby Stanford Court recently opened a Seven Stills Brewery & Distillery, featuring its own locally crafted products and holding regular beer and whiskey tastings. At the InterContinental Montreal’s Sara B, absinthe is the draw, with servers presenting the once-banned quaff with a flourish and a back story and offering it in cocktails.

Ortzi at the Luma Hotel Times Square focuses on Basque-inspired fare and drinks.
Ortzi at the Luma Hotel Times Square focuses on Basque-inspired fare and drinks.

In New York City, Ortzi at the Luma Hotel Times Square specializes in Basque-inspired fare along with Basque-style cocktails, wines, ciders and beers.

Keep it simple. “Travelers are often out of sorts being away from home; the bar experience should be understandable and recognizable at a glance,” says Joshua Zinder, founding principal of design firm JZA+D. And don’t hide the bar or make it feel like an afterthought, he adds.

For the Blue Duck Tavern and Lounge at the Park Hyatt in Washington, D.C., commuters looking to unwind are drawn to a deliberately simple menu of cheese and charcuterie plates, snacks, bar jars and wine bites. Beverages include seasonal cocktails, classic martinis and wines by the glass at many price points.

“It’s an approachable, attractive menu that isn’t overly expensive and can be executed quickly,” says Joseph Cerione, general manager of the tavern and lounge.

A simple-to-prepare beverage menu is also a must for a hotel bar that does high volumes; devoting 10 minutes to craft a cocktail is not going to cut it.

Make the space inviting. What’s inviting depends on the overall tone of the property, of course, but a residential atmosphere appeals to a broad cross section of travelers and locals. San Francisco’s Hotel Zeppelin, the Mantel Bar provides intimate seating around the lobby’s gothic fireplace, with unorthodox accents of black light poetry and a gin garage door.

The Cruise Room, opened the day after Prohibition was repealed in 1933, is a Denver institution that lets guests determine what the mood will be. Located at The Oxford Hotel, the room has a dramatically lit back bar, warm, rose-colored neon lights a jazz-heavy jukebox.

“We look at the bar experience like setting up a dance floor; we set the lights and the music and allow our guests to orchestrate the type of experience they’re looking for,” says Brandon Wise, vice president of beverage operations for operator Sage Restaurant Group. “Some days it’s a raucous energy, other days it’s cool and mellow.”

Stir up the energy with regular events and activations. Pacific Hideaway, adjacent to the Kimpton Shorebreak Resort in Huntington Beach, California, packs in imbibers with Ink Mondays, offering guests the chance to acquire tattoos; cocktail competitions and popup bars themed around popular movies and holidays.

In Tokyo, Trunk Hotel’s sprawling lounge hosts socializing events ranging from a flea market showcasing local artisans and food booths; classes and workshops; lives sessions with emerging DJs and rotating guest mixologist nights.

“We’ve seen how bars can truly enhance a hotel’s identity and create energy that travels throughout the property,” says John Meadow, president of LDV, which operates the already popular Commodore Coconut Grove, recently opened at the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove in Miami. “Programming and activations allow us to really get a sense of the community and tap into the city’s sense of place.”

Even an established destination like Top of the Mark at San Francisco’s InterContinental Mark Hopkins doesn’t rest on its decades-old reputation as a favorite place for San Franciscans — who line up at 4:30 to get in. The lounge schedules themed experiences throughout the year, hosts movie nights in the summer and celebrates jazz in April.

“It’s much more than a hotel bar — it is a place where people come to make memories and return to celebrate them,” says Joseph Ferragamo, F&B director.

Forget that it’s a bar in a hotel. “This may sound counterintuitive, but curating the unique touchpoints from a local perspective first, then catering to the hotel guest second is how we first went about some of our spaces,” says Terence Tubridy, owner and managing partner of New York City-based In Good Company Hospitality.

The Highball Bar at the Mayton Inn in Cary, North Carolina, was designed to compete with local drinking establishments; working with a bar consultant, owner Colin Crossman decided to focus on bourbon, and he showcases the spirit through weekly break-even pours from rare and local products and regular tasting events. “But we also have classic cocktails down cold — they have to be perfect every time,” Crossman adds, because even if they’re not on the menu, some guests will order them. Keeping standards very high gives the Highball Bar a leg up on the local competition, he notes.

Tobias Peach, director of F&B at the Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt in Austin, Texas, agrees that the secret to a great hotel bar is “to make it not a hotel bar. From a quality of product, creativity and staff knowledge perspective you should always be aiming at competing with the best craft cocktail bars in town. Sure, you have to be prepared for and accommodate the tired hotel guest who has been traveling all day and just wants their dirty martini. In that case, we just make them the best one they have ever had.”

In the end, “the most important thing is that the space has a distinct personality and doesn’t try to be all things to everyone,” says Caroline Duyal, vice president of operations at Davidson Hotels & Resorts.

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