New Hotel Bars 2009 - Our Shout

Australia’s best new and refurbed hotel watering holes – let’s call them “Hot Springs” – are an eclectic mix of the groovy, the sleek, the stylish and the subtle. The first round is on us . . .

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The Ivy

Nightclub king Justin Hemmes invited them to his house party, and seemingly all of Sydney’s party crowd have heeded his call. It’s surprising just how many cool cats, cougars and kittens come to play at The Ivy. From the ground floor Ash Street Cellar to the exceedingly cool Den on the third floor and ultra VIP areas like the Pool Bar (with an actual pool), the $120m venue is beautifully decorated, offers great service and even greater cocktails. Plus, you’ll feel though you’ve made it in this particular Hemmesphere when you’re drinking right next to Justin – he’s a regular too.
George St, Sydney, (02) 9240 3000, www.merivale.com.au

Kings Cross Hotel

After six years of works, this old-timer is back in business. And you won’t recognise the old girl with her hot new look: ground floor Main Bar, level one Balcony Bar, level three Lounge Bar, level five Rooftop bar and levels two and six for private functions. And if you’re starting the night off at the Lounge Bar and don’t know where to next, you can check out the nightclub upstairs without going anywhere – much like at Hemmes’ pad. Here, they simply peer up through the glass dance floor. Which doesn’t sound as classy as at The Ivy, but on the upside, mere mortals can get access to the rooftop.
William St, Kings Cross,(02) 9331 9900, www.kingscrosshotel.com.au

Sydney Wine Room

Hotel lobby bars are often desert-like places, silent and empty, with dust settling on the bar tops. Not so at the Kirketon in Potts Point. Sticking to what it knows best, the hotel has outsourced to bring us the Sydney Wine Room. On the ground floor, the small and intimate venue promises to mix up “anything from a Hy-Brazil to a Coco Love” – and fills up tables and punters quickly. The quirky lounge’s extensive cocktail and noteworthy wine list both receive AT’s tick of approval.
Darlinghurst Rd, Darlinghurst, (02) 9332 2011, www.kirketon.com.au

Delta Bar

After Sydney’s Chifley Potts Point Hotel & Spa’s $20m renovation – within spitting distance of the famous Kings Cross Coke sign – you’d expect this bar to become the Alpha and Omega of the local scene. The brand new Delta Bar is bringing back retro fashion with cool lime and white décor, a fabulous cocktail list and intimate setting. The official launch was just as AT was going to press, but rest assured we’ll be there to see if it lives up to the hype.
Victoria St, Potts Point, (02) 9358 2755, http://www.chifleyhotels.com/pottspoint

The Cuvee

French elegance is what $10m worth of refurbishment has given the Sofitel Brisbane. And its Cuvee champagne lounge is all bubbles and chic with vintage and non-vintage labels from 20 of the world’s great champagne houses. But wine, cocktail and even beer lovers needn’t despair; the beverage list is as spread out as the Paris Metro. Let’s hope it doesn’t get as crowded as the Champs Élysées, so you can actually enjoy the mood lighting and live lounge music in the evenings.
Turbot St, Brisbane, (07) 3835 3535, www.sofitelbrisbane.com.au

Binara One

Things are heating up in our nation’s capital. Binara One took out the Australian Hotels Association’s award for Best Bar in a Hotel in 2007, and apparently not only Canberrans, politicians and business travellers think it’s the place to be. The Crowne Plaza Canberra’s cocktail lounge and “boozetique” serves up tapas and – you guessed right – cocktails. Even if AT isn’t quite sure if calling it a “boozetique” is just another way of saying you’ll get seriously sozzled on their cocktails pretty quickly.
Banara St, Canberra City, (02) 6247 8999, www.crowneplaza.com.au/canberra

Limes Rooftop Bar

Grab some popcorn with your cocktail this summer and hit the Limes Hotel Rooftop bar. Stargazing takes on a whole new meaning when you take a seat in its cool lounge chairs in front of a big cinema screen. Prepare for new releases and cult classics and bring a warm jumper – this bar is seriously cool. And if you end up a little too “happy” to drive, see if you can get a room; they go for just $99 after pumpkin hour.
Constance St, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, (07) 3852 9000, www.limeshotel.com.au

The Grand Bar at Stamford Grand Adelaide

Known fondly to dedicated locals simply as “The Grand”, this is the ground floor bar attached to the Stamford Grand Adelaide right on Glenelg beach. Although perhaps it’s more accurate to say the hotel is “attached” to the bar, since the classic Australian beachside boozer is the first thing that springs to many minds. Having been given a $1m makeover in 2008, this legendary hangout will hopefully continue to welcome visitors to Glenelg for generations to come.
Moseley Square, Glenelg, (08) 8376 1222, www.stamford.com.au/sga

Gazebo Bar

Maybe the best hotel bars are the ones that also offer good food. AT reckons it’s a great way to stop travellers from venturing elsewhere – and at the Gazebo Restaurant & Bar at the refurbed Urban Brisbane, you’ll find some very fine food indeed, mostly Mod Oz with Asian and Mediterranean influences.
Wickham Terrace, Brisbane, (07) 3831 6177, www.urbanbrisbane.com.au

Spice Market

This new 800-seat Mezze bar at the refurbed Grand Hyatt Melbourne is so hot, it’s already booked out with corporate functions from its opening in November all the way through to January. They must have thrown some secret ingredient in the mix – and their cocktails? Remember, folks, Melbourne bar scenesters are hard to impress. But being right next door to Greg Malouf’s MoMo in the basement is a pretty good starting point.
Basement, Grand Hyatt Melbourne, Collins St, Melbourne, (03) 9650 0660, www.momorestaurant.com.au

(A)LURE & MINQ

If you like drinking and fish (although not necessarily drinking like a fish), we recommend (A)lure, the newest addition to Perth’s glitzy Burswood casino complex. Sipping cocktails while perusing the action in the hotel’s pool, you’ll be in your element. And from your spot lounging on bed-7sized ottomans by the bar, you’ll catch a great view of the sashimi chefs in the mirrored dome above – as well as fishy delights good enough to make AT salivate at the mere thought. And as for MINQ, a cool $1m was spent turning Burswood’s secretive cocktail bar into as shady and New York-esque a bar as possible with stylish results.
Burswood Entertainment Complex, www.burswood.com.au