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Best Hotel Bars In Miami (PHOTOS)

PHOTOS: Miami's Best Hotel Bars
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Thanks to Miami's booming tourism industry, we locals have to contend with hot spots crowded with Oklahoma vacationers and Europeans travelers. The silver lining, however, is that this town is literally brimming with fantastic hotel bars.

With interiors perfected by star designers like Philippe Starck and libations dreamed up by award-winning cocktail geniuses, Miami's hotel bars are arguably some of the best in the nation.

Below, we handpicked 11 of the best hotel bars in Miami. Some of the expected classics are there but pay particular attention to those hidden off the main tourist strips in Key Biscayne and Bal Harbour.

And because Miami's obsession with slick sheen and modern furnishings can get a little tiresome for us natives, we pay specific props to those hotel bars that have a little historic flare -- whether its mid-century understated glamour or 70s-era rec room chic.

Best Hotel Bars In Miami
Martini Bar At The Raleigh(01 of11)
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Although The Raleigh's pool gets all the attention, the dark and charming Martini Bar -- with its terrazzo floors, mahogany bar and deco-era beach decor -- is just as worthwhile a visit. It's been carefully preserved since the hotel's construction in 1940. So belly up for drinks next to the hotel's infamous guests like Philip Seymour Hoffman who recently stayed at the retro swank hotel.
Sunset Lounge At Mondrian(02 of11)
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Tourists flock to the ocean side hotels so drink like a local by heading to the west side of Alton Road towards the bay. Sunset Lounge, designed by Marcel Wanders, has private cabanas created from curtains of foliage, a tented adult-sized sandbox and a labyrinth garden with discrete "kissing corners." Their cocktail menu emphasizes infused Cachaças and flavored Caipirinhas made from exotic and local ingredients, as well as house-made sodas, syrups and juices.
Hyde Bar At SLS Hotel(03 of11)
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West coast lounge Hyde opened at the new SLS Hotel on Collins Avenue. Channeling a 70s-style rec room, the low-key bar has a build-your-own Sangria service and a foosball table complete with princesses and punk rockers as players, according to Thrillist Miami. (credit:Thrillist.com)
The Lido Bar At The Standard(04 of11)
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With valet-only parking and tucked away on the Venetian Causeway, The Standard is another hotel off the grid for most South Florida tourists. Although most patrons are bellying up to the bar in the back for bayside seating, the inside Lido Bar right off the lobby is a hipster's dream watering hole full of retro design elements (wood paneling!) and board games.
The Bar At Level 25 -- Conrad Miami(05 of11)
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Head to the mainland for Level 25. This bar is an atrium-style room on the 25th floor of the Conrad Miami with 5-story high ceilings, palm trees, modern furniture, an outside terrace, and beautiful views of the city and Biscayne Bay.
RUMBAR At Ritz Carleton Key Biscayne(06 of11)
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With a decor of reds, leathers, and wood, this hotel bar is perfect for the rum-soaked Hemmingway wannabes out there. Described as "Old Havana vintage," RUMBAR features 52 rums, cachacas and piscos from 18 countries as well as a humidor cabinet with an impressive cigar collection. On weekends, catch performances by Grupo Nostalgia, a 4-piece band in white dinner jackets playing retro tunes from Cuba.
Living Room Bar At W South Beach(07 of11)
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Boasting a cocktail menu of master mixologists Elad Zvi and Gabriel Orta (the men behind The Broken Shaker), the Living Room Bar features exotic drinks like Mango Ginger Mojito, Blueberry Acai Martini, Local Manhattan, Papaya Daiquiri and Secret Martini.
Bleau Bar At Fontainebleau(08 of11)
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Imbibe where stars from the silver screen -- Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Jackie Gleason, Judy Garland, Milton Berle, Jerry Lewis, Marlene Dietrich, Debbie Reynolds -- sipped high balls at Bleau Bar, the renovated lobby bar at the Fontainebleau Hotel. Check out the $1 million chandeliers overhead designed by artist Al WeiWei as well as the white polished marble floors with the signature black "bow-tie" pattern. In 2009, the bar (and hotel) was refinished from the original design by hotel architect Morris Lapidus and updated with glowing blue light. Beware of the bro-tastic crowd spilling into and out of nearby LIV.
Rose Bar At The Delano(09 of11)
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With upholstered rose colored walls and custom Venetian chandeliers, this intimate space at the famed Delano Hotel offers tasty -- and expensive -- drinks.
St. Regis Bar & Wine Vault(10 of11)
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Catch live jazz and kick back in glam seating at St. Regis Bar & Wine Vault in Bal Harbour. The cocktail menu includes speciality bloody marys like the Bal Harbour Bloody Sunrise: Ketel One vodka, bloody mary mix, clamato juice, fresh Key Lime, and Key Lime ice cubes.
Club 50 At The Viceroy(11 of11)
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With old-school glam interiors (turquoise leather sofas!) designed by Kelly Wearstler and impressive views of Biscayne Bay, Club 50 sits fifty floors up on top of the Viceroy Hotel in downtown Miami. Truth be told we've heard some decry the over zealous bouncers and randomness of the crowd, but it's still worth a stop for the views and the cool interior.

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