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Drinking and Swimming: Raleigh Hotel

June 9, 2006 at 9:00 AM | 0 Comments

Summertime might be too hot to head to Miami, but on the other hand with the pool bar at the Raleigh Hotel, there's a sophisticated way to stay cool.

During the day, there is an option of topless sunbathing, and at night the poolside cabanas turn into mini-art galleries with work from local artists on display.

In fact the pool scene seems to make-up for the "noisy rooms" that one guest experienced at the hotel:

The trouble with renovating a classic building is that you can't do much about soundproofing - corridor noises are constant, and make sure your room is nowhere near the noisy elevator or air con units.

On the plus side the pool is fantastic - nice a deep throughout - and we spent 3 days just sitting by it.Forget the hype about the famous Sunday Soiree though (a DJ event round the pool on Sunday afternoon/evening); whilst they build it up and are strict about guests and VIPs only for the event, it's pretty lame. I'm guessing it's "over" as a cool spot - maybe it used to be hip. Having said that the DJ was fine.

If you're like this cranky grandpa guest and hate parties on Sunday night, then you should probably check-out before the Soiree begins.

Some of the other rooftop pool bars voted Top 10 Best by Sherman's Travel that we looked at this week:
· The Colonnade
· The Sky Hotel
· The Fairmont
· The Hotel

Related Stories:
· Top 10 U.S. Hotel Pool Bars [MSNBC]
· Raleigh Hotel reviews [TripAdvisor]