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The Kimberly Will Send You Sky High For Breakfast This Month

Where: 145 E 50th St [map], New York, NY, United States, 10022

We've never known a hotel to be modest about showing off its awesome views. Still, we usually reserve our best window-gazing for later in the evening, when skylines are a-twinkle and sunsets are killer. But guests at the Kimberly Hotel in Manhattan get to enjoy awesome views of the city first thing in the morning, with free breakfasts in the rooftop lounge, Upstairs.

A buffet spread will offer French toast, pancakes, oatmeal, pastries, omelets, bacon and hash browns. Though the usual cost of the meal is $25 per person, all guests will get it for free through the end of the month. Turns out February isn't such a bad time to stay in hotels after all.

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Hotel Elevators / Rooftop Bars / Starwood Hotels / Aloft Hotels / Sheraton Hotels / Brooklyn Hotels / → All Tags

Which Rooftop Bar Will Make Guests Enter Through a Sheraton and Exit Through an Aloft?

Where: 216 Duffield St [map], Brooklyn, NY, United States, 11201-5303

All good siblings quickly learn the art of sharing. And the same goes for sibling hotels Sheraton Brooklyn and Aloft Brooklyn, who are both owned by Starwood.

In addition to sharing the same zip code, subway stations, and, indeed, the same pool, the neighboring hotels will soon divide the work of shuttling visitors to and from their yet-to-open rooftop bar (also shared).

Tentatively titled Sky Lounge, the 25th-floor bar venue will be spread across the rooftop of both hotels. While a sleek, new bar is currently under construction on the Aloft side, the Sheraton side will be all outdoors. The open design will allow guests to wander freely through both areas, but what about elevator access? That's where things get interesting.

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Hotel Renovations / Hotel Design / Indigo Hotels / Manhattan Hotels / Rooftop Bars / → All Tags

Attack Of The Killer Plastic Things At The Hotel Indigo Chelsea!

Where: 127 West 28 Street [map], New York, NY, United States, 10001

While enjoying a stroll through Chelsea yesterday, we decided to stop by the newly-renovated public spaces inside Hotel Indigo Chelsea, which include a street-level Italian restaurant and rooftop bar. But lo and behold, what did we find? A bunch of weird, white tubes sprouting up everywhere! Installed throughout the front courtyard and lobby, the collective tube total could easily have numbered in the thousands (and we weren't about to take the time to count).

We're reminded of the "giant white tentacles" included in the design of HGI Times Square's rooftop bar, XVI. We weren't crazy about the idea of tentacles back then, and we sure aren't now either. But Bill Mehalco, an Assistant General Manager for the hotel, assured us that that these Italian-imported plastic bamboo shoots will eventually be reinforced by the addition of tiny LED lights—though he couldn't say exactly when. More rooftop renovation photos after the jump!

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Hotel Dancing / Hotel Bars / Rooftop Bars / Hotel Movies / → All Tags

Shake Your Booty On Top Of The Roosevelt Hotel

Where: 45 E 45th St [map], New York, NY, United States, 10017

The Roosevelt Hotel wants to do more than just get you drunk—they want you to get drunk and take dance lessons. At the bar. On the roof. To promote their summer movie series, which kicked off last week with a screening of Top Gun, the hotel bar is experimenting with new ways to give audiences the full movie experience. Mad46, where the movie nights are presented, is amping up the evenings with themed drinks, giveaways, trivia contests, and other prizes. Guests last week went home with free aviator sunglasses!

For next Monday's screening of Dirty Dancing, a hired dance instructor from Dance Manhattan will be rallying the crowds for two rounds of mambo lessons. The first class takes place at 8pm, followed by another at 8:30pm. The themed drink of the evening is a tequila mojito ($10), though their full menu of beer, cocktails, and wine is also available. We want to know: how qualified is this dance instructor at teaching a bar full of drunk people?

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Hotel Openings / Queens Hotels / Rooftop Bars / Hotel Owners / → All Tags

The Z Hotel Is Almost Ready—It Just Needs Some Booze

Another boutique hotel pops up this summer in one of New York City's outer boroughs, and—surprise!—it's got a rooftop bar. Long Island City's Z Hotel, a sleek 100-room tower adjacent to the Queensborough Bridge, is almost ready to open its doors, but will the area's total lack of foot traffic spell doom for the much-hyped project? Owner Henry Zilberman, whose background as the owner of a local car service makes him something of an expert on location, is optimistic about the destination's appeal to tourists and business travelers. In a 2007 interview, Zilberman made the convincing case:

"I drive around here all the time, and you can take the Queensboro Bridge and be at Bloomingdale's in three minutes. Even with traffic, it's faster than the subway. It's a mystery to me why it took so long for Long Island City to be discovered."

Renderings of the Z (Z for 'Zilberman,' or for 'zany?') have been circulating on the web for a few years, and now that the whole thing is up, we have to admit, we like it a lot better than the nearby Ravel Hotel's bland exterior. At the Z, balconied walkways are set off by playful multicolored panels, and the grey-brick-and-glass facade is much more at peace with the neighborhood's industrial backdrop. But the question remains: how will a hotel premised on the appeal of its "Gansevoort vibe" make out in such bleak surroundings?

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Morgans Hotels / Manhattan Hotels / Hotel Promotions / Foursquare / Twitter / Hotel Bars / Rooftop Bars / → All Tags

Sky Terrace Launches This Summer With Organic Vodka and Foursquare

 In January, we gasped about the Hudson Hotel room that squeezed in up to 20 people for a mini production of the Tennessee Williams play Green Eyes. Today, we're focusing on another of their ample spaces—the exclusive, guests-only, fifteenth-floor Sky Terrace. Yes, it is quite large. And yes, the vibe is a little high-flown. But, no, we're not just telling you all this to make you jealous! It turns out that Sky Terrace, which launched its summer event series last Thursday, has chosen to open up their sought-after venue to Foursquare and Twitter enthusiasts. Because, as we have shown before, if you're not racing to reward your guests through social media promotions and contests, be assured that another equally-suitable hotel will.

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Hotel Bars / Rooftop Bars / Hilton Hotels / → All Tags

A Hilton Rooftop Bar Fit For A French King

Where: 251 W 48th St [map], New York, NY, United States, 10019

 ...And, the hotel rooftop bars just keep comin'! Over the course of two weeks, we dedicated two separate lists to the cornucopia of panoramic, outdoor lounges around NYC. And yet, it seems we still didn't manage to get to them all. The newest on our radar is XVI, on the sixteenth floor of the Hilton Garden Inn Times Square.

The two-story venue has gradually been generating some buzz around the web—a recent review from Shecky's, while acknowledging the killer views, railed against the "mismatched metallic chaises and funky fiberglass 'tentacles.'" Now, we don't necessarily expect cutting edge design and world-renowned mixologists behind the bar. This is midtown, after all! We're often just happy to get away from the pedicabs and pesky comedy club promoters.

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Hotel Bars / Rooftop Bars / Albuquerque Hotels / New Mexico Hotels / → All Tags

Get Free Lime-Pepper Chips with Your Drink at Hotel Parq Central's Lounge

Where: 806 Central Ave. SE [map], Albuquerque, NM, United States, 87102

We love sidling up to the bar with a cocktail and munching on some nibbles—especially when they are free. But forget peanuts or some other trifling snack. We're digging the complimentary spicy housemade potato chips at the new Hotel Parq Central's Apothecary Lounge in Albuquerque.

We visited the fourth-floor rooftop lounge on its first day of food service and couldn't put down the thick-cut chips. Our favorite of the addictive snacks were the lime-pepper chips. The chips are very peppery with a punch and would pair well with a margarita.

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The Affinia Chicago Throws a 'Top Chef Masters' Party for Its Own Cheftestant

Where: 166 E. Superior St. [map], Chicago , IL, United States, 60611

The Affinia Chicago threw a viewing party for the second episode of season two’s Top Chef Masters, which stars the hotel’s C-House chef, Marcus Samuelsson. The chef was in the house for a meet-and-greet and to watch the cooking drama unfold.

A decent-sized crowd showed up to root for the cheftestant at C-View, the Affinia’s smallish rooftop bar and lounge on the 29th floor. Before the episode aired on the two flat-screens inside the bar, the affable Samuelsson made the rounds to the patrons to politely introduce himself and thank everyone for coming. He told us that the Top Chef Masters experience was great, but crazy at times.

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Hotel Parties / US Open Hotels / Rooftop Bars / → All Tags

Roosevelt Hotel's mad46 Will Send Preppiest Partiers to the US Open

Where: 45 East 45th St [map], New York, ny, United States, 10017

If you couldn't make it up to the 19th floor of New York City's Roosevelt Hotel for their Kentucky Derby Party, then they've got another chance for you to dress up and drink al fresco.

The US Open tees off on June 20, and Roosevelt's rooftop mad46 space is hosting a party to welcome all of the argyle socks-wearing, knickers-sporting golf fans out there. Along with specialty cocktails like "Dewar's 19th hole," they'll have Wii Golf set up and HD tvs for really getting into the game.

Dress your WASPiest, as prizes are at hand: two Trophy Club VIP passes for the US Open Golf on Sunday, June 21 and a $100 gift certificate courtesy of Pinks and Greens apparel. It's guaranteed to be the preppiest Saturday party off the greens and outside of the Hamptons, so shine up your Sperry Topsiders.

[Photo: Roosevelt Hotel; Golf bag image: BeSportier]

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On Top of The Roosevelt: A Derby and Drinks at mad46

Where: 45 East 45th St [map], New York, ny, United States, 10017

Two minutes. It's how long the actual race of the famed Kentucky Derby lasts, but for many both in Louisville and outside of Kentucky, it's the difference between a fat wad of cash or empty pockets. Curious to observe the spectacle from the comfort of our home city, New York, we headed up to the 19th floor mad46 rooftop bar at The Roosevelt Hotel for their official party, complete with copious mint juleps and little cheese plates.

There were seersucker suits and showy hats, and there was even a little betting in honor of the fun happening in Churchill Downs. The race, which actually began a tad bit late, was broadcast live via several rooftop televisions and everyone gathered around as "Mine That Bird" took home the first jewel in the Triple Crown.

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Expect Rooftop Horseplay at The Roosevelt's Kentucky Derby Party

Where: 45 East 45th St [map], New York, ny, United States, 10017

Fancy a cool mint julep? In the mood to wear a freakishly oversized, overdecorated hat while competing to win tickets to the Belmont Stakes horse races in June? Don't even think about heading to Kentucky for Saturday's Derby at this point, but instead grab a cab and head uptown to the Roosevelt Hotel's mad46 rooftop lounge for their Official Kentucky Derby Party.

From 5pm to 10pm on Saturday, the 19th floor lounge will host nattily-dressed folk after they walk the red carpet on 46th Street and are whisked to the rooftop by private elevator. At 6:05pm, the actual Kentucky Derby will be broadcast live to accompany the specialty cocktail, the "Woodford Reserve Mint Julep," and cheers will go up to this 135th anniversary of the event.

If the women are game to wear dresses with kick-pleats and hats large enough to almost beam in the broadcast on their own and the men break out the seersucker and pocket watches, then there will be hearty competition for "Best Dressed at the Derby." The prize, two tickets to the Belmont Stakes, should be enough to draw out the horse racing fans, but we're also hoping for the appearance of faux southern accents and handlebar mustaches.

[Photo: Roosevelt Hotel]