No. 20 – Lobby Bar at JW Marriott

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Best Travel Perk

The JW Marriott’s sports bar, High Velocity, got all the press when the hotel opened last year, but the sophisticated lounge on the north end of the building is where to check in. Even employees seem to disagree slightly on the exact name, but the Lobby Bar right outside Osteria Pronto proved to be one of the most pleasant surprises of our cocktailing adventure. Well-dressed out-of-towners make fast friends around the white marble bar and the comfy couches of the lounge. Unlike most hotel watering holes, traffic flows in and out all day, making for five-star people-watching. Menus from both Velocity and Osteria are available, the latter offering more than 100 wines. And should you find yourself a little inebriated at the end of the evening, this is the only bar on our list with a bedroom waiting upstairs.

10 S. West St., 317-860-5777

Photo by Tony Valainis

This article appeared in the January 2013 issue.