words: james wallman
TOWER LUNCH: atop the iconic Museum of Scotland building, with views of several of Edinburgh’s defining landmarks, is a menu bursting with fresh local produce. The award-winning Tower Restaurant has some of the hottest tables in town www.tower-restaurant.com
HONEYMOON SUITE: stargaze from your bed in the Honey Suite at the top of L’Albereta Hotel’s Lake Tower. At the push of a button the roof opens to reveal a fantastic view and, if you’re lucky, a luna piena – Italian for ‘full moon’. www.albereta.it
CLOSER TO HEAVEN: the18th-century Bauer Il Palazzo hotel has Venice’s uppermost outdoor terrace – and uses it well. The Seventh Heaven lounge and rooftop jacuzzi are available for private hire, but when previous guests include Claudia Schiffer, Charlize Theron and Al Pacino, why not just grab a bottle of prosecco, slip on a pair of swimmers and rock up ready to party? www.ilpalazzovenezia.com
SHANGHAI SKY: don’t stare straight up at Chicago’s skyscrapers – get among them at the fourth-fl oor, open-air Shanghai Terrace. Admire the neighbouring high life while you chow down on pan-Asian food. www.peninsula.com/chicago
NELSON’S COMPETITION: Nelson is no longer the only one with an aerial view over London and Trafalgar Square’s pigeons, galleries and accompanying statues – The Trafalgar Hotel’s roof garden has one too. www.thetrafalgar.com
FEAR AND LEANING IN LAS VEGAS: the High Roller, the world’s most preposterously placed coaster may have shut last year, but you can still get your thrills at the top of Las Vegas’ Stratosphere Hotel where other new and insane rides leave you hanging over the edge, 350 metres above the Strip. www.stratospherehotel.com
SKY SOAK: take in Edinburgh’s historic skyline as you soak in the infinity-edged hydropool at the award-winning One Spa, on the seventh floor of the Sheraton Grand Hotel. The mineral-rich waters are kept at a toasty 35C, and on a cold night the escaping steam looks incredibly dramatic as it is illuminated by ambient lighting. www.one-spa.com
NORTHERN LIGHTS: from bubbles to soap, Manchester’s Great John Street Hotel boasts a 40[02da]C rooftop hot tub and views of Coronation Street from the terrace. www.greatjohnstreet.co.uk
SUPERSONIC VIEWS: share the view from the 100-metre-square balcony that comes with the Hotel de Crillon’s Bernstein Suite,five floors above Paris’ Place de la Concorde. www.crillon.com
FIAT FITNESS: formerly a Fiat factory, Turin’s Lingotto building – now part of Le Meridien hotel chain – has a rooftop track that has been used to test cars, starred in The Italian Job and is now used by hotel guests wanting a morning run. www.lemeridien.com
SPANISH CITY VISTAS: eat, swim, soak and socialise at the rooftop pools and bars of Spain’s chicest city hotels – the Hotel Amerigo in Alicante, the Puro in Palma (pictured) and the Hotel Urban in Madrid. www.designhotels.com; www.hospes.es; www.derbyhotels.com
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