It’s hard to rival the fantastic waterfront location of Joie de Vivre Hotel Vitale’s San Francisco Embarcadero site or the hotel’s ability to draw happy hour business from the nearby financial district. Hotel Vitale’s 3,000-square-foot outdoor patio offers a special place to settle in and shake off the world’s cares with its bayfront view, innovative cocktails, and the slow food creations of Americano Restaurant & Bar’s Chef Paul Arenstam. With rustic Italian theming and locally sourced sustainable food products, the bar menu features items such as Sherry and Garlic Roasted Prawns from the brick oven, Baked Goat Cheese Soufflé, and Roasted Butternut Squash Flatbread Pizzeta with truffle-infused wild honey and toasted hazelnuts.

More than 70 percent of Hotel Vitale’s bar business is dedicated to the 4 to 7 p.m. happy hour, often featuring weekend sunset DJ sessions with chill, electronic, and jazz stylings. Bar chefs offer experimental cocktails, as well as handcrafted favorites such as the Americano, featuring crushed orange slices with Campari and sweet vermouth over ice with a splash of soda water.

Hotel Vitale’s addition of an outdoor gas-fired pizza oven was a significant investment, offering the opportunity to entice bar guests with seductive cooking aromas. “We utilize that pizza oven for outdoor grilling all day, and it has made a real difference in our business,” says Director of F&B Matthew Stuhl. “Establishing an outdoor food presence is a win-win for any hotel looking to increase their bar business. We plan to add a patio grill this summer, with the thought of grilling a variety of organic meats. Even something as simple as a caramel popcorn cart can add a sensory aspect to the outdoor lounge and boost revenues.”

The Mandarin Oriental Washington, D.C., honors its Asian heritage with distinctive bar and cocktail menus in the Empress Lounge. Master Sushi Chef Minoru Ogawa receives rave reviews for his sushi and Asian tapas such as Warmed Scallop Volcano with Masago Aioli, Grilled Harmachi Kama in Garlic Plum Sauce, and Grilled Black Cod with Sea Urchin and Saikyo Miso Sauce. The festival-themed Cherry Blossom Roll, made of rare tuna, cherry leaf, red beet rice, nori, and wasabi is the perfect accompaniment to the Cherry Twist Martini, a concoction of Smirnoff Lime, Chambord, pomegranate juice, pineapple juice, and cherry purée. A selection of sakes by the half bottle have become popular and are featured in bento box combos.

“Live entertainment is a major investment for us,” says Director of F&B Alexander Schnoeller. “We spent $130,000 this year to feature live music for Empress Lounge guests, both in solo musicians for happy hour and local jazz headliners in the evenings. This has boosted our business by roughly 35 percent. These musical events also drive traffic to and from our other restaurants, CityZen and Café Mozu.”

At Kimpton’s Hotel Monaco in Alexandria, Virginia, beloved pooches rule at a seasonal Doggie Happy Hour held in the hotel’s bricklined courtyard adjacent to its Jackson 20 restaurant. This pet-friendly program caters to both two- and four-legged creatures on warm-weather Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5 to 8 p.m. During the Doggie Happy Hour, canines are treated to complimentary doggie treats and water bowls, while their human counterparts nosh on selections from a special bar menu. Offerings such as fried green tomatoes with arugula salad and blue crab vinaigrette; scallops with creamed leeks, herbed oil, and sweet potato crisp; and chipotle-sauced and coleslaw-topped pulled pork sliders grace the small bar menu. The event is distinguished by creative signature cocktails, such as the Socialite, a martini featuring Grey Goose La Poire vodka, Amaretto Disaronno, pineapple and cranberry juices, and a fresh pear slice.

With canine guests in attendance at these events, some logistics and procedures must be changed to accommodate local leash, rabies tag, and foodservice laws. Dedicated servers staff a portable bar, featuring a concise list of beer, wine, and cocktails. One-time-use regulations dictate that disposable plateware and drinkware must be used. GM Avi Rathnakumar ensures that Kimpton’s green guidelines are met in the procurement of biodegradable tableware.

Rathnakumar pronounces the themed happy hour a public relations success: “Local patrons of the Doggie Happy Hour have become loyal return guests for Jackson 20. This event is a real labor of love for us, in providing a pet-friendly event that sets us apart from the competition. It’s so popular that some guests come every week. From both marketing and community service standpoints, it’s priceless.”

Nancy Fox covers topics related to food and beverage, travel, and lifestyle. A 20-year travel industry veteran based in Orlando, she has held positions with Walt Disney Attractions and AAA.