HEAD IN THE CLOUDS

The Summit: Cloud 9 Bar

Location: Shanghai, China

High Notes: Nestled way up on the 87th floor of the Jin Mao Tower, one of the tallest buildings in Asia, the Grand Hyatt's Cloud 9 bar sometimes actually rests above its namesake nimbuses and cumuli. But you should hope for better weather: On a good day, guests can enjoy a 360-degree panorama of the financial district, the Huangpu River, and the Bund from over 1,200 feet up, while enjoying a stiff drink to steady their nerves. If the house cocktail, the Polaris—made with dry sherry, limoncello, and crème de framboise—steels you to go even farther up, take the elevator one floor higher to the viewing deck. Some say you can see the curvature of the earth from up there, but that could just be the Polaris talking.

Where to Catch Your Breath: The hotel, the world's highest in terms of distance from the ground, takes up the top 34 floors of the skyscraper; book a west-facing room for the best skyline views.

Shanghai Grand Hyatt
Tel: 86 21 5049 1234
Doubles from $563.50 including tax
$15 cover at Cloud 9 bar for nonguests