Where are the Flying Saucer Bars?

I saw this picture in that Ilikai post of this Flying saucer shaped revolving restaurant in the background which was once the first in the world (Sadly today it doesn't spin). I was lucky enough to drink there years ago when it use to spin and recall how dizzy I got until I down my first drink then it seemed natural and the view couldn't be beat.

Anyone else have any fav revolving bars, are they still around? It would be nice to host a party there since they already have there own theme built in.

The Encounter at the Los Angeles International Airport is a good one.

A private party here could be a very cool thing. I might have to look into this.

Here's their website: http://www.encounterrestaurant.com/

this building is 1 block from me

i have tried in vain to find out anything about what happened in the flying saucer part back in the day. sadly the building was post-modernized (po-mo'ed) within the past 10 years.

Seattle's got two: the Holiday Inn by Sea-Tac Airport has a rotating restaurant just like those pictured above, and as far as I can tell, it's still operational. And of course, we have the Grand Dame of rotating UFO restaurants: the Space Needle has a rotating restaurant.

this is a disaster of a movie from 1964:

man's favorite sport?

but it does have a cool rotating bar scene.

On 2005-10-03 11:18, Hakalugi wrote:
The Encounter at the Los Angeles International Airport is a good one.

A private party here could be a very cool thing. I might have to look into this.

Here's their website: http://www.encounterrestaurant.com/

Cool restaurant/bar but, no rotate

"Q: Does the restaurant or bar rotate?
A: No, the airport does (just kidding!). Seriously, no it doesn't rotate; but this is a good thing, as patrons frequently like to keep an eye on the comings and goings of their airline. This could get quite confusing as your view changed from one terminal to another."

Don't forget the Space Needle!

True, it's mostly a restaurant. But I'm sure you could order a drink.

I hit the Bona Vista Lounge at the Bonaventure Hotel in downtown LA last winter with a friend. Not too "UFO" in architecture, but the bar does rotate. PLUS they have their own custom mugs, not tiki, but custom souvenirs all the same.
Check it out.

-Joe

i beleive the holiday inn chicago still has a revolving bar on the roof....also, check out the clevelander hotel in south beach, miami...the outdoor bar looks like it's under a flying saucer due to the cool 50's style construction...great place to drink. there's another flying saucer themed bar in wisconsin somewhere...anyone know which one I mean??

oh yeah, the stratosphere in vegas actually revolves and you can eat and drink up there in a full restaurant...feel free to ride the roller coaster on the roof too!!

Canada has a few revolving restaurants, including:

Vancouver's Harbour Centre Tower

The Calgary Tower

The CN Tower in Toronto(world's largest building)

In Rotterdam we have this Lounge/Restaurant/Hotel called the 'Euromast', also with a revolving bar on top:

[ Edited by: Tiki Rotterdam 2005-10-03 15:24 ]

Atlanta has two:
The Sundial Lounge atop the Westin Peachtree Plaza
http://www.sundialrestaurant.com/sundial.swf

and the lounge at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown. The lounge does not spin, though it does have a blue dome.
http://atlantaregency.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp

[ Edited by: Chacha 2005-10-03 15:32 ]

How about a polynesian revolving bar? And I worked there once upon a time!

On 2005-02-03 15:45, puamana wrote:

Just a bit away from the Polynesian Putter, is a Holiday Inn, at 5250 Gulf Blvd. It used to be called the Hilton Inn, and it also had a Polynesian theme. Here is a postcard I found while there, from its former days as the Hilton Inn:

The back of the postcard calls the Hilton Inn "A Polynesian Paradise", and used to have the Aekai Restaurant on the beach, Luau Room Restaurant on the 10th floor ( Polynesian and American menus), and the revolving Bali Hi lounge on the roof top. I didn't take any photos of the building, but here's a link to the Holiday Inn website to see what the building looks like now: http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en/hpt/PIESS/1/pt?ptLink=hd

Unfortunately, when I worked there circa 89 or 90, the place had already been de-tikified. Not that I would've noticed as I was still pre-tikified myself.

Just a hop (Blind Pass), skip (Treasure Island) and a jump (John's Pass) from Tiki Gardens, I wish I could've seem it in it's heyday. The bar still revolved (slowly) when I was there but I think it was only used for special parties. Could be wrong though.

The above quote came from this thread: http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=13050&forum=1&hilite=hilton%20st%20pete%20beach

More info about the Bonaventure Hotel from the Radisson Destination Guide:

"Bona Vista Lounge
at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel
404 S Figueroa St., Los Angeles  90071 • 213-624-1000
Hours: Daily 4pm-1am
Description: For an unrivaled view of the city, visit the Bona Vista Lounge, which sits atop the Westin Bonaventure Hotel. The rotating lounge is comfortable, but the bird's eye view of LA is the draw, especially if you've spent most of your day at street level. Specialty cocktails arrive in souvenir glasses."

Apparently, valet parking is the way to go. $5.50 with validation. But prices are high for food and drink. I personally get motion sickness there.

[ Edited by: vintagegirl 2005-10-04 00:26 ]

Many moons ago I worked for Thomas Bros. Maps in downtown L.A., and every year we'd have our company Christmas dinner at the Top Of Five restaurant at the Bonaventure. The dinner was just for the 8 employees of the store (Corporate office are/were in Irvine), and they'd just give us the company credit card, so we'd usually run up an insane bar tab at the Bona Vista, then order outrageous stuff at the resto later. First (and last) place I had escargot.

Oh, and the view at Christmas time is amazing - they really do the downtown area up in a classy way.

From my big shoebox of postcards:

I think this is the restaurant from the original post in this thread. In the photo it looks like it's landed on a desolate, rock-strewn planet, instead of being on the 23rd floor of the Ala Moana Building.

"High above Honolulu and Waikiki, LaRonde offers a spectacular 360 degree unobstructed view. Makes one revolution per hour. Lunch, dinner and cocktails daily."

Edmonton's revolving restaurant is also called LaRonde:

Still operating (as far as I know) atop what used to be the Chateau Lacombe (now a Holiday Inn, I think). There are custom mugs shaped like the hotel - big & white like the ones from Japanese restaurants; I come across them all the time in my thrifting.

-Sweet Daddy T.
Because crap doesn't buy itself.

blog

[ Edited by: Sweet Daddy Tiki 2008-05-23 13:40 ]

There's one atop the San Francisco Hyatt Regency (in Embarcadero Center).

Mmmm, Flying Saucer Bars.....

The Washington DC area has the Skydome Lounge in Crystal City that overlooks the Pentagon, along with views of the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, and other DC locations across the Potomac River

http://www.doubletreecrystalcity.com/

And don't forget the revolving apartment building in Curitiba, Barzil -- each apartment owner gets to choose how fast to spin their apartment! (click on thumbs for full-size views)
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.07/start.html?pg=10

Vern

There is a building in Marina Del Rey, near one of the hotels by Seaport Village, which definitely looks like a flying saucer.

I seem to recall a splendid one facing the Harbor in Hobart Tasmania.

I think there is also one at the very top of St.James Gate

The Fabulous Forum in LA (Inglewood) looks like a flying saucer from across the parking lot. It is not a bar, in and of itself, although it does have several bars inside.

http://www.casenet.com/concert/gwforum1s.jpg

I think this is the restaurant from the original post in this thread. In the photo it looks like it's landed on a desolate, rock-strewn planet, instead of being on the 23rd floor of the Ala Moana Building.

"High above Honolulu and Waikiki, LaRonde offers a spectacular 360 degree unobstructed view. Makes one revolution per hour. Lunch, dinner and cocktails daily."

The funny thing about the La Ronde in Hawaii is last time I checked it was a "Flying Saucer" insurance office. It reminds me of when a Pizza Hut goes under and they keep the architecture and paint the building green then open a Beauty Salon.

This is the Hyatt Regency in Milwaukee. The rotating restaurant is called Polaris with a smaller bar that I believe is called the Pilsner Palace.

On 2005-10-07 11:57, christiki295 wrote:
The Fabulous Forum in LA (Inglewood) looks like a flying saucer from across the parking lot. It is not a bar, in and of itself, although it does have several bars inside.

Isn't the Forum owned by a church now? If so, there may not be so many bars....

The Regency one in Atlanta was called the "Polaris" and it did, indeed, spin "back in the day" [mid seventies].

If you're in Norway, looking for a spin:

The Tyholt Tower outside Trondheim is 120m (400-ft.) concrete tower, built in 1985 to relay radio signals along the coast, and the tallest structure in central Norway. The restaurant is still evolving, giving a breathtaking view of Trondheim, the fjord and the surrounding mountains.

Vancouver also has one that I visited in the 80s atop what was then the Sheraton, and is now the Cloud 9 restaurant atop the Empire Landmark hotel.

And the Hyatt Pier 66 in Fort Lauderdale had one since the late 60s that stopped revolving just last August 31st. and became a private banquet hall. DOH! Missed it by only a few weeks!

http://www.hotel-online.com/News/2005_Aug_31/k.MIR.1125585237.html

There's one in Quebec just outside the old city on top of Le Concorde. More fine dining than bar and far from tiki but it's fun and you get a birds eye view of old Quebec.

Though not a Saucer bar, "The View" on the 49th floor of Marriott Marquis (1535 Broadway, at 45th St., in NYC) is a revolving bar.

What's fun about it is the step from the central elevator section to the revolving section, or should I say the other way, after a few drinks. An interesting sensation to say the least.

"Classic Clothing for a Modern World"

http://www.atomiccocktail.net

[ Edited by: Atomic Cocktail 2005-10-14 18:50 ]

I was watching a show about Switzerland last night and they showed the revolving bar that was in 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service'

http://www.switzerlandholidays.com/rail%20journeys/james_bond_mountain.htm
http://www.businesstravellerindia.com/200308/gourmetcorner01.shtml

[ Edited by: tikifish 2005-10-16 05:37 ]

Heres another one - this time closer to home. The Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto...

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-hotel-376476-action-pictures-the_westin_harbour_castle-i;_ylt=AhNdD9YKxYouDCCW7FLg.iHiphQB

I have eaten there, its not really spacey, as you would expect. The CN tower one is much better.

Don't forget the Skylon Tower at Niagara Falls!

Just found this in an old 1960's German design magazine... another exciting revolving restaurant!

The "Golf Ball House" in Yucca, AZ, didn't revolve, but the related flying saucer looks like it may have. The structure was supposed to be the restaurant/nightclub for a failed housing development but it never got off the ground. I've read it is a private residence now, but when I photographed it in August, it was for sale.

http://www.thelope.blogspot.com

[ Edited by: tikijackalope 2005-11-24 20:11 ]

Re: The Space Needle:

"True, it's mostly a restaurant. But I'm sure you could order a drink."

Oh, you can definitely get drunk at the Space Needle...

The bar itself is (I think) below the restaurant. It doesn't revolve, but, as others on this thread have pointed out, revolving bars are sort of redundant after a few drinks. Or dangerous, even.