1100 feet above the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles rests the highest rooftop bar in the Western Hemisphere, Spire 73.
This sky-high bar is located on the 73rd floor of Los Angeles’ Intercontinental Hotel, which opened to the public in June of this year.
Upon arriving, it is wise to pay the 15 dollars for the valet parking, as other parking is far away and more expensive.
There are two ways to get up to the bar.
One can either go up the stairs from the lobby and wait in line to ride the elevator, or find the secret elevator that takes you directly to the top (no spoilers!).
The elevator ride was smooth, however, people were so eager to get to the bar they shoved their way in, disregarding the security guard’s instructions.
After the slightly uncomfortable elevator ride, I was graced by the stunning view of Golden hour above Los Angeles.
It was extremely cold up there (about ten degrees cooler than ground level) so the hostess gave us blankets.
“My favorite part about working here at the restaurant is watching people and their reactions as they are astounded by the skyline of Los Angeles,” stated head hostess of the restaurant, Julissa Weinecker.
Though the head hostess was perfectly friendly, I found many issues with this bar.
The bar does not accept reservations unless the party is ten people or more, which is a bit concerning, especially if you were part of a small group with time constraints.
As we walked into the bar, we had to seat ourselves, which for a bar as expensive as this one is quite ridiculous and unheard of.
The décor was nice and neo-age chic, but we had to request that our chairs be wiped clean as there was a spill from the previous party.
“If you’re gonna come here, come for the view and good company. In fact, bring the good company,” urged frequent visitor Jessica Cabral.
To sum our service up, we ordered two drinks, which took 40 minutes to arrive at our table and were mediocre at best.
We saw our hostess a total of two times, which made me ask for the manager.
“I believe that Spire is still new and has a long way to go, but our goal is to bring all of L.A. together through the view of the city skyline and to create a safe space for anyone who wishes to join,” stated bar manager Karen Cheng.
When it comes to restaurants, this generation craves a place with a five-star vibe on a two-star budget.
This bar failed to do all of the above. In fact, it was so exclusive, only social media influencers with 5,000 followers and above were invited to a private event the hotel was having that night.
Although the view was stunning, there was nothing about the bar that would make me want to return.
Spire 73 currently has no social media and is not open to reservations on Opentable.com.
There is no networking or advertising from the restaurant, so the only way to hear about the restaurant is to be invited to one of their exclusive events.
Aside from the mediocre service and lack of inclusion, the restaurant’s views were nothing less than spectacular.
Whether it be on a date or a special night out with friends, this rooftop bar is worth visiting at least once for your bucket list; a solid three stars from me.
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