The Big Six: Hotel rooftop bars

Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

This towering hotel looks out to Singapore's skyscrapers and the strange manmade "supertrees" of the Gardens by the Bay park. Inside, it hides 2,561 guest rooms, a museum, two theatres, seven celebrity-chef restaurants, an ice rink and a Banyan Tree spa. The jewel in the crown is the Sands SkyPark on the 57th floor, home to an infinity pool, a team of mixologists rustling up everything from milkshakes to margaritas at the the Ku De Ta cocktail lounge and the Asian-inspired, Sky on 57, for all-day dining up in the clouds.

Marina Bay Sands, Singapore (00 65 6688 8868; en.marinabaysands.com). Doubles start at S$399 (£204); cocktails S$22 (£11).

Yas Viceroy, Abu Dhabi

The rooftop of this glitzy hotel looks down on the Emirati capital's Formula 1 circuit, with an undulating LED-lit canopy that reflects the hairpin twists and turns of the track. There are two bars up top: Longitude, an informal poolside pitstop that serves snacks, drinks and light lunches; and Latitude, which mixes sundowners with a chilled soundtrack and views of Yas Marina. A third space, Skylite, reopens in September once the heat of high summer has ebbed.

Yas Viceroy, Abu Dhabi, UAE (00 971 2 656 0000; viceroyhotelsandresorts.com). Doubles start at AED750 (£133), room only; cocktails from AED48 (£8).

Four Seasons, Mumbai

To find peace amid the bustle of India's most populous city, ascend up to the 34th floor of the Four Seasons. Here, you'll find the AER bar, which replaces the maelstrom of Mumbai's streets with a nightly DJ playing upbeat jazz, funk and house. A light menu of calamari and prawn dumplings is served alongside signature cocktails such as the whisky-based Elevate, with minimalist decor and spell-binding 360-degree views.

Four Seasons, 114 Dr E Moses Road, Mumbai, India (00 91 22 2481 8000; fourseasons.com/mumbai). Doubles start at INR16,325 (£186), B&B; cocktails from INR1,020 (£11).

Condesa DF, Mexico City

What this bar lacks in stature, it makes up for in style. Raised only four floors up, it is part of a hip hotel by Mexican architect Javier Sánchez and Parisian designer India Mahdavi. Standing atop the V-shaped building in the trendy Condesa district, it glances across to the sacred Aztec site of Chapultepec Hill and the leafy canopy of Parque España. The menu blends Latin flavour with Asian accents in dishes such as shrimp tempura with chipotle mayonnaise.

Condesa DF, Veracruz 102, Mexico City, Mexico (00 52 55 5282 2199; condesadf.com). Doubles start at US$230 (£153), B&B; cocktails from US$10 (£7).

ME Reina Victoria, Madrid

This lavish Meliá hotel stands sentinel over the Plaza de Santa Ana, in the heart of the Spanish capital. A lift whisks guests up to The Roof, where a spacious wooden deck offers tapas, tempting cocktails and secluded booths lit by flickering lanterns at night. It's all wrapped up in dreamy, cream-coloured stone, with views down to a statue of Federico García Lorca in the square below and the oldest theatre in Madrid, the Teatro Español.

ME Reina Victoria, Plaza de Santa Ana 14, Madrid, Spain (00 34 91 701 6000; melia.com). Doubles start at €145, room only; cocktails from €12.

Delano, Marrakech

The Sky Lounge looks out past the bushy palms and ancient walls that encircle Marrakech's medina. Located on the upper reaches of the Delano, it has a circular infinity pool that skims the circumference of the roof, with Balinese daybeds and a Japanese-inspired Namazake restaurant that dishes up delicious sushi, sashimi and tempura dishes. By night, see the Red City illuminated with a chilli mojito in hand.

Delano, Angle Av Echouhada et Rue des Temples, Marrakech, Morocco (00 212 524 42 42 42; delanomarrakech.com). Doubles start at MAD2,700 (£207), B&B; cocktails from MAD140 (£11).