A tiki bar in the basement of the Fairmont on Nob Hill, where the old pool still holds water and a stage floats on it.
Why it's unique
A 1929 hotel swimming pool turned into a lagoon by an MGM set director, with a band playing from a thatched barge and a periodic fake rainstorm with thunder and lightning.
No other room built around a hotel-pool lagoon with a floating band and scheduled storms turned up in this research. No source makes the claim as a checkable fact, so it is held to the state.
Before you go
Stay long enough for a storm to roll through, because they are periodic rather than constant. The dance floor is built from the remains of the schooner S.S. Forester.
The band plays top-40 hits rather than exotica, which surprises people expecting a period piece. Older guides list Wednesday to Sunday only and the hotel's holiday page implies a limited schedule, so check the days before planning around it.
