Hotel Congress - Club Congress

Club Congress

In 1985, a music venue was opened in the hotel, and has become a prime venue for touring bands playing in Tucson. In February, 2005, the stage was completely redesigned by local latino artist Daniel Martin Diaz. ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons has said that the Tap Room at Hotel Congress is his favorite bar.

Club Congress is regarded as being the longest-running venue of its kind west of the Mississippi, and, in part because of this distinction, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano issued a proclamation on July 25, 2005, that Labor Day Weekend would be known as "Club Congress Weekend" during Labor Day Weekend, the Hotel puts on a three-day, three-night live music event known as "HOCOFest". In 2008, the HOCOFest featured performances by forty live acts including The Meat Puppets. The festival was green-themed and hosted an eco-fair where local companies and vendors showcased their eco-friendly devices and wares.

Club Congress has four distinctly different bars: The Tap Room, one of Tucson's favorite cowboy watering holes since 1919; The main bar in the club room, featuring a 100 year-old bartop called "The Talk of the Town" for its original length and exquisite wood columns; The Cybar, a club off to the side of the dance floor, once home to a cyber cafe over a decade ago, and the Hotel Lobby Bar, featuring over 150 different types of premium spirits & a cutting-edge cocktail menu. Like many high-profile on-premise establishments across the country, Club Congress' drink program focuses on fresh ingredients, classic cocktails and unique signature drinks.

The Cup Cafe at Hotel Congress won the 2010 World Margarita Championship at the Tucson Culinary Festival, where bartender Harold Garland and Beverage Director Aaron DeFeo's margarita, "Marguerite Nouveau" won over the judges with its Solerno Blood Orange culinary foam. Hotel Congress and the Cup Cafe also garnished "Best Cocktail Menu" in the Tucson Weekly's "Best of Tucson 2010".

Hotel Congress has received write-ups in Playboy, SPIN, and Blender—among others. In the June 2007 issue of Esquire magazine, Club Congress was named one of the best bars in America.