18 Vintage Photos of The Sun and Star Rooftop Café in Atlantic City in the Winter of 1948

Visiting Atlantic City in January, you most likely wouldn’t have your bikini and sunglasses in tow, but in the winter of 1948, the Senator Hotel had a secret weapon for attracting guests all year round. Perched above the snow-capped buildings of the seaside resort, this skyscraper hotel boasted a portal to the tropics with a modern sky cabana equipped with state of the art sunlamps, sun loungers and most importantly, lots of ice cream on the menu.

Sip on a cocktail decked in a bikini, or order your kids some ice cream while you enjoy the view… of snow-capped buildings outside, that is! Fortunately, the world has since become informed about the dangers of tanning (skin cancer), and the use of sunlamps has since been regulated. The idea is still lovely, though.