Resembling a wedding cake, the lobby at St Ermin's in London cannot be beaten for voluptuous, royal icing-white plasterwork created by English theatre designer J P Briggs, just after he completed the Savoy Theatre. The beautiful Grade II listed lobby packs a dramatic punch, with a sweeping central staircase and curved wooden balustrades to encourage an aria or two from the mezzanine. The lobby boasts glittering original chandeliers, marble floors and vast fireplaces, while the ceilings, columns and balustrades feature nymphs, goddesses and flowers, as well as exotic elephants and tigers.
The deepest traditions of glamour and sophistication of one of the world’s greatest resort destinations are evident from the moment you step into the hotel lobby of The Miami Beach EDITION, with its pristine white marble floors and polished white pearl Venetian plaster walls, highlighted with tones of gold and the deep green of indoor palm trees that bring to mind iconic gathering places, such as the world-famous Coconut Grove in the golden age of Hollywood. One of the few hotel lobbies in Miami Beach to offer a view of the ocean, the space is casual yet elegant.
The lobby at luxury hotel Uga Bay on one of Sri Lanka's best beaches, Passekudah, is best seen at night when it is lit up and provides a romantic setting. The unique lobby boasts a central feature with a marble floor and a ceiling with tiny lights which light up and sparkle against the starry sky. Guests at the hotel can see straight out to the stunning sea though a circular tunnel design.
The lobby at Hotel Icon isn't your average hotel entrance. As the luxury hotel is all about individuality and being green, the lobby features its own vertical garden - one of the world's largest and designed by world-famous botanist Patrick Blanc - with over 8,000 plants to greet guests checking in and those enjoying afternoon tea or lunch at its lobby café, Green.
Nothing at the ten-storey, three-wing ITC Grand Chola is grander than its lobby, an awe-inspiring space with 92,000 square feet of marble, granite and stone carvings. The most photographed hotel lobby in India is a pristine expanse of pastel-hued marble and symmetrically arranged pillars finished in white stucco, reminiscent of the temples of South India. The showstopper is the grand staircase that spirals up and out, flanked by elaborately carved Carrera marble pillars inspired by the Gangaikondacholapuram temple in Thanjavur. The carved balustrades are embellished with the four-leaf clover and ‘wheel of life’ motifs from the Chola era, carved by sculptors from Mahabalipuram who are known the world over for their skill and artistry.
The sophisticated Art Nouveau lobby at Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest is a modern space with a glass ceiling and dramatic chandelier. It was once where guests were carried by horse and carriage and the mosaic floor features more than a million tiles. Off the lobby is the Bar which spills into the hotel's historic Páva Udvar (Peacock Passage), where light appetisers and refreshments are served.
Paintings, a sculpture, photography and video installations come together as one at Raffles Istanbul for its collection that tells a story of a city in flux. The lobby lounge presents an eight-metre-high mural by Jean Frances Rousseau, playing with perspective and focusing on photography, specially commissioned for the space. Throughout the hotel, there is a full collection of original artwork – a combination of existing works, and works specially commissioned for the hotel by local and international artists.
Mandarin Oriental Tokyo's impressive lobby is located on the top floor, the 38th floor of the Mitsui Tower in Tokyo, providing it with incredible views of the metropolis below including the iconic Tokyo Sky Tree to the East, over the Imperial Palace Gardens and out towards Mount Fuji to the West.
Arrival in Atlantis, The Palm's Royal Towers Grand Lobby presents a dazzling interplay of water, light, and sound with a wall of windows that offer stunning views of the azure waters and beaches along the Arabian Gulf. Moving across the lobby’s travertine marble floors, guests can enjoy a symphony of sound as a water wall cascades into a pool, a soothing reminder of the surrounding sea. Artist Dale Chihuly's striking glass sculpture is the centrepiece, with over 3000 pieces of intensely-coloured blown glass, ranging from fiery oranges and reds to tranquil blues and greens. The piece is surrounded by a reflection pool. The lobby also features hand painted murals by Spanish artist Albino Gonzalez on the 19-metre-high arched ceilings. They tell the story of the ancient mythological city of Atlantis and represent the seasons of the year.
Experience one of the world's oldest and most beautiful cities from a quiet garden sanctuary, flanked by historic buildings and with modern facilities at the Four Seasons Hotel Firenze. The lobby is a Renaissance loggia decorated with original bas reliefs and stuccoes. The stunning hotel spreads out between the 15th century Palazzo della Gherardesca and a former 16th century convent on the other side of the eleven-acre park, and the largest private garden in Florence.
The grandfather clock in the airy lobby of Raffles Singapore is probably the oldest piece of furniture in the hotel. Every evening when the clock strikes eight, the lobby's pianist strikes up old Noel Coward tune 'I’ll see you again'. The story of the iconic hotel begins at the door. Raffles Singapore’s fabulous doormen, Narajan, Swaran and Sarjit, greet their guests in true Raffles style with their distinctive uniforms from Gieves and Hawkes, and big, genuine smiles of welcome into the lobby.
The ambience is enticing and the scale is imposing — everything from the soaring doorways to the stately gesture of the marble staircase sweeping across one corner seems borne from another age in The London EDITION's hotel lobby. Upon entering the hotel, you are held in a striking modernist glass vestibule projecting into the sumptuous lobby with its spaceship-like polished silver sphere light presiding over the entrance. The impressive lobby also features a beautiful bar, inviting seating and a pool table.