Blog 40: The Best Hotel Lobbies

The unbeatable feeling of sleeping in clean, spring-fresh sheets on a large hotel bed and waking up refreshed to take on your vacation seems long gone for many, but not far-fetched hopefully! The only place better than a bouncy hotel bed to plan the day ahead is a thoughtful and well designed lobby area. We don't actually value this space or choose our hotel based on their lobby until we've experienced a really good one!

Looking at the lobbies I'm about to show you below, you'll understand why I'm lobbying this idea!

1- Located on the 96th floor of the tallest building in Shenzhen, China you have to take a high speed elevator to reach the lobby of the St. Regis. The sprawling views of the city from the grand atrium come along with renowned Marriott services. The St. Regis Bar and the Drawing Room brings back the hotel glamour of the early 20th century with classic cocktails and the enduring tradition of afternoon tea. The hotel is also the tallest hotel in the Marriott portfolio!

2- Be prepared to be driven in a small golf cart from the impressive lobby of the W Retreat Koh Samui, Thailand to your equally impressive room. The lobby is half-indoor and half-outdoor with high ceilings and eclectic pop art decor on full display. The lobby bar and wading pool comprise the outdoor portion for sitting in stylish sunken-down sofas and drinking. At night it becomes the centre of attention as the DJ concocts a mix of chill-out beats and pick-me-up music to head onto the tropical evening from behind his very own “floating head”, surrounded by orbs of light which change colour with the mood. Have you seen a lobby like this before?

3- Before you think this blog is sponsored by Marriott ;) here is a takedown on Tierra Patagonia's lobby that boasts of a grand sweep of immense floor-to-ceiling windows with jaw-dropping views over the deep blue waters of Lake Sarmiento all the way to the magnificent peaks of Torres del Paine National Park, the centrepiece of Chilean Patagonia. Constructed almost entirely from native lenga wood, the great room seamlessly unites a sitting area with a circular fireplace, bar and dining space.

4- Experience the colour and wonder of a stunning 3D light show when you stay at St. Louis Union Station Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton. Each night, watch as flowers sway, fireworks burst and other images dance around the 65-foot ceiling of the Grand Hall lobby in a state-of-the-art show designed specifically for this St. Louis hotel. Yes, you read that right, a lobby with a 3D light show!! The lobby is also a repurposed train station. I'm unsure whether to say #architecturalgoals or #lobbygoals or #lightshowgoals. This hotel is definitely taking checking-in a notch up.

5- You would have thought you were in a lush forest in South America instead of Paris: The Inca culture serves as design inspiration for the 1K Paris. The lobby features brightly coloured walls and ceilings lined with tropical plants and authentic Peruvian artefacts, including statues, masks, and patterned rugs. It's no small feat bringing South America to the centre of Paris and this boutique hotel has done justice to the theme and decor. Would you like to enjoy your pisco sour in the lobby bar or by the lobby-side pool?!

6- Some might say, I saved the best for the last. The welcome at the Al Bustan Palace in Muscat is quite something. The glittering space boasts a 124-foot-high (38m) dome – higher than the Taj Mahal’s – and a 5.5-metric-ton crystal chandelier. The domed ceiling along with the ornate wall covers and intricate carvings has earnt the hotel the extravagant reputation as the ‘Jewel of the Sultanate’. There’s even a resident harpist to listen to while guests take in the lobby’s grandeur. Your entrance to this hotel will command splendour.

These hotels definitely know how to make a first impression last, after all the first impression is always the last impression. Let us know which of these hotel lobbies impressed you the most?

Until next time,

Anubhuti