14 Cool Hotel Lobbies

Explore fabulous hotel lobbies that encourage you to mingle with the locals, learn to play guitar, snap selfies and sample small-batch beers.

By: Lynn Coulter

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Photo By: Faena Hotel Miami Beach

Photo By: Le Mount Stephen Hotel

Photo By: Capella Shanghai Jian Ye Li

Photo By: Miami Beach EDITION

Photo By: Signiel Seoul

Photo By: The Source Hotel

Photo By: Waldorf Astoria Park City

Photo By: Palazzo Venart Luxury Hotel

Photo By: Aloft and Element Austin Downtown

Photo By: JW Marriott El Convento

Photo By: Westin Austin Downtown

Photo By: Conservatorium Hotel

Photo By: W Punta de Mita

Faena Hotel, Miami Beach, FL

Hotel lobbies are dressing up. That generic, corporate look we all know is giving way to elegant furnishings and unique decor. At Miami's Faena Hotel, guests enter through an impressive space called the "Cathedral." Its red carpet leads past gold-leafed columns and floor-to-ceiling murals created by Juan Gatti, an Argentinian painter also known as the "Michelangelo of Faena." At the end of the hall, a door opens into a garden featuring a 24K gilded sculpture of a woolly mammoth skeleton.

Le Mount Stephen Hotel, Montreal, Canada

After entering through the historic Stephens house, guests arrive in the lobby of Le Mount Stephen. The hotel is designed as a contemporary tower, and the sophisticated lobby features the hotel’s coat of arms and gold-flecked marble floors. Chairs and couches, upholstered in neutral leathers and velvets and accented with touches of gold, silver and copper, invite guests to sit and chat. The lobby is also known as mur de pierre, or stone wall.

Le Mount Stephen Hotel (continued)

The old blends with the new at Le Mount Stephen, a luxurious hotel in Montreal’s Golden Square Mile. Arriving guests enter through the historic George Stephen House. The opulent house—actually a Renaissance Revival-style mansion with a carved stone fireplace mantel and stained glass windows—was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway’s first president, Lord G. Stephen.

Capella Shanghai, Jian Ye Li, Shanghai, China

You're in a cultural preservation zone when you stay at Capella Shanghai, a resort in the Xuhui District. Guests book three-story villas or luxurious residences originally developed by a French real estate company. The properties, which date to the 1930s, are spread over a compound featuring 22 shikumen lanes, or stone gates and blend Eastern and Western decor and architecture. Guests enter through a courtyard into a lobby within a shikumen villa; it's designed to feel like a modern home, complete with curated art and books on fashion, wines and lifestyles.

Miami Beach EDITION, Miami Beach, FL

You may feel a little nostalgic in the Miami Beach EDITION lobby; it’s an updated version of the lobbies once seen in classic Miami resorts. A blend of minimalist furnishings, silk rugs, sheer white drapes and eclectic antiques give this space a modern look. The white Carrara marble floor and 24-karat gold mosaic columns are restored originals. The EDITION is one of a few lobbies in Miami Beach that opens to a direct view of the Atlantic Ocean.

Signiel Seoul, Seoul, Korea

Korea’s Signiel Seoul Hotel, is located in the fifth-tallest high-rise building in the world. From the modern lobby on the 79th floor, guests get a bird’s eye of the city from oversized windows. The decor brings together classic and contemporary designs from the East and West. Tip: get to the lobby early if you want a seat to watch the sun rise or set.

The Source Hotel, Denver, CO

Denver’s new The Source Hotel is adjacent to The Source, an artisan market hall housed in a 1880s foundry. The hotel offers 100 guest rooms and yet another market hall, which is on the second floor. When guests check in, they’re offered a beer from the New Belgium small-batch brewery, located just off the lobby and visible through the glass walls. A neon sign points the way to the second floor, where they can look down on the brewing process.

Waldorf Astoria Park City, Park City, UT

A stunning Baccarat crystal chandelier illuminates the lobby of the Waldorf Astoria Park City, a resort in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains. Upholstered chairs and couches invite visitors to relax by the lobby fireplace, which features a 300-year old mantle imported from southern Italy. Handcarved, wooden stags stand guard on either side.

Palazzo Venart Luxury Hotel, Venice, Italy

Once known as Palazzo Bacchini delle Palme, this former palace, located on the Grand Canal, has been restored to its 16th-century grandeur. The opulent lobby of the Palazzo Venart Luxury Hotel boasts a marble floor and marble staircases, elaborate plasterwork, gilt mirrors, historic frescoes, and antiques and contemporary furnishings chosen for their feel of old Venetian elegance.

Aloft and Element Austin Downtown, Austin, TX

Aloft and Element, in downtown Austin, are actually two hotels in one building. Each has a different design and entrance. Aloft’s check-in lobby is a hip/funky mix, with a nod toward millennials. Located on the hotel’s second floor, it’s decorated in “Texas chic,” with Southwestern patterned rugs, wicker-laced lamps and modern furniture. The Element’s lobby, on the third floor, has a nature-inspired, streamlined décor and includes a pantry, lounge and complimentary breakfast bar. Bikes hanging on the wall are available to borrow. Both spaces encourage guests and locals to mingle in an open restaurant, bar and coffeehouse.

JW Marriott El Convento, Cusco, Peru

One of Cusco’s newest five-star hotels, the JW Marriott El Convento was once a 16th-century convent. Architects and designers preserved and restored much of the structure, including colonial stone walls and arches that formed a chapel. A spectacular Swarovski lamp with 70,000 crystals sparkles behind the reception desk; it was installed as a tribute to Inti, the Inca god of the sun. After check-in, guests are offered coca tea, a traditional drink served in the Andes.

Westin Austin Downtown

The Westin Austin Downtown is an easy walk from the city’s 6th Street Entertainment District, where you’ll find clubs, bars and plenty of music. Since Austin is known as the "Live Music Capital of the World," it's not surprising that guitars inspired the hotel decor. Look closely, and you’ll see the cutouts from a Dobro guitar in the lobby ceiling and vertical garden. There’s also a guitar-string staircase and guitar-pick artwork. Ask for a Guitar Rockstar package and get an in-room guitar, a lesson with a local artist, and a chance to play on stage at an Austin blues club.

Conservatorium Hotel

Built on the site of a former music conservatory, and located in Amsterdam’s museum district, the Conservatorium Hotel is known for its Art Nouveau interiors. In this image, natural light streams into the Brasserie Lounge, which is next to the reception area. Custom-made furnishings and vintage rugs make the simple yet sophisticated space feel warm and hospitable.

W Punta de Mita, Nayarit, Mexico

Located on Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit, W Punta de Mita is surrounded by lush, tropical greenery. When they arrive, guests enter a lobby designed to echo a Mexican fiesta, complete with perforated tin walls. Over 700,000 colorful, mosaic tiles form a walkway from the lobby to the Pacific Ocean. The walkway, which features designs inspired by the Huichol natives, depicts crashing waves, surfers and a vivid orange sunset. Take time for a selfie beside the hotel's big surfboard, decorated with Huichol beading.

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14 Cool Hotel Lobbies

Related To:

Shop This Look

Faena Hotel, Miami Beach, FL

Le Mount Stephen Hotel, Montreal, Canada

Le Mount Stephen Hotel (continued)

Capella Shanghai, Jian Ye Li, Shanghai, China

Miami Beach EDITION, Miami Beach, FL

Signiel Seoul, Seoul, Korea

The Source Hotel, Denver, CO

Waldorf Astoria Park City, Park City, UT

Palazzo Venart Luxury Hotel, Venice, Italy

Aloft and Element Austin Downtown, Austin, TX

JW Marriott El Convento, Cusco, Peru

Westin Austin Downtown

Conservatorium Hotel

W Punta de Mita, Nayarit, Mexico