First impressions are everything, especially at hotels. Nowadays the hotel lobby has become more than just a place to check-in, but a chance to experience enjoy everything from a sushi bar, wine tasting, and even salsa dancing. We’ve rounded up some of the top hotel lobbies around the world.
Kick Back at The Living Room at Sandpearl Resort
When guests arrive at The Living Room at Sandpearl Resort overlooking the picture-perfect Clearwater Beach and Gulf of Mexico, they immediately have a sense of feeling right at home. Not just the decor, comfortable seating, and open layout with attract guests to gather here, but they’re also welcomed by a beloved lobby ambassador who walks around with a drink cart serving champagne and mingling with guests. Guests relax on comfy furniture, sip a coffee from the Marketplace, and listen to a piano that magically plays all by itself. Just as if it was your own family accommodating a rained-out gathering, oftentimes guests escape inevitable Florida beach storms to find snacks, cookies, and beverages on display. Occasional elaborately-carved, life-size sand sculptures also make their debut in The Living Room with the most stand-out being the annual holiday sculptures.
Salsa Dance at the Red Coral Lounge at San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino
Fast feet moving to salsa and bachata beats, some of the best live local music, all of your mojito dreams coming true – is this really a lobby? Yes. By day at San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino’s Red Coral Lounge, guests can chill and relax in chic, cosmopolitan nooks or at the expansive, open Red Coral Lounge bar stocked with rum from the nearby Bacardi Distillery. By night, Red Coral Lounge turns into a buzzing nightlife scene, frequented by locals, who may even offer to give guests a free-of-charge salsa dance lesson.
Pastry Making and Wine Tasting at Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco Resort & Spa
Nestled on the hill of an expansive two-mile estate in the heart of Italy’s most beloved region, Tuscany, the Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco Resort & Spa overlooks the mountainous Serchio Valley, one of the most unexplored areas of Italy. Upon arrival to the property, guests can grab a bite or enjoy local home-made snacks like fried sage leaves at Nour Lounge, located right in the lobby. In addition, every Thursday in the lobby, guests can enjoy a pastry making demonstration presented by the resort’s pastisseur and every Friday, guests can start off their weekend with a wine tasting presented by local vintner Gabriele Da Prato.
A Lobby Fit for an Incan God at JW Marriott El Convento Cusco
A former 16th century convent, JW Marriott El Convento Cusco is one of the city’s newest five-star hotels, built to preserve and honor as much of the site’s history and culture as possible. Submerging guests as soon as they set foot inside, the lobby is one of the areas that was most successfully restored, featuring colonial stone walls and arches that were once part of the convent’s chapel. Its main attraction and arguably most stunning element is the giant Swarovski lamp that dangles behind the reception desk — the sparkling 70,000 crystal accessory is a tribute to Inti, the Inca god of sun. The check-in experience is anything but traditional — guests are personally greeted and escorted to the adjacent Nina Soncco, where they are invited to sit by the fire and sip coca tea, a typical tisane in the Andes made to help guests adjust to Cusco’s high altitude, as associates take care of the check-in process. Throughout their stay, guests find themselves frequenting the lobby, coming back for more marveling of the unique structure that surrounds them.
Channel Your Inner Picasso in the Art Room at Le Meridien Chambers Minneapolis
Located in twin landmark revival buildings in the heart of Minneapolis’ bustling theater district, Le Méridien Chambers Minneapolis immerses guests in the city’s art scene from the moment they walk through the door. In addition to an on-property gallery and an interactive ‘art-o’mat’ in the lobby (a repurposedcigarette vending machine that dispenses colorful artifacts donated by artists from around the world), the hotel just launched an Art Room that inspires travelers to get creative with supplies such as colored pencils, watercolor paints, charcoals sketch pads, easels and more. The Art Room is complimentary for hotel guests and a great place to meet like-minded travelers with a penchant for art.
Seafood, Views and Piano Tunes at The Hilton at Resorts World Bimini
When you check in at the brand new Hilton at Resorts World Bimini, located on the Bahamian Out Island of North Bimini just 50 nautical miles off the coast of South Florida, you won’t be in any hurry to get to your room. The opposite side of the check-in desk is a raw bar, so you won’t waste any time kicking off your stay with a selection of Bimini’s freshest conch, lobster, oysters and other Caribbean treats. With wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the lobby offers panoramic island views, and is home to a piano bar where you can sip your Bahama Mama with live entertainment daily. Bravo’s Top Chef Season 3 winner, Chef Hung Hunyh, has also made his mark in the Hilton at Resorts World Bimini lobby. The Top Chef curated F&B for both the Sushi Bar, where you can dine on crave worthy sushi rolls, noodles, and other Asian-inspired favorites, and The Tides — home to Mediterranean plates and decadent seafood dishes.
