14 Grand Hotel Lobbies…

Grand hotel lobbies will transport you. They are portals to another world; another time.

I love hotels of all kinds. I’ve been fortunate to have stayed in hundreds around the globe. Everything from 5-star to Oh my!

Grand hotel lobbies have fascinated me since I was five. Mom deposited me in a musty, green-velvet, wing-backed chair in a cavernous waiting area of the now demolished Dallas Hotel. Watching people come and go fascinated me. Arriving and departing guest’s luggage was especially intriguing. I imagined ladies hat boxes held black evening hats or bright yellow straw sun bonnets. A man’s valise would hold his dinner jacket and white tie. All my fantasies came from the silver screen. Images of glamorous travelers off to exotic ports and grand hotel lobbies.

Outside the Dallas Hotel’s revolving door traffic and people bustled in a cacophony of street noise. Inside the dark cool lobby, sound was absorbed by heavy drapes, dusty tapestries, velvet and brocade furnishings, and carpets. People spoke in quiet tones at the front desk.

Today, sitting in a hotel lobby with a cup of tea or cocktail is one of my favorite things to do when traveling. Enjoy these 14 lobbies from my travels.



  • Ahwahanee Hotel - Yosemite National Park, CA
  • Avila Village Inn - Avila Beach CA
  • Bank House B&B - Bishop's Castle, Shropshire, England
  • Cornwall Hotel and Spa - St Austell, Cornwall, England
  • Courtyard - Paso Robles CA
  • Graduate - Berkeley CA
  • Grand Hyatt - Denver CO
  • Harbor Court - San Francisco CA
  • Hotel e - Santa Rosa CA
  • Hotel Kabuki - San Francisco Japantown
  • Kendra's River Inn - Nehalem OR
  • Grand hotel lobby in Oceano - Half Moon Bay Coastside CA
  • Residence Inn - Redwood City CA
  • Rick Stein's Rooms and Restaurant, Padstow, Cornwall, England

Libations anyone?

Expedia

5 Comments Add yours

  1. Mary – great post, and your photos are gorgeous! I’ve stayed in a few of these myself so it also brings back some fond memories. Thanks,

    1. Thanks, Terry. Which hotel lobbies are your favorites?

  2. Debra Eloise says:

    What a great idea for a travel article! And wonderful photos too! Makes me wanna travel again, but only in my memories nowadays. Thanks for the virtual tour! Need to add some of these places to my bucket list.

    1. Thank you Deb. Photo sorting is one of my daily activities. My hotel photos are pulling at my heart strings to travel.

  3. Thank you, Terry. Whish hotel lobbies are your favorites?

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