Though there is no standard recipe for an eye-catching hotel lobby, bring together the functional and visual with dramatic lighting for that striking hotel lobby that people talk about…
Together with the space, furniture, colors and textures, lighting plays a pivotal role in an eye-catching hotel lobby. Whether you have a grand and comfortable lobby or a minimalistic and intimate one, all the elements of your hotel lobby design must be in total harmony.
(This picture is contributed by "Dawood Ali")
(This picture is contributed by "Priya")
The best way to bring out space and highlight your furnishings is dramatic lighting. You can add skylights, over-sized floor lamps, floor-to-ceiling windows and chandeliers. Everything else that you add to your hotel lobby – practical and functional furniture or art works that are simply visual – could be non-existent without proper lighting.
For an elegant and contemporary hotel lobby, combine clean architecture with minimal furnishings and calming color tones. For huge spaces, add expansive windows that overlook a well tended garden or pathway. Underplay high ceilings with over sized floor lamps and add a masterpiece chandelier over the bar area for dramatic lighting. Add color with inlaid rugs and keep the bar dimly lit with cove lighting.
The lobby area could be completely swathed in natural light during the day with dramatic skylights. These also highlight any special flooring you use in the lobby area. You could check some of the world’s best hotel lobbies for great ideas too. The most notable use of lighting is at the JW Marriott Shenzen where 18 huge floor lanterns shoot upwards for two levels lighting the lobby. This gives the feel of intimate spaces within the huge expanse. Also, a reflection pond that mirrors the scene creates a sense of expanded dimensions.
(This picture is contributed by "Priya")
The hotel guest today expects an appealing environment that has all the luxuries they have at home and then some more. You could have all that and yet tarnish it without proper lighting! Since all lobbies are multipurpose, designers and décor specialists are finding that the lighting needs to create a visual atmosphere that is helpful. The most widely effective are dimmable lights that allow lobbies to use daylight and then automatically adjust during the evening.
It is important to sustain the ‘green’ with the décor and energy-efficient lighting will always be of prime importance. With global warming and increased awareness about the environment, energy efficient lighting now plays an important part in the hospitality industry.
(This picture is contributed by "Girish")
A hotel cannot afford to have dark or shadowy places but with the pressure to do away with incandescent lighting, it is a designing challenge to come up with cost effective options. Since fluorescent lighting has long been associated with cold and sterile environments, it is important that you look for other options like skylights and chandeliers for your primary or accent lighting needs.
(This picture is contributed by "Mukul")