Hotel lobby furniture: lounge chairs, sofas, tables
The lobby is the first space guests see and often the one they photograph most. It is also one of the busiest rooms in the building: guests wait there for check-in, meet friends, work on a laptop or have a coffee before leaving. Lobby furniture has to make an impression and still cope with round-the-clock use.
This guide looks at how to zone the space, which dimensions work in practice for lounge chairs, sofas and tables, which materials and fabrics hold up, and what to ask your supplier before you order.
Zone the lobby by use
A lobby rarely serves a single purpose. Most combine an arrival and reception area, a waiting zone near the entrance, a quieter lounge for meetings and, in many hotels, a lobby bar or a corner for working. Each zone calls for a different kind of seat.
In the waiting zone guests sit for a few minutes, often with luggage beside them, so armchairs with a firm seat that is easy to get out of work best. In the lounge people stay longer, which is where deeper, softer seating belongs. A work corner is better served by chairs at table height, a communal table and easy access to power sockets.
- Waiting: armchairs with a firm seat and arms
- Lounge: sofas, deeper armchairs and coffee tables
- Work: chairs at a table or a shared table with power
- Lobby bar: stools, low tables and lounge chairs
Dimensions and clearances that work
Lounge chairs usually have a seat height of around 40 to 45 cm, lower than a dining chair. Very low seats look elegant but are hard work for older guests, so a lobby benefits from some higher options with sturdy arms. As a rule of thumb a coffee table sits at or slightly below seat height, while a side table next to an armchair comes up to roughly arm height.
Leaving about 40 to 45 cm between the front of a sofa and the coffee table lets guests reach their drink without tripping over the table. Main circulation routes, especially from the entrance to reception and the lifts, need generous width for guests with suitcases and luggage trolleys. Draw the plan with the real footprint of each piece before you settle on quantities.
Lounge chairs and sofas: comfort that lasts
Lobby seating sees far more use than a domestic living room. Frames should be built for contract use with reinforced joints, and the foams should keep their shape after thousands of sittings. Ask about foam density and the seat suspension, because those decide whether a sofa still looks right after a few seasons.
High-backed or winged armchairs create a sense of privacy in an open space, which guests who are waiting or working appreciate. Modular sofas let you reconfigure the room for events without buying new furniture. Adjustable glides help on floors that are not perfectly level, which is common with marble and stone.
Coffee tables and side tables
Tables in a lobby take glasses, cups, keys and bags, so the top needs to resist moisture, heat and scratches. Marble and stone look luxurious but absorb stains unless properly sealed. Compact HPL, ceramic or wood with a commercial lacquer finish are more forgiving in daily use.
Do not overlook stability. A light side table tips over easily when someone leans on it to stand up. Heavy bases and rounded corners reduce the risk in a space where children are often running around.
Fabrics, cleaning and safety
Common market practice for lobby seating is to specify fabrics with an abrasion resistance of at least 30,000 Martindale rubs, with higher figures preferred for the busiest spots. Stain-resistant finishes, faux leathers and removable covers make upkeep much easier.
How upholstery behaves in a fire matters in any public space. The EN 1021 series assesses the ignitability of upholstered furniture, and requirements can vary by country and type of project. Talk to the hotel's fire safety consultant and ask your supplier for test reports on both the fabric and the foam.
Before you order
Ask for fabric and finish samples and, if possible, sit in the furniture before you decide. Check that sofas will fit through the building's doors, lifts and stairwells, and request a written quote with prices, lead times and details on spare parts and replacement covers.
Almeco designs and manufactures hotel furniture at its own factory in Oraiokastro, Thessaloniki, under ISO 9001:2015 certified quality management for the design, production and trade of contract furniture. You can see lounge chairs and sofas in our showrooms in Thessaloniki, Athens and Crete, choose fabrics from our finishes library and request a quote with prices and lead times.