The soaring marble lobby, renovated in February 2004, is inspired by the mythical Shangri-La of the novel Lost Horizon. It evokes a Himalayan landscape with its huge glass walls, exotic artwork, sweeping staircase, and large, cloud-like crystal chandeliers, whose black crystals and topaz beads reflect brilliant colors. It’s a busy rendezvous for government officials, businesspeople, and conventioneers.

Once into the lobby of the China World Hotel the marble floor gleams, soaring red pillars are topped with dragons, and a gilt ceiling drips with glittering chandeliers. The reception desk lies to the left, while to the right sprawls the Lobby Lounge, where the hotel’s mostly corporate guests, many from North America, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore, enjoy live entertainment.

A large traditional red-and-green Chinese pagoda gate leads into a forecourt, where a central fountain sits in front of the main hotel building. Inside, the lobby is dressed with subtle lights and marbled floors. Skylights bathe the lobby with natural light during the day. An older, well-heeled business and leisure crowd mingle, and small groups gather, in the lobby lounge over drinks and music in the evenings.

Doorstaff in top-hats and tails welcome foreign dignitaries, government officials, celebrities, and business travelers into the inviting and elegant lobby. Hand-painted ceilings, Chinese antiques, European artworks, deep sofas, and richly embroidered cushions create a warm ambience, and towering palms and freshly cut flowers create a riot of natural color.

Grand Hyatt Beijing has a circular driveway with a large fountain, which is illuminated at night. The high-ceilinged lobby is flooded with natural light from huge windows and contains ornamental trees and displays of orchids and other flowers. The open-plan lobby café is candlelit in the evenings and lively with the hotel’s mostly business guests from the USA, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Europe.

Revolving doors lead to a lobby of checkered marble floors and scattered Oriental rugs; a high, vaulted ceiling is hung with chandeliers. The compact reception desk lies to the right, manned by staff in white uniforms, who greet guests that include business travelers, foreign dignitaries, and holidaymakers. A long corridor-like area is lined with up-market shops and leads to restaurants and bars. Ornate gilt tables display fresh flowers, while palms in large Chinese pots line the walls. A stairway sweeps upwards, where it divides in two. Behind this, a high atrium of glass, with cascading water, provides a striking contrast to the Colonial style of the main building, and acts as a segue to the contemporary rear block of the hotel.