The Most Beautiful Hotel Lobbies: Paris, Tokyo

Check-in begins on the 38th floor, a dramatic two-story space with floor-to-ceiling windows on either side. An east-facing view peers over Tokyo's oldest neighborhoods, and a west-facing one frames the opposite, including Shibuya, one of the city's most vibrant and modern shopping districts.

Photo: Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo

There's no such thing as making a humble entrance in Miami, which makes the Faena's new lobby de rigueur. Referred to as The Cathedral—subtle!—the space features a 30-foot red carpet framed by gold-leafed columns and eight epic murals by Juan Gatti, all leading toward a 24-karat-gold statue of a woolly mammoth designed by Damien Hirst.

Photo: Kris Tamburello

Even small entrances can be larger than life. This 20-room hotel in Paris is housed within a former brothel that was refashioned by designer Jacques Garcia. The lobby oozes luxury, from the enamel paneling of its mosaics to its gilded wooden accents—all dismantled from a 19th-century estate in Brussels and reconstructed here.

Photo: Maison Souquet Hotel

Your only complaint will be a sore neck; this former bank cashes in on a jaw-dropping, 101-foot dome surrounded by 9,000 tons of Georgia marble—a spectacle that was once the largest dome in the Western Hemisphere.

Photo: Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia 

The fabulously oak-lined lobby of this 13th-century castle-turned-hotel exudes opulence, from a full suit of 19th-century armor to a 24-light chandelier. Also within the castle: a 1,043-piece silver-gilt dinner service—perfect for guests familiar with the proverbial silver spoon.

Photo: Ashford Castle

Designed by a protégé of interior designer Tom Dixon, the Pulitzer Amsterdam is a sweep of interconnected historic canal houses that share an entrance. Glamorous details come in the form of lilac and royal-blue velvet, edgy artwork, and reception desks styled after ritzy steamer trunks. First, though, you'll need to get through the pre-lobby: a working flower shop.

Photo: Pulitzer Amsterdam

This scintillating lobby is grand in more ways than one: It's the first glimpse of the hotel's 1,000-piece art collection, which includes 16th-century paintings and antiques that look priceless. Words of wisdom: Look, don't touch.

Photo: Rome Cavalieri

Situated inside Saint Louis's late-19th-century Union Station—among the largest train stations in the world at its peak until it shuttered—this lobby boasts an original 65-foot ceiling, dramatic arches, colorful mosaics and stained glass. Each night, a 3-D light show projects artistic vignettes and films across the surface, as a recording by a dreamy narrator—Mad Men's Jon Hamm—spotlights the station's rich history as the gateway to the West.

Photo: St. Louis Union Station Hotel

Say what you will about its outlandishly sail-shaped exterior; this lobby is a dazzling treasure chest of opulent decor. Designed to evoke the country's seafaring history, the space features soaring 24-carat gold-leaf pillars and a terraced fountain that rises several flights into the 56-story atrium. Like much in Dubai, it's all beautifully over the top.

Photo: Jumeirah via Facebook

This is the only lobby on our list you'll never, ever experience, as hotel guests are directed to enter through the side of the Greek Regency-style building, across from Hyde Park. The original front door—and-would-be lobby, called The Great Hall—opens for only one guest: the Queen.

Photo: The Lanesborough