DISCOVER THE WORLD’S COOLEST HOTEL ELEVATORS

October 2024: For the majority of hotels, it’s safe to say that the appearance of their elevators tends to be an afterthought, with more consideration given for their functionality rather than design. But with elevators being one of the most integral and used parts of a hotel, there are several properties across the globe that have decided to make it one of their most special features. 

From glass-panelled elevators overlooking the Amalfi Coast, to dedicated elevator art installations in Miami, there’s no shortage of creativity being utilised when it comes to hotel lifts around the world. Below, we’ve included a few of the world’s coolest hotel elevators… 

1. Hotel Santa Caterina – Amalfi, Italy 

Image credit: Lady H 

Known as the “Grand Dame” of the Amalfi Coast, Hotel Santa Caterina is a five-star luxury hotel steeped in history, where family tradition continues to captivate guests with its unrivalled service, delicious food and idyllic views of the Amalfi Bay. 

Whilst guests can of course enjoy the sight of the Mediterranean from the comfort of their own balconies or from one of the hotel’s restaurants or bars, Hotel Santa Caterina’s elevator also offers a terrific view. Built into the rugged cliffside, the glass-fronted elevator takes guests down to the exclusive Beach Club and the Italian seafood restaurant, Al Mare, whilst offering breathtaking views over the Tyrrhenian Sea – this lift is one not to be missed. 

Rooms at Hotel Santa Caterina start from €454 + VAT (approx. £388) per night, based on double occupancy. For more information or to book, please visit www.hotelsantacaterina.it/en    

2. Grand Wailea – Hawaii, United States 

Image credit: What’s Inside? 

Hawaii’s Grand Wailea Resort has a number of aquatic adventures, particularly within their Wailea Canyon Activity Pool which is ideal for families. Within the water park is the world’s only water elevator. 

Originally built in 1991, the elevator was first introduced so that the park owner’s physically disabled son could travel back up from the bottom of the water slides. Users enter through a small door into a tall cave-like room, where 16,000 gallons of water are used and pumped to lift the platform to the top of the park to embark on more fun on the slides!

3. Bürgenstock Resort – Lucerne, Switzerland 

Image credit: Bürgenstock Resort 

The Bürgenstock Resort in Switzerland is home to the highest outdoor lift in Europe, with the Hammetschwand elevator on the Bürgenstock mountain beside Lake Lucerne.  

First introduced in 1905, this elevator is the fastest way up to the vantage point, which is often described as the most beautiful viewpoint in Lucerne, offering picturesque views over the city and lake. The journey from the Bürgenstock Resort starts at the “Felsenweg” hiking area, and winds around the mountain edge with supreme views of the nearby water. At the end of the trail, guests will reach the bottom of the Hammetschwand Lift, which stands at 1,132 metres. Full information on when the lift is open throughout the year can be found here.

4. J Hotel Shanghai Tower – Shanghai, China 

Image credit: J Hotel Shanghai Tower

The J Hotel in the Shanghai Tower is one of the world’s highest luxury hotels, with rooms available on the top floors of the 2,073-foot-tall tower and a restaurant on the 120th floor.  

As of January 2023, the Shanghai Tower has the world’s fastest elevator, with a top speed of 73.8 kilometres per hour, or 20.5 metres per second, which is faster than Usain Bolt can run (44 km per hour) but just slower than a cheetah (104 km per hour). The speedy lift is operated by a Mitsubishi technician who can turn on a switch to make the capsule accelerate up to breakneck speeds, with cutting-edge technology ensuring that the ride remains comfortable and silent.

5. Luxor Hotel & Casino – Las Vegas, United States 

One of the most iconic hotels on the Las Vegas strip, Luxor Hotel & Casino features an ancient Egyptian theme and the world’s largest atrium by volume, as well as the hotel’s light beam at the top being the most powerful man-made light in the world. 

As the hotel is shaped like a pyramid, the elevators are not standard up-and down models. Instead, they travel from floor to floor at a diagonal 39-degree angle, providing guests with a spectacular view over the spacious atrium whilst travelling to one of the hotel’s 4,407 rooms.

6. New York Marriott Marquis – New York, United States

Image credit: New York Marriott Marquis 

Located within the heart of Times Square in New York city, the New York Marriott Marquis first opened back in 1985. 

Despite being built in the 1980s, the hotel’s elevators have a wonderfully futuristic feel, with glass-cylinder elevators zooming up and down the building’s towering atriums, resembling some sort of space shuttle and giving Roald Dahl a run for his money! 

7. Casa Faena – Miami, United States

Image credit: Consuelo Castaneda 

For some hotels, elevators are used as spaces where art can shine, such as the Casa Faena hotel in Miami Beach. 

The hotel decided to introduce an entire concept around its sole elevator, called ELEVATE. The purpose of this is for the lift to serve as “a vertical platform, an ascending gallery for artistic intervention”, and as such an installation by Cuban-born artist Consuelo Castañeda was first displayed. The elevator used repurposed photos taken by Castañeda to turn the elevator into a replica of Mexico’s Santo Domingo Church. The elevator has since transformed for a different installation, but its goal remains the same; to utilise the space for artistic exploration. 

8. Corfu Holiday Palace – Corfu, Greece

Image credit: Corfu Holiday Palace 

Corfu Holiday Palace on the Greek island of Corfu has beautiful views over the Ionian Sea, as well as access to a private beach that they exclusively own so that guests can avoid the crowds.

However, the crystal-clear waters of the private bay can only be accessed via a special elevator that is embarked on from the hotel’s terrace. The elevator takes guests down the cliffside to the beach in a matter of moments, providing beautiful views across the bay as well as much easier access to the white sands.