Lobby Bar

A great hotel bar has a special kind of magic: a sense of place, an air of romance and élan — and a resonant design strategy recognises this.

Situated within The Calile Hotel, the Lobby Bar is defined by these sensations, and its accompanying design identity elicits these qualities of desire, energy, and allure.

At the centre of the space is the bar itself: a scalloped, maroon-marble beauty — accented with enticing metallic finishes. Our design — including brand identity, print, web, and signage —draws direct inspiration from this feature, echoing a blind embossed arch pattern across menu covers, and a hand-painted gold-leaf gilded sign reflecting brass interior detailing.

Our design response was guided by research into what makes hotel lobby bars truly special. As a microcosm of the complete hotel experience, a lobby bar is, in essence, a meeting place: welcoming new guests and previewing their stay within the hotel’s walls.

In addition, distinguishing the Lobby Bar from the broader hotel ensured it remained an open and inviting space for locals: with the aim of encouraging a growing loyal following from the adjoining neighbourhoods.

The outcome of this careful process carried over into the Bar’s online presence, which replicates the design details and palette of the physical space — all defining a new, unique destination within the broader James Street precinct.