Every elevator has the capacity to transport passengers across floors. However, some have particularly intriguing details about them that make them stand out. A recent article from the South China Morning Post details the history, design and capabilities of some of the world’s most interesting hotel elevators.Â
The attention to detail in some hotel elevators makes for a memorable experience. For example, carpets of the elevators at the Kowloon and Island Shangri La hotels in Hong Kong are embroidered with the days of the week in English and changed every night at midnight, which helps guests remember the day as they travel through the continents. The world’s largest cylindrical aquarium is found in the atrium of the Radisson Blue Berlin hotel in Germany. The elevators are glass and located directly across from the aquarium, giving guests a view of the water as they travel up and down the floors.
Elevators can also hold history as well as passengers. The last attendant-operated elevator in London is at Claridge’s. This elevator contains upholstered seating and has had the same attendant since 2009. The wrought iron grille of the elevator at Le Bristol Paris was designed by a Jewish architect who was taking shelter in a hidden room in the hotel during the Nazi occupation of the city. The Pera Palace hotel in Turkey is home to Istanbul’s first elevator, which first opened for passengers of the Orient Express and would have transported Agatha Christie among them.
In a rush? Some of the fastest elevators are located in the J Hotel in Shanghai, which is in the top floors of the 2,073-ft-tall Shanghai Tower. The four elevators within the hotel operate from ground level to the lobby on floor 101 and can travel up to 40.3 miles per hour!
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