foyer
n. countablen. a large open area near the entrance of a building like a hotel, theater, or office. It is where people wait or meet before going inside.
n. an entrance hall or open area in a public building, such as a hotel or theatre, intended for waiting or socialising. Often serves as a transitional space between the exterior and the main interior rooms.
I will meet you in the hotel foyer at six.
The audience gathered in the foyer during the intermission to discuss the first act of the play.
The architect designed the foyer with floor-to-ceiling glass panels to create a seamless visual transition from the urban streetscape into the building's minimalist interior.
Borrowed from French foyer (“hearth, lobby”), in turn from Vulgar Latin *focārium, from Late Latin focārius, from Latin focus (“hearth”). Cognate with Spanish hogar (“home”).
Commonly used in British and Australian English for public buildings; in American English, 'lobby' is often preferred for hotels.