Home
/ Vintage hotel ashtrays

Vintage hotel ashtrays

1 product

Vintage hotel ashtrays are more than nostalgic mementos—they’re curated glimpses into design history, hospitality culture, and graphic identity. Once staples of grand lobbies, mid-century guest rooms, and rooftop lounges, these ashtrays were produced by iconic hotels across the globe, often emblazoned with logos, city names, or architectural motifs. Today, they serve as collectible objects and storied décor accents, coveted by design lovers and collectors alike.

Vintage Furniture

Vintage Vases

Vintage Tableware

Vintage Candles Holders

Show Filter

At The Oblist, our selection captures the essence of travel’s golden age through thoughtfully sourced pieces from storied destinations. Each vintage hotel ashtray carries the patina of a past era, whether it’s a glass piece from a seaside resort or a ceramic ashtray from a 1950s luxury suite. These artifacts are ideal for anyone who appreciates graphic design, vintage ephemera, and the tactile allure of bygone hospitality.

Why Collectors and Design Enthusiasts Love Them

A vintage hotel ashtray holds a unique type of charm—it’s personal, location-specific, and often produced in small batches, making many pieces rare by nature. Some bear the insignia of iconic institutions—think Art Deco casinos, international chains, or boutique hotels of the 1960s—while others feature unexpected color palettes and forms that feel surprisingly modern today.

Made from ceramic, frosted glass, metal, or pressed plastic, these ashtrays were designed to be durable yet visually cohesive with the hotel's aesthetic. Whether used as a small catchall or simply displayed on a shelf or bar cart, they offer a glimpse into a more analog, curated era of travel.

Styles, Materials, and Regional Variations

While the most recognizable examples often hail from mid-century American hotels, the category spans a variety of forms. Round glass dishes with etched logos, minimalist white ceramic pieces with gold leaf trim, and boldly colored ashtrays featuring international destinations are just a few highlights within our collection.

Some collectors lean toward the quirky—vintage Disneyland hotel ashtrays or pieces from long-shuttered establishments—while others prefer the elegant minimalism of upscale chains. You’ll also find examples with regional influences, such as Italian hotel ashtrays with script typography or French Riviera versions in saturated blues and yellows. The variety makes them ideal for mixing and matching or anchoring a focused collection.

How to Style and Display Vintage Hotel Ashtrays

Think of a vintage hotel ashtray as a micro-sized design relic—perfect for layering in with coffee table books, vintage postcards, or travel-inspired art. Use one as a ring dish on a vanity or as a conversational piece on a bookshelf. For a more curated approach, group several from different eras or destinations and display them in a tray or shallow shelf.

For fans of tactile design and travel memorabilia, hotel ashtrays are a way to evoke the ambiance of faraway places with a small, sculptural object. Whether you’re collecting them by location, color, or material, they bring warmth, curiosity, and history into modern spaces.