A large atrium with palm trees, usually in a prestigious hotel, where functions are staged, notably tea dances. Examples include the Langham Hotel (1865), Alexandra Palace (1873), the Carlton Hotel (1899), and the Ritz Hotel (1906), all in London, and the Alexandria Hotel (court added in 1911) in Los Angeles, California.
The concept of the palm court orchestra, a small orchestra playing light classical music, comes from this root.