A palm court is 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, and Plaza Hotel in New York city.
The concept of the palm court orchestra, a small orchestra playing light classical music, comes from this root.
