# Make a Hotel Lobby video with one person or two: photos, placement and price checks

_By Apoorv Khanna, October 7, 2026_

You can appear alone or with a consenting adult friend in [Vaaya’s Hotel Lobby recipe](https://vaaya.ai/recipes/colors). Choose the performer on the viewer’s left, the performer on the viewer’s right, or both. Supply photos for each person you want to include. The recipe uses a saved performance clip, so your first choices are who appears, where they stand and which clip length you want.

If you are searching for how to make a Hotel Lobby video with your photos, start with those choices. This is a fixed performance with chosen replacements. You do not need to describe a new scene, invent camera moves or write a general video prompt. You need to give the recipe a clear assignment for each performer.

## Assign each person to the viewer’s left or right

Left and right mean the sides as you see them in the video. Look at the performance as a viewer before assigning the photos. The performer’s own left hand is not the reference point.

For a solo video, choose the side you want to replace. A side you leave empty keeps its original performer. You can therefore put yourself on the viewer’s left and leave the right side unchanged, or do the reverse.

For a video with a friend, assign one person to each side. Keep the names and photo sets together as you prepare the request. Before proceeding, read the assignment back: your photos belong to one side, and your friend’s photos belong to the other. If you change the placement, update that assignment before generation.

## Prepare a separate photo set for each person

Supply one to five photos of each person you want to include. One clear face photo works. You can add an outfit shot for a closer match. An outfit photo is an optional input, so you do not need five photos to begin.

Keep each person’s photos in their own set. When replacing both performers, the left set should describe the person assigned to the viewer’s left. The right set should describe the person assigned to the viewer’s right. Avoid handing over a mixed collection and leaving the placement unclear.

Use photos of yourself or another consenting adult. If a friend will appear, confirm their permission for the video before supplying their photos. Make the placement clear to them too. Having a photo of someone is different from having their permission to use it in this performance.

## Choose Standard or Extended

Hotel Lobby offers two saved performance clips:

| Choice | Length | Audio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Standard | 7 seconds | Original soundtrack |
| Extended | 29 seconds | Original soundtrack |

Both versions restore the original audio. Choose based on the length of performance you want, then check the price for that choice. Extended may require additional funds.

The clip choice belongs in the request along with the performer placement. If you ask a connected agent to help, name Standard or Extended so it can check the option you intend to use. If you switch versions after seeing an estimate, ask for the current price of the new choice before proceeding.

## Check availability and price before paying

Ask whether Hotel Lobby is available before buying credit for the task. Then separate the account top-up from the generation estimate.

Hotel Lobby requires a paid top-up through any credit pack. Welcome credit does not replace that requirement. A credit pack adds money to your Vaaya balance. It does not set a fixed price for the video you want to make.

The recipe provides a price estimate before generation. Review that estimate for your chosen version before spending. The public recipe page does not give a fixed dollar generation price, so use the live price shown for the run. Do not work backward from a credit pack’s price to assume what a video will cost.

Check whether your balance covers the live estimate for Extended if you choose the longer clip.

## Ask a connected agent or open the studio

You can open the Hotel Lobby studio from the recipe page. You can also ask an agent connected to Vaaya to help prepare the request. Keep the request specific about the people, sides and clip length, and ask for the checks before spending.

For two people, you can adapt this prompt:

> Use Vaaya’s Hotel Lobby recipe with me on the viewer’s left and my consenting adult friend on the viewer’s right. Use a separate photo set for each of us. Choose Standard, 7 seconds. Check availability first. Explain the required paid top-up separately from welcome credit, and show me the live generation price before spending.

For a solo version, remove the friend’s replacement and say which side should keep its original performer. Change Standard to Extended if you want the 29-second clip.

You can also use the prompt in Vaaya chat. It uses the same account and tools, with nothing to install. To browse other available recipes and services, open the [Vaaya tools directory](https://vaaya.ai/tools).

## Review retry costs before another attempt

A credit pack loads your wallet; it does not guarantee a completed video. Keep that distinction in mind when reviewing the generation estimate and deciding how much to add to your balance.

If you consider another attempt, review any retry cost before proceeding. Check the performer assignments and photo sets again, especially if you changed the person on one side or switched clip lengths. Ask for the cost of the attempt you are about to make.

[Open Hotel Lobby to choose your performers, check availability and review the live price](https://vaaya.ai/recipes/colors).