The Bentota Lounge Chair originated at the Bentota Beach Hotel, a government-developed resort destination in Sri Lanka during the late 1960s. This hotel, now known as Cinnamon Bentota Beach, exemplifies Bawa's pioneering modernist approach. Positioned on a sandbank between the Indian Ocean and Bentota River, the hotel's harmonious relationship with its natural environment and climate established new benchmarks for hospitality design throughout South and Southeast Asia during the 1960s and 1970s.

The chair's design draws from the colonial-era Verandah Armchair, known in Sinhalese as Hansi Putuwa, distinguished by its elevated back, broad armrests, and woven cane construction. This chair type appears throughout former colonial territories including India, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, South America, and Africa, inspiring numerous postcolonial reinterpretations. Notable among these is Cuban designer Clara Porset's Butaque chair from 1940s-50s Mexico, which architects like Luis Barragán—whom Bawa respected—and Mario Pani commissioned for their projects.

Bawa's adaptation eliminates the original's armrests while preserving its cooling comfort, creating opportunities for more fluid social interaction among users. The design's signature element consists of turned braces connecting the legs, which give the chair its distinctive character.

Phantom Hands' contemporary re-edition faithfully references the Bentota Beach Hotel version. The restoration process involved refining the wooden frame's thickness for improved ergonomics while preserving the original's exact side profile. Each variation maintains its unique design characteristics—the turned crossbars vary subtly between cane and upholstered versions, reflecting the distinctions found in Bawa's original designs.