wigstheone
Sep 26, 02, 9:47 pm
The concierge level at Bermuda's Fairmont Southampton Princess offers plenty of business-class perks, from Web access to a music library. But for Sam Scholz, the real draw was the free breakfast -- which he enjoyed in his froggie pajamas.
Sam, 5 years old, was a guest on the hotel's "Gold" floor, a restricted-access area that his mother, Leslie Scholz, had always assumed was a haven for execs. But to her surprise, kids were everywhere. "If anything," says Mrs. Scholz, of Charlottesville, Va., "you would probably feel out of place if you were a businessperson."
Sorry, weary travelers, your secret's out. That last executive refuge, the upscale-hotel "club" level, is fast becoming the lodging of choice for vacationing families, too. It turns out that these floors' upgraded executive services -- VIP check-in, members-only lounges with computers and miniquiche buffets -- are as appealing to families as they are to CEOs. From the Loews in Philadelphia to the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Fla., high-end hotels report a surge of families using concierge floors this year -- as much as 30% more at some locations. Overall, club-level use by families has jumped as much as 20% over the past two years, according to Ernst & Young's hospitality-services group.
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1033086369385793953,00.html?mod=travel%5Fprim ary%5Fhs
Sam, 5 years old, was a guest on the hotel's "Gold" floor, a restricted-access area that his mother, Leslie Scholz, had always assumed was a haven for execs. But to her surprise, kids were everywhere. "If anything," says Mrs. Scholz, of Charlottesville, Va., "you would probably feel out of place if you were a businessperson."
Sorry, weary travelers, your secret's out. That last executive refuge, the upscale-hotel "club" level, is fast becoming the lodging of choice for vacationing families, too. It turns out that these floors' upgraded executive services -- VIP check-in, members-only lounges with computers and miniquiche buffets -- are as appealing to families as they are to CEOs. From the Loews in Philadelphia to the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Fla., high-end hotels report a surge of families using concierge floors this year -- as much as 30% more at some locations. Overall, club-level use by families has jumped as much as 20% over the past two years, according to Ernst & Young's hospitality-services group.
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1033086369385793953,00.html?mod=travel%5Fprim ary%5Fhs