BEST AND WORST CONCIERGE LOUNGE AWARDS
 

This is for all the Platinum and Black Marquis members, I am curious:

Which hotel has the BEST Concierge Lounge?

Which hotel has the WORST Concierge Lounge?

Please comment as to specific reasons for your choices. (i.e. food, desserts, hours, staff).

Thank you.

The Somerset, NJ Marriott has one of the best lounges (in my view). The food selection for both breakfast and dinner (particularly the desserts) are exceptional and the staff is always friendly!

I really like the lounge at the Denver Tech Center Marriott. Friendly staff, good food, comfortable room.

SFO Airport Marriott

Not sure how good the food selection is but
at least it's open on weekends!

I'd say the best in m experience are the Asian locations, with JW @ Kuala Lumpur and JW @ Bangkok leading the pack at 1 and 2 respectively. Among other things, they have excellent hours and service and they also remain open on weekends.

Worst- well if you have nothing nice to say... I guess I'll just be quiet for now!

Agree with billHall, I was just at the SFO Airport Marriott. First one that I've seen open on the weekends. That alone puts it head and shoulders above the rest. The food selection was decent when I was there; on Superbowl day they brought in several pizzas for free and saved me a call to roomservice http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

The worst? Almost all of the others I've seen are so cut and dry -- nothing terribly bad - just often terrible hours. So like doc I'll reserve judgement on this one.

The Marriott Boca Raton has a decent lounge. Good breakfast selection.

Off topic: BUT, nothing beats the club floor at Ritz-Carltons!

The worst has to be Financial Centre New York - rude staff who spend all their time on the phone and they expect you to clear your own plates and lecture you if you don't.

Even when they see you every day for a week, unless you're in a suit they ask you who you are.

Was very impressed with the lounge in (of all places) Norfolk, VA this week.

Good reading matter, attentive staff and GREAT desserts.

I don't like the lounge in the Tulsa, Oklahoma Marriott. Magazines from 3 months ago on racks, attendant sits around and does homework.

Lousy desserts, same pattern - carrot cake EVERY OTHER NIGHT is a little tacky...

Good topic. My nominations for the best lounges would be (1) Marriott Riverside Royal Gardens, Bangkok, (2) Marriott Warsaw, (3) Marriott Terrence, CA. All three have oustanding staff; welcoming and hospitable service; and good and varied food.

Mercifully, the worst ones have been so quickly forgotten that I can't come up with specific nominations.

The Oklahoma City Concierge Lounge had a peculiar feature that caused me a problem last summer: They don't allow children (under age 21!) inside under any circumstances, supposedly because they serve alcohol. I was on vacation with my family, and only my wife and I could get the free breakfast, etc. Pretty annoying. My kids aren't screaming babies, by the way (ages 5-15 at the time).

Regarding the New York Financial Center, the staff is just being New Yorkers, nothing special! Rudeness is required to get by.

The Asian lounges are all terrific. I've seen half a dozen.

Regarding weekend hours, the inconsistency among hotels is annoying. It's always a pleasant surprise to find a lounge open on the weekend, but even those hotels don't do it consistently. The reservations people don't know. Sometimes the hotel itself doesn't know in advance if the lounge will be open. You just take your chances!

Bruce

Hi Bruce-

The "No children" policy may be encountered at several other hotels, at a London property, I believe, and in New England at Nashua, NH for example. Those with kids will agree with you - possibly! Others without kids, likely not. FWIW, I don't think its a great rule but...

I can't recall the property, but one London hotel would not allow us on the Executive Floor with a child period- and moreover would not allow a child in our room! We'd have to book a separate room - just for a 3-4 yr old! Supposedly due to the "fire code!" http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

BTW- How 'bought lightening up just a bit on the New Yorker thing, huh? As a former New Yorker, and there are many current ones on this board, I could not disagree more! I absolutely love New York and New Yorkers make it what it is! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

How 'bout we try to take people as individuals? It will serve all of us better, IMHO! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

I'm a former New Yorker (18 yrs) and I couldn't *agree* more with the original poster. <g> The same sort of experience happens to me at the LGA Hertz and the MT LGA-AP. I'll hold my tongue before cmdr catcop brings the hammer down http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I work in New York, and my comment was a little bit tongue in cheek. Still, New Yorkers do develop hard shells that sometimes -- but not always -- hide nice people. I really didn't intend to be harsh.

Interestingly, when my wife and I stayed at the Nashua, NH, Marriott last summer with our 5-year-old, he did not prevent us from using the Concierge Lounge -- because it was closed on the weekend! Oh, well.

Bruce