It seems that since Club Lounges were made mandatory and anyone could pay to stay on the Club Floor / use the Lounge, the number of families with kids on the Club Floor / using the Lounge has increased at least 10-fold. Now I don't know if I would do any different if I l had small kids (i.e. pay for the upgrade so that I can feed the kids free breakfast and even dinner depending on what is served) BUT I definitely wouldn't load up on the food and drinks (after already eating and feeding the family) and take more with me as a number of parents seem to do. They seem to think that as they payed for the upgrade they can clean out the drink fridge, the fruit bowl, and whatever else has been left in the lounge for guests to snack on, leaving nothing for the other guests. Even worse, try sleeping when kids are running up and down the hall early in the morning late in the evening. It obviously is a revenue generator for Starwood but it could backfire with their frequent guests.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cruiser9999
It seems that since Club Lounges were made mandatory and anyone could pay to stay on the Club Floor / use the Lounge, the number of families with kids on the Club Floor / using the Lounge has increased at least 10-fold. Now I don't know if I would do any different if I l had small kids (i.e. pay for the upgrade so that I can feed the kids free breakfast and even dinner depending on what is served) BUT I definitely wouldn't load up on the food and drinks (after already eating and feeding the family) and take more with me as a number of parents seem to do. They seem to think that as they payed for the upgrade they can clean out the drink fridge, the fruit bowl, and whatever else has been left in the lounge for guests to snack on, leaving nothing for the other guests. Even worse, try sleeping when kids are running up and down the hall early in the morning late in the evening. It obviously is a revenue generator for Starwood but it could backfire with their frequent guests.
there's something about a hotel that differentiates itself from a good lounge vs. a bad lounge.
A good club lounge will have an attendant that will often RESTOCK the appetizers, drinks in fridge, clean up after guests.
A bad club lounge is one that is unattended or an attendant that is often unseen in the back that doesn't care about guests
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jammanxc
there's something about a hotel that differentiates itself from a good lounge vs. a bad lounge.
A good club lounge will have an attendant that will often RESTOCK the appetizers, drinks in fridge, clean up after guests.
A bad club lounge is one that is unattended or an attendant that is often unseen in the back that doesn't care about guests
And an even better lounge is one that would either forbid children from being in a lounge or a lounge that sets out a dedicated area for families or caters to kids (ie. supervises them and provides the opportunity for the parents to relax).
More hotels could implement the last two points, as having kids running around a lounge somewhat takes away the pleasure of being in a quiet relaxing environment, or the ability to do any work or print anything (it is often the kids who are using the computers and businessmen who are waiting behind).
It was several hotels on th east coast. The kids were largely in the 0 - 8 years old range and on a number of occasions the Club Room had no tables left because of families eating there. Once again I don;t know if I would do any different if I had small kids but it felt more like eating in a kids' diner and as all the tables were taken, we ended sitting on a couch with the food in our lap. We have been at a number of hotel in Europe where there is a sign requesting that guests not remove any food from the lounge - maybe they should implement the policy in North America as well but then again if there is no place to site in the lounge, one has to eat somewhere.
It was several hotels on th east coast. The kids were largely in the 0 - 8 years old range and on a number of occasions the Club Room had no tables left because of families eating there. Once again I don;t know if I would do any different if I had small kids but it felt more like eating in a kids' diner and as all the tables were taken, we ended sitting on a couch with the food in our lap. We have been at a number of hotel in Europe where there is a sign requesting that guests not remove any food from the lounge - maybe they should implement the policy in North America as well but then again if there is no place to site in the lounge, one has to eat somewhere.
how many 0 year olds have I seen running around period.. none
if it were just the mom and/or dad, the same tables are likely to be taken
get over it, summer is almost done, family vacations are almost over
move to another chain if you can find one that
1. does not allow kids in the lounge
2. does not allow food/beverage to be removed from the lounge.
3. requires attendants in all lounges
oh you can't.. well then write to spg and make your points and see if they agree.. probably not. And no, I doubt people will leave spg b/c of this, at least in the U.S. where would they go?
is the next gripe, there was a baby on my plane and was crying
another kid thread, sheesh
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Quote:
Originally Posted by singtx
I dont mind at all and never seen anything as described in various threads here...
Lounges are to be used by everyone.
Yes sure, let's leave the doors open to anyone who may drive past the hotel and they can use the lounges too.
A hotel is free to implement whatever policies it wants.
The problem with society right now is that parents just don't supervise their kids properly. It is one or two bad ones running around and shouting that give an ill reputation to the 50 kids who do happen to behave properly.
As an aside, in Asia it is quite common to have hotels ban kids from executive lounges or First class onboard planes.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GVA
The problem with society right now is that parents just don't supervise their kids properly. It is one or two bad ones running around and shouting that give an ill reputation to the 50 kids who do happen to behave properly.
This is, of course, the central issue. And, I completely agree. I was in a Sheraton lounge last week where a family with 3 kids was completely over the top in terms of being out of control. Both parents were yakking on their cell phones while the kids ran rampant throughout the lounge. One of the little darlings was filling his mouth with milk and spitting it out all over his younger sister while the oblivious parents kept on yakking. And, no, the kids weren't doing this quietly in the corner -- they were yelling and dropping things and bumping into adults who were sitting and standing.
It was astonishing to witness, frankly.
The parents never so much as looked up and I'm quite sure that every other patron in the lounge was staring at this family of 5 at the end.
With all of that said, it puts the hotel in a really tough spot. Do you set policies to affect everyone to protect us from situations like this? Or, do you set no policy and understand that this sort of thing will simply happen from time to time? There is no easy answer.
If I were the GM of this hotel, I would absolutely have wanted a lounge attendant (of which, mind you, there were 3 that I counted) to approach the family early on and ask that the parents actively supervise their brood. Why this didn't happen throughout the nearly 20 minute ordeal is beyond me.
Yes sure, let's leave the doors open to anyone who may drive past the hotel and they can use the lounges too.
A hotel is free to implement whatever policies it wants.
The problem with society right now is that parents just don't supervise their kids properly. It is one or two bad ones running around and shouting that give an ill reputation to the 50 kids who do happen to behave properly.
As an aside, in Asia it is quite common to have hotels ban kids from executive lounges or First class onboard planes.
Wow... what a statement - Blame the parents...not the hotel - no one ever suggested to leave the door wide open...but whomever has access - well, they have access.
In Seoul, for example Westin Chosun Seoul, the kid ban from club is awesome because it means my family scores free breakfast buffet at Aria everytime we stay there! Aria food spread >>>>> club breakfast.
1/2 the problem solved
