A Quick Refresher on Proper Club Lounge Etiquette
Ariana Arghandewal December 27, 2018
Wikimedia/Phillip Capper
We’ve all seen them: Those people who show up at the hotel club lounge for breakfast in their pajamas, faces unwashed, hair uncombed, maybe even barefoot to complete the look. Or maybe you’ve seen the guy who likes to get super comfortable by putting his feet on the coffee table.
Or the lady who makes a mad dash for the fried chicken when she spots a refill, then shoves the contents into her purse before taking off. Not everyone is a seasoned traveler or understands how to act considerately of others in public (that goes for professional passenger shamers and novices alike). I’ll stand by the point I made to the person running the Passenger Shaming account: Calling out bad behavior is fine, just don’t humiliate people or violate their privacy in order to do it. That being said, here’s a refresher on club lounge etiquette:
Dress Appropriately
I don’t mean put on your evening gown and Tom Ford suit. Dressing appropriately just means looking presentable. Wear neat, clean clothes. Try to avoid sweats, flip flops (unless you’re in Hawaii), and wrinkled clothing. Pajamas are a hard pass.
Take Reasonable Portions
Some club lounges have massive spreads that rival any Vegas buffet, while others offer cheese and crackers with the occasional hot item. Once this item is set down, a mad dash usually ensues, with people piling it on their plates like famine is coming. Don’t do that. Take what you can reasonably eat. Or even better, take as much as you would if you were actually paying for the food. That’s a great way not to end up with mountains of leftovers that get tossed out while people outside the hotel (or those at the adjacent table) are starving.
Use Your Indoor Voice
A few years ago I was having breakfast at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong club lounge when a movie producer-director-finacier-extraordinaire was having a very loud phone conversation a few tables away. He spoke loudly about his finances, project budgets, and anything else to erase all doubt that he was anything but a hotshot. It was rude and inconsiderate to everyone in the lounge.
At the end of his conversation, another man who had been quietly reading a newspaper a few tables away, walked over and gave him the most well-mannered dressing down I’ve ever witnessed. Young James Cameron sat quietly in his chair, did not even look up, and the next day I observed him having another loud conversation – this time in a room outside the lounge.
At the Conrad Dubai a few years ago, a guest at the lounge was loudly screaming about his foot. He was in pain and wanted to “cut it off” – his friends kept urging him to go back to the room, but he was perfectly content shouting his lungs out while everyone else jumped every time he yelled out in pain. The lesson? Be mindful while around other people. That goes without saying, but in this day and age when everyone has a love affair with their cellphones (and their fabulous selves), too many people commit this faux pas.
Don’t Guest in an Unreasonable Number of People
Every hotel lounge has its own policy regarding guest access. Generally, lounge access is for you and one other person. Some hotel will charge a fee (often quite high) for additional guests accessing the lounge. In my experience, the Hilton chain is very generous with their lounge access policy. I’ve been able to get lounge access for multiple rooms – upwards of eight guests.
I think if you’re a single traveler staying in one room, it’s fine to bring one person into the lounge as your guest. But if you’re meeting up with multiple people and the lounge explicitly prohibits access unless you pay a fee, maybe take your friends to a coffee shop or something. Follow the rules and don’t put staff in the awkward position of having to kick you and an entire baseball team of friends out because they’re not all guests with lounge access.
It really comes down to being considerate and respectful of others. Sometimes when people pay for things (or get them for free), they feel entitled to take advantage to an unreasonable degree. We all need a reminder sometimes of how not to act in the club lounge. Is there anything you all would add to the list?
[Photo: Wikimedia/Phillip Capper]
@fullnelson3 Which point of the article do you “simply” do not understand? It’s highlighing discourteous behaviours. Or are you one of the culprits and feel wearing your night shorts and yawning into the scrambled eggs is ok?
Simply do not understand the purpose of this article. I will chalk it up to a "Stay off my lawn" moment by the author.
This is certainly an article that should provoke thought into common courtesy. I have seen numerous people who walk into hotel lounges and breakfast rooms who clearly have just had their first wee of the day, picked up the room keycard and swanned into the lift. Bed hair, slippers and crust around the eyes is enough to put anyone off. If you wouldn’t do it in a restaurant, why do it in a hotel? How about a subtle dress code ... no dressing gowns and pyjamas? I would add slippers and sleeveless t shirts (I really don’t want to see armpit hair trying to get out) but would struggle with encouraging guests at more trioical locations.
@bhrubin So am I! Though I’m guessing based on your love of flip flops, you hair from Socal. :) @grog Fair point. It feels great knowing my target audience probably won’t listen to me. :) RE “Young JC” I was referring to the fact that he seemed to be a movie director or producer. I don’t think James Cameron would intentionally draw that much attention to himself. @Tim_Az Nope, I didn’t mention anyone by name or post photos. “Young James Cameron” does not refer to a time-traveling thespian. Still wanna lock me up. ;) @Irpworks Because some people don’t know better. It’s more constructive to address people’s terrible behavior directly. Like the man in the GH HK lounge did - the next day, the culprit had his loud conversation outside. @dmurphynj do you! @laperk1028 Definitely not talking down to you, unless you’re one of the people I described in this article. ;) I hear ya - flip flops aren’t bad on their own. Throw in an unkempt appearance and foot fungus and it’s no longer cute. @zoey59 I Lol! Neither do I sometimes. What is that they say about those who can’t do? I knew I forgot something. Robes! They’re meant to be worn in your room and spa. Speaking of health hazards, a few years ago a woman at the HR SF picked up the spoon in the ranch bowl, licked it, then put it right back in. Gross! I’m not one to narc on people but this was a health hazard and the manager took care of it quickly. @MitchR Not dress up - just dress clean. I think it’s fine to drop by on your way back from the gym. My issue is with people who show up in the clothes they wore the night before or just look plain sloppy. @geminidreams Usually there are rules but people ignore them anyway. Regardless, there are the rules of civility - do we really need to be told not to walk into a club lounge with bedhead and morning breath? @MLCJ No!!!!! @zitsky Hmm. Really? I guess I should pack it in since my life’s mission has now been defeated. @exit2dos someone needs a vacation! @peter42 agreed. RE walking around barefoot - if everyone walks around barefoot on a beach resort that’s a little different than when some people track in feces from the dirty city sidewalks and others opt to leave their shoes at home. @allegro761 true dat. @kai.lileboo your article is definitely more interesting than mine. :) @Seat 2A it’s tricky because the attendants don’t want to offend guests, even if they are breaking the rules. Can you imagine having to tell a guest they shouldn’t lick the ranch spoon in the lounge? Saw that happen once. I imagine if it’s not a hazard they’re hesitant about embarrassing them.
Since common sense is clearly lacking amongst some, it'd be great if the lounges would actually enforce their appearance standards. It's amazing how many immediately assume the issue here is "dressing up". Clean, neat and presentable is all most reasonable people are asking. Sorry, but to my mind showing up in pajamas or well torn dirty jeans doesn't meet that standard.