Free Club Lounge Access: A Blessing or a Curse?
Ariana Arghandewal November 17, 2018
Most travel hackers I know won’t even think of staying at a non-chain hotel, let alone one where they don’t have access to elite benefits like free club lounge access. It’s understandable because lounge access can certainly be useful.
Getting upwards of three meals a day in the lounge saves money and is super convenient. I used to think it was essential to at least have breakfast covered at the club lounge or elsewhere. But is free lounge access really a blessing, or a curse?
Food
The main advantage of having club lounge access is to get convenient access to food. While it’s certainly a shame to visit a new destination and spend the entire time gorging on generic lounge food, club lounge access does have several benefits. For starters, it saves you money. It’s also a convenient way to grab a snack or coffee when you’re jet lagged and waking up when most local eateries are closed.
The caveat? The food is usually pretty generic, which is a real shame if you’re traveling to a new city and missing out on local fare. Food is a huge part of experiencing a culture and by holing up in a club lounge eating frozen meatballs and chicken wings, you could be missing out on incredible culinary experiences. That goes for all three meals – even breakfast can be something extraordinary if you visit the right restaurant. Having free club lounge access makes it way too tempting to stay at the hotel and miss out on delicious food, not to mention the sights and sounds of the city. Which brings me to my next point….
(Not) Sightseeing
Another major negative to having lounge access is that too many people spend a huge chunk of time hanging out there. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve left a lounge and returned several hours later, only to find the same person sitting in the same seat, presumably never having left the lounge. If it’s stopping you from exploring a new city or doing anything other than sitting around drinking free lattes, maybe free club lounge access isn’t so great after all.
Limited Hotel Options
Have you ever made a hotel booking decision based on hotel status? You’re not alone. Everyone I know (myself included) books hotels based on elite status benefits. Why stay at a hotel that doesn’t offer free breakfast, lounge access and bonus points? While you’ll get a lot of value out of these benefits, you may be missing out on some incredible hotels as a result.
Free club lounge access can absolutely be a blessing, especially if you’re traveling on a budget. But if it keeps you from experiencing the best of what a city has to offer (in terms of food, sights and experiences), then it can actually be a curse. I’ve absolutely been guilty of only staying at chain hotels where I have status and sometimes spending a little too much sipping lattes at the lounge. Being aware of our behaviors leads to growth, right? I aim to be a more enlightened and enriched traveler and as such, I intend to make future booking decisions independent of my status with a hotel chain.
What are your thoughts on this issue? Do you think free club lounge access is a blessing or a curse?
[Image: Ritz Carlton]
So what if you are in a city with bad winter weather. It's a city you've been to many times already because you're a road warrior and you just want a little something to tide you over. I assume that other grownups can make grown-up decisions for themselves and think, "hey, maybe I should go out an ck out local hangouts?" A lounge is just an option, nothing more. Some places have great lounges, others don't. Choose what works for you.
@sdsearch that would be sad, if true. But I doubt most people would want to spend the entire trip in a cramped hotel room - the lounge, on the other hand, is much more conducive to, well, lounging. @jaimemayo I was referring more so to hotel club lounges. I personally find airport lounges to be a life saver. @jmj9905 same thing I wonder when I see people traveling abroad and spending all their time in the hotel. That breakfast spot sounds amazing btw! @HoustonConsultant I hear you - makes total sense. @htb you must be there for work. I’m referring to leisure travelers.
I will spend the entire day in the lounge today. When you come back I will still be sitting there. I'm here to work (until I'm called to the customer site). And in the lounge at least they still have a standard desk and chair. Marriott, anyone?
Your arguments above make perfect sense, but there are many, many (many, many, many) times I'm pressed for time (and sleep), and running out for an interesting local breakfast requires cutting into some amount of sleep or work time. With no lounge, I can promise you I'm still not getting up an hour early to go find a fun breakfast. The arguments above make more sense for me with leisure travel. However, my leisure travel includes a spouse and three kids, so free breakfast and snacks are a big cost (and time) savings.
I gave these club floors a try and found most to be a bore and often without the food worth consuming at the times I want it. I work/sleep about 3.5 hours out of phase with the regular business crowd.