Originally Posted by
miloworld
I never understood something, is it a common misconception?
Before staying at hotels with status and all that, I always thought a club lounge is a place for short business meetings/signing a contract etc. It's a quiet place to meet with business acquaintance, since bringing him/her to your room would be inappropriate. Inviting your guest to the lounge instead of the lobby cafe would show importance of the meeting. A benefit that comes with elite status without paying for a club room or booking the business center.
Even Sheraton Club advertise itself as a space to meet. Contradicting with SPG and hotel policies, which limits access to staying guests. If in-house guests wanted to meet, wouldn't they do exactly that in their rooms?
Did it begin when lounges started offering food and sometimes even a buffet?
It really depends on the property. Places like the Hyatt Regency Cologne or Dusseldorf have seperate meetings rooms adjacent to the club lounge, so it is very common there, certainly not so much in resort destinations.