miogpsrocksProton

I did not say that I have ever seen caviar, just what an average person off the street might imaging an executive lounge to have. That is was more then some kind of little grab-N-go thing is a side room in the lobby.

I did however expect there to be a lounge available, especially at their more hotel collection or in their fancy areas of the country like Las Vegas or parts of California.
Did not realize there was a lounge bloodbath because of the coronavirus. I was hoping these are temporary measures. Here in Florida, we did not even have lockdown like the other places in the country. We stayed open for business.

This is a picture from an image search for hilton executive lounge


Image search for Hilton Lounge

smmrfld

This is exactly what you said:

“The idea of eating caviar and drinking wine while overlooking the city from the best view of the Hotel is what I am thinking of an executive lounge.”

miogpsrocksProton

Like daydreaming about might be theoretically possible, not what I literally expected to happen. Like the idea or concept. Like the idea of owning a exotic car of Miami Vice style vs the reality of it of being ripped off by sleazy mechanics and having to spend thousands on some small part that no one can find, etc..

I can tell you I did literally expect to have a nice area on the top level of the hotel with a great view, not some small first floor area tucked away in the back with dried cereal. Such as in the pictures.

What other unpleasant surprised should I be made aware of for the diamond status, or am I better off abandoning Hilton diamond status dream and focus on Marriott platinum instead?

notquiteaff

I maintain Hilton Diamond (via Aspire) primarily for overseas Hilton stays where elite status still gets you some tangible benefits. I think the same is true for Marriott (though here I currently only have Gold, which is not very useful). For domestic hotel stays I have gone mostly free agent - I book where price and location and award earnings meet my goals, often through AA Hotels to earn AA miles and LPs instead of hotel elite credits that are not worth anything.

Admiral Ackbar

Marriott lounges are as dreadful as Hilton, in North American hotels at least. The only hotels that have the type of lounge you mention (sans caviar) for sure are Intercontinental (you can choose Club access after staying 40 nights) and Fairmont Gold for which you need to get a room on a Gold floor.

Outside of NA the quality narrows greatly and you have some very nice lounges across all chains.

I am sure the Ritz-Carltons, Waldorfs et al have very nice lounges as well but they are outside my price point.

italdesign

Sorry, this made me LOL.

I don't think I've been to even one hotel in North America post-covid that still had a lounge. Pre-covid, it was abundant. That caviar dream tho.

OP: as others mentioned, some lounges in Asia are closer to what you imagine. Even a Courtyard lounge in Asia is better than just about any lounge I've been to in North America.

pinniped

Marriott has a weird love-hate relationship with lounges. I've stayed in hotels that actively promote the "M Club" - and even a few who provide adequate service there - and then others who have banished the lounge entirely or offer a dreadful bare-bones one.

Stayed at the Whitley Hotel in Atlanta last week; it had a lounge that was quite good by North American standards. In fact, this entire hotel felt like early 2000's in terms of all-around hospitality and quality - great service all around, everything open and operational when it was supposed to be, very clean, etc. No caviar, but....good. Both breakfast and evening. And, Atlanta being Atlanta: Coca-Cola products!

Most of the Marriott lounges are bleak, but they don't seem to have been as straight-line banished as they have at Hilton.

The _Banking_Scot

Hi,

That is a photo of the lounge at the Conrad Dubai , in the UAE
It is a very nice lounge

Regards

TBS

skunker

And, if there was one there wouldn't be much of a view let alone "while overlooking the city from the best view of the Hotel." It would be the 5 or the back side of the track!

flurian

I am at the Hilton Dadeland right now.
Executive lounge is open and serves coffee, Nestle Pure Life bottled water, Lays ready salted crisps and Kelloggs Nutri Grain bars