No kids rule, period. That leaves no room for misinterpretation of the rule or a judgment call on a club's employee to decide if the misbehaving kid has crossed the line from mildly annoying to "please leave", considering, as it's been stated, everyone has a different opinion of what constitutes a well behaved child.

As you've repeated this specific point, why specially is the design of Club Lounges great for kids?

The other side of that is that I argued recently in Singapore that the Club Lounge at breakfast time was very specifically a dangerous place for kids and for adults when kids are there because of the very confined space around the hot food area .. which you know well - when kids are allowed to run around there. I'm not going to specify where the kid stuck his finger, but all I'll say that it only ever happened once before and that was a doctor not a toddler.

For starters, it's much larger than the room or suite they would otherwise be confined in. It generally has multiple TV's where a kid can find a corner by himself to watch (assuming we are talking afternoons when the clubs are less busy). Good clubs have a book selection which generally includes some kids books. Kids can go grab a drink and a cookie as they please. There are multiple computers to watch videos on and more.

This is why kids like a good club. I think my point was mistaken that parents think it is good for kids. My point is that the kids themselves like it. And if the kid likes it and it keeps them busy and they don't bother others, then the parents by default like it.

Thanks .. ... yes I had misunderstood. :)

I think there's a bit of a mismatch here between aspiration and reality. I would be the first to agree that clubs should be quiet, exclusive, and even children-free in the evening (although I actually have no problem with children who behave appropriately). The mismatch is in expecting that atmosphere at an IC. These hotels are upper-middle range at best, and are aiming to please a wide range of travellers. The sort of exclusivity we crave doesn't come at this price level. My company doesn't pay for more exclusive hotels, whereas I sometimes do privately. I like the ICs I frequent, and am usually in the club for no extra cost. I can put up with the odd noisy child, especially at breakfast.

I am afraid it is not a question of price, but hotel policy.

FS London, which is not exactly cheap, can have (same with IC PL) very noisy customers, when I never experienced noisy guests at both IC and FS Lisbon, for example.

Most people , however, are not there at no extra cost and may be paying a fair bit extra to have access to the lounge. e.g. around GBP95 for London or $157 in Sydney

Yep, but they're paying for it the wrong hotels if they want the exclusivity.

I see we are back to the "good" old days again then ;)

What do you think the function and intention of an exclusive private lounge at a higher extra premium charge within a luxury hotel is intended for then?

A more restricted breakfast?

Well, no - not when the hotel does implement rules limiting access as per the OP's experience

I also suspect that some of those that do want to take children in might change their minds if ( like cost in London per adult ) GBP60 was being charged per extra child/infant regardless of age

Yes that might achieve the desired outcome.

Dave,

I think that would cut some of the problem, although the groups I have in mind who use the lounges as all day kindergardens with a nanny/servant - an issue of increasing annoyance in several ICs - wouldn't think twice about it.

The only solution is an age rule.

edited: I wonder simply whether an age rule for the computers would cure most of it ie no one under 17 and only 30 minutes max for everyone else? I've seen mature adults spend hours playing games on lounge computers to the point where you wait patiently for hours and then simply have to ask them whether you might have just two minutes to check in, and print a BP. :D

I would prefer rules being strictly enforced. Get noisy people out, tell them how to behave, get people with to much alcohol,in their blood out, get people out shouting into their telephones, restrict the times computers can be used.

I do not care too much about kids as long as they are well behaved. And I do not care too much about adults, as long as they are well behaved. And I met both i. Clubs being not well behaved.

As a lawyer (:D) you will undoubtedly understand that sometimes apparently simple solutions are not always as simple in practice. What are lounge staff expected to do in the situation where a servant has been left in charge of the kids all day in the lounge. It becomes almost almost a humanitarian issue. :eek:

Many of us know that if she tries to quieten them they will tell their parents and she will be disciplined. If she is kicked out of the lounge it will be traumatic and she will be disciplined. And then the family complain to the hotel - "We will never come back to a hotel that treats us rudely and hates our kids".

It isn't a practical solution. A simple age ban is a simpler rule to enforce that everyone can understand and causes less problems and confrontations.

:)

Perhaps banning servants from lounges would be just as effective? ;)