Totally Agree!
 

I too have the same feeling for these uncivilized lounge users. I really cannot understand why do people like to do this thinking that it is their right to do it. I was once in a lounge (not Marriot though :p) and there was this family (well off from my impression of the whole conversation) and they just allowed their daughter to skype for more than an hour.
I was unfortunate sitted across her and after 10 mins of hearing her gossip and converse loudly with her friend, I did complain to the lounge attendant, but being in Asia, they were very reluctant to be strict to her, so after a short conversation with her, she quiet down, but after a few mins going up in volume again for the rest of the hour.

Just unbelievable.

I am ok if someone needs to have conversation in the lounge, but misusing your right is non-tolerable.

just my 2 cents on this.

So .... why didn't you complain to the parents or to the girl instead of to the lounge attendant?

Most people don't realize they are inconveniencing someone and will stop when it is pointed out. Most of the remainder will be shamed into stopping, particularly if you ask them to stop loudly enuf that other people notice. The hard-core infringers are just a$$holes that are gonna do whatever they want; you prolly just have to walk away from them.

So, what's unbelievable isn't so much behavior in the lounge; it's that so many people are so spineless that they take it, don't do anything about it and then whine about it on FT. Pfft.

You people kill me. The lounge at a Marriott is not an exclusive private country club. It's a place to get a snack at a mid-level hotel chain. Relax a little. Ok, end of MY rant.

1. Thanks for not using exclamation points. Their overuse in posts is annoying and self-important. See, for example, post no. 1.
2. Disagree as to lounge usage. To some folks, it's more than a pig trough. It's also a place to relax.

I agree with the OP. I am fed up with people shouting in to their phones, putting their bare feet up on sofas, thinking it is a play area for their kids, having business meetings etc etc. It all comes down to having a few manners, really. I experience the same everyday on my commute by train, some people just have no idea how to behave in public ...

I was annoyed today when an older lady decided she couldn't wait for my coffee to pour from the machine (she absolutely needed hot water). So, she switched the machine off.

She wasn't happy when it was switched back on and I went for a fresh cup before her. She demanded the staff bring her toast and tea when it was ready (which they did, much to my further annoyance).

It doesn't matter where you are.....people should practice at least mildly civil manners and show respect for the comfort of others.

Since Marriott isn't an exclusive private country club would it be permissible, if your view, for someone to cease to control their bodily emissions as if they were home alone watching TV? I certainly hope not.

The lounges are public places. If you want peace and quiet, just head to your room.

It's quite common to see groups of people from the same office staying in lounges and they are socializing so the can have loud conversations, laughing, etc. You can't begrudge it. Welcome to the world of hotel living:)

I think any expectation that lounges are supposed to be like a library is a bit misguided. I would not call talking on an iPad via Skype to be out of bounds.

At the hotel I'm staying, a lot of us ex-pats are known to put a few back and have some good laughs together. Good times and not what I would call poor behavior but would probably irritate you based on your post.

Many of the posts describe an ageless conflict: quiet enjoyment versus the public commons.

In the US there is an assumed right to quiet in private spaces: it's established precedent. In public we have an expectation of free speech & assembly.

But there is also a matter of etiquette, which demands deference to the group. A quiet lounge implies quiet for new arrivals. Generally, the assumption of quiet is a good policy.

So agree with the original poster on this. I'm dismayed by some other replies that seem to think the lounge can be one big party. My feeling is that everyone should respect the majority of lounge visitors who are there to enjoy the (usual) tranquil surroundings. I dont agree that if you want peace and quiet then you should go back to your room for it, I think that if you want to have a quiet drink, sit and read, relax, enjoy some canapes, check your emails (not everyone is a businessman and carries a laptop), etc etc, then the exec lounge is there for you. If however, you have a whole load of work colleagues and you want to have a meeting that doesnt disturb others then use a conference room, or go to the hotel bar where customers do often get a bit raucos. Personally if I was disturbed by other guests trying to make themselves heard on skype or cellphones, I feel the correct way would be to speak to the lounge staff first as they are less likely to get into a confrontational situation with another guest. I dont expect to walk into a lounge and find it like a library where people are scared of talking but please have a little respect for others and behave in a gentlemanly and proffessional manner.

@:-)

Its the reason I don't hang out in the lounges.

I was in the lounge and this guy was blabbing on his phone pretty loudly, even loud enough I could hear him from the other side of the room. It was a little annoying but I usually pop in, grab something to eat and get out quickly so I wasn't going to say anything. Finally some guy had enough and goes 'Excuse me could you please keep it down, you're much louder than anyone else in the room'. The guy on the phone just lost it starts calling the guy an &#%$# and talking even louder as if to prove a point. The guy who asked starts yelling even louder and try to yell into the guys phone saying stuff like "Try and talk now you @$@$%" and it goes back and forth for close to a minute until they were just screaming at the top of their lungs until one guy starts to head out (walking backwards, still screaming) and the other guy just yells out after him "Yeah keep walking you F$@%@2$% B#$$".

Everyone in the lounge, including the attendant was just sort of :eek: at this point. The phone talker looks around, still talking on his damn phone, and heads out of the lounge. We can hear them getting into it through the closed door as they wait for the elevator.

LOL!

"We turned the entire coliseum into a MUUUUD PIT!"

Where was this, if I may ask?

I routinely ask people to hold it down - always politely, always with a smile. This sort of thing has occasionally happened to me as well. I have found that if you simply sit down real close to the offender - like inches away - and stare at them, they eventually decide to go elsewhere. it's usually kinda funny....

While there is no excuse for sitting in the middle of the lounge carrying on a loud conversation via Skype, and it's appreciated that ranting here is therapeutic and better than ranting at the offenders, your assumption that lounge access means free Internet in the room isn't always true. For example, many Asian properties allow military members to use the lounge, and some companies may have agreements allowing their employees access.

As for having one credit card over another...It's humorous that anyone would think the card that makes sense for him would be the card that everyone else should carry. I know that many on this board think you get a credit card for the benefits, but many financially prudent people still have that quaint notion that a credit card is a financial tool that should be used prudently and carefully. To these people, the notion of opening a line of credit just for the benefits is irresponsible. (Difference between I'm getting two cards, which are the best for me versus I want all the benefits, so I'll open ten cards and not use them.) Someone shouldn't be faulted for not choosing to open a specific credit card.

Back on topic, this is why I've invested in a good set of earplugs. They're small enough to fit in my pocket and effective enough to block out the noise. http://reviews.cnet.com/best-earbuds/