How many "A-list" celebs hang out at a Marriott CL? Not many. Yes, many all sighted A-listers at common-man hotels but it's not a daily thing probably. Just guessing here.

I concur but don't buy the vacationer vibe as an explanation. The guest profile is irrelevant. I'm at the Waikiki Marriott right now. No Lounge, but elite coupons for the full breakfast buffet. It's 90 seconds from the beach. This entire stay, (as with a dozen previously) with tons of families and just about every ethnic group, I've never seen any deal-killer slob attire or behavior. Attire ranges from shorts, tees and a few wife-beater tank tops and a few bathrobes to a few biz casual types and a few guys like me in suits. No sweaty wannabes, and no corrosive behavior like in many CLs. Everyone had clean clothing and no one was doing anything as obnoxious as I've seen multiple times in CLs.

As with other threads where I've opined - it's the behavior that matters. The top 3 Lounge deal-killers for me are:
- Self-important idiots, partially drunk, conducting a loud sales pep-rally;
- The nuclear family gathering with more than a dozen extra guests, (see my upstream post from the LHR Marriott experience) that by floor space, volume and noise makes it impossible for anyone else to enjoy a drink or a snack [the same indifferent morons that have a reunion in the middle of an airport concourse]; and of course..
- The post-workout sweat head that hasn't washed his rank-smelling gear for a while.

A point on private clubs: I have 2 memberships, one a traditional business club in downtown Chicago and a country club here in the DC area, both with hefty front-ends and dues. You may be surprised to know that both have very casual areas: In one of them right next to the locker room, you can get a full lunch menu in a bathrobe. Both have grill rooms or a casual bar where you can be in shorts and a T. In other areas, a jacket and trousers are required. It's not the attire - it's the behavior that matters.

One of the most revolting experiences in a Lounge I've had was a middle aged, obese and angry woman, with a cropped top and leggings, with her huge stomach sticking out. The Miley Cyrus look. It was amusing until she started chewing on her obviously suppressed husband and their kids. Then the canapes came out. I thought I was watching the wedding buffet scene from Goodbye Columbus. Decades after that movie, I concluded it was a couple making a play to be photographed so they could show up on People of Walmart.

The show-stopper for me in all this is just being inconsiderate. I have my own standards for attire but like you, no interest in applying that to anyone else.

While I agree with portions of what you say I would prefer the sweaty guy and the chick with the belly hanging out to a nasty smoker. Why is a nasty smoker acceptable but not these other people? The nasty smoker, who reeks of smoke, can be hazardous to my health. If they are just fat they are only hazardous to their own health.

Agree.

Agree.

I find it curious that some people find the food in the CL so lousy that they think this justifies any attire they wish to wear. Why do they want to eat stale, crappy food anyway? If it is so lousy, why do they want to even ingest it? And what sort of logic says that since the food is poor then I can dress in an equally poor fashion? Maybe other chains like IC or Hyatt have non-PJ and non-sweaty clothes food. :D

Yikes - tell that to this guy! :eek:

The guest profile is EVERYTHING to a hotel. EVERYTHING.

People eat it because it's free and convenient.

At many places, the quality of food is in fact correlated with the attire worn there. I don't know of any fine dining establishments with lousy food, otherwise they wouldn't be in business for very long. And I'm sure people wearing PJ's to McDonald's isn't all that uncommon.

We are at the Ritz Carlton Pentagon City tonight Club level. WOW what a zoo. I know its a busy night, but people are abusing access more than I have ever seen.

The women are working their bottoms off. Hors D'Oeuvres were set out at 5pm. Parties of 8+ camped out for 3 plus hours literally clearing the food as quickly as it could be placed. We had to get food directly from the hostesses and take it to the room to eat. Drinks the same way.

Kids running everywhere. Not a seat to be had for a solid 4 plus hours.

When dessert was being set at 8pm. We returned. We have a late dinner reservation. People were circling the displays before they were even set. The same folks from 5pm.

I wish I could have gotten a picture of this one table. I thought it would have collapsed from the weight of the glass and dish ware.

Nothing for the Ritz to do. Just looked like many additional folks invited to join guests in the lounge and lounge time was well extended blocking others to enjoy the benefit.

Can't wait until breakfast!

No worries at breakfast....you hope and pray they will be hungover !:D

What did the manager say when you complained about the blatant abuse, blocking your ability to enjoy the lounge's benefits? ;)

The women were in a frenzy. We said something to the front desk when down stairs. They said they would look into it…..That was before the dessert escapades. So we saw no result from that.

Is it possible all the people there really did have access? Just wondering.

While I do sympathize with your situation, if they all really did have access to the lounge, then the hotel may not be able to do much about it. Of course, one would hope that people would be a bit more considerate of everyone in the lounge and let others have some access to the offerings as well, but I guess there isn't a "rule" against making the lounge offerings a full meal.

I've seen similar situations at other hotels and when that happens, I just leave and go elsewhere. (Of course if I were paying for lounge access at an RC, I might be a little more peeved at the situation. :eek: )

That's exactly a conversation my wife and I had. No way to know. I do know they were not allowing non-club rooms to buy club access. That indicates to me they were near capacity. Very possible the hotel was not at fault at all. Likely in fact. I just don't think the lounge is a place to park a party of 5, 6 or 8 for 3 plus hours. Several groups did this. Again, the hotel can't stop it. Just think its rude as it prevents other guests' use.

In my experience, lots and lots of high-level elite guests (including myself) travel over New Year's Eve. Many hotels, such as the JW Marriott Copacabana in Rio, where I am now, have way more elite guests than their relatively small lounges can hold. In Rio, they allowed elite guests to get breakfast for free in the restaurant during December 28 - January 1. I was told that 80 rooms had lounge access, far above the lounge's capacity.

Bruce