WRONG.
(Unless churches are now closed on weekends. Go back and read post #14.)

And several posters here seem to think money equals good manners. SO not true. Not with children nor adults.

Anyway, Marriott hotels have offered rooms with C-Lounge access for an added fee for ages. This really is nothing different.

If Children are an issue do things.
One either go tell the parents to control their children or if you don't want to confront them, then go talk to the lounge attendant.
If that doesn't solve the problem, ask to use the phone and call for the Hotel manager.
If that doesn't work, then hit the Marriott CS speed dial on your cell and wait for the conference call with the hotel manager.

Have not had a problem (Lounge or any other hotel issue) that wasn't solved by this.

On a related note:
One of the benefits of Platinum is the Customer Service Number.
Nothing more fun than watching the Hotel Manager who was telling you know a minute before that something was not possible, try to explain same thing to service agent (who conference you in)

Sounds pretty good!

Is this possible with the Gold Elite Number?

Yes, it is for real. Hotels practice this all the time, particularly those in Asia. You can also pay for room on executive floor and so forth.

I think because of holiday season coupled with hard economic time, hotel tends to be more proactive in selling customers a whole bunch of goods that we don't often pay attentions to.

No, it would be worth at least $25/night plus the value of any other benefits.

Or if the hotel offers it (and per the OP it looks like the St. Louis Marriott does), one can purchase admitance to the CL.

To those who have seen this type of "upgrade", can it be purchased prior to check-in or is this an add-on during check-in? If at check-in only, the hotel can still manage the total number with access by not selling the upcharges after a certain number have purchased.

emphasis by me....

I have always seen it offered prior to check-in...both in the original selection of "rates available" and in the pre-arrival welcome email.

I have seen it most often with "weekend" rates, which I have always found interesting as most CL's are closed during that time....so what is the fee buying? A room with mouthwash and a robe?

If it IS during the week, then $25 would be significantly less than buying breakfast and snacks elsewhere if there is more than 1 person in the room....

And if we are going to discuss annoyances in the CL - then let's add people who talk on their cell phone endlessly; those who are using their computer with the sound ON, and those who use the CL during the busiest time to conduct a meeting.

That's been my experience as well. Only a savvy Marriott customer would know that the CL is not going to be open Fri/Sat/Sun until evening. I'm curious if anyone has ever balked at the rate after finding out that they paid for nothing.

To be fair, I have to say that (most of the time) it IS identified in the rate that the CL is closed....

So what are people thinking they are buying?

I must have misunderstood the OP then, I took the $25 offer as an entry to the CL, not to a CL level room. If the $25 is just an upgrade to a CL room (and to the lounge as well), then I don't see what all the fuss is about. The hotel only has a certain number of those and they can sell those for whatever price they want. I must be missing something since so many here are getting angry that the hotel would sell a CL room for $25 more than a normal room.