Regus Gold experiences
 

Anyone here that is using the Regus Gold card/membership to get access to Regus facilities on a walk-in basis and have some experiences to share?

The Regus Gold card is given away "everywhere" and I'm considering trying it out on my next trip. Ihave had some poor experiences with Regus in the past though, and what seems to be complimentary is not always it.

I have a Regus membership via AmEx Platinum OPEN (no idea what level it is). It includes access to "lounge" space at Regus facilities world-wide. Some are good (downtown Seattle was particularly nice) and some suck (nearly every option I tried in NYC). It really depends on what you are looking for from the space and what your needs are on the visit.

I'm not very demanding when it comes to workspace when I'm on the road; A small desk, decent internet access and complementary coffee and water is all I really need.

So do you simply show up at a Regus facility during normal business hours, present your membership card and then get assigned a place to work?

Hi Aulrik.
I can confirm that if you are a businessworld member, you can turn up at Regus business centers during normal business hours to use a business lounge, get free internet access, coffee and tea, plus discounted access to other paid-for services such as meeting rooms and day offices. Here's a customer testimonial on YouTube.
Thanks for mentioning Regus and I hope your experience with us is a good one.

Thanks for the reply. I will give Regus another try on my next trip.

Getting a desk is not a given. In NYC I've never had one. If I'm lucky there is a shared table I can put my laptop on. Philly I remember having more tables but still not a proper desk. Seattle was a desk and a separate area from the TV so it wasn't so loud.

Again, it really depends on the location as they are all a bit different in layout.

About half of the lounges that I've seen are interior offices that have been outfitted with some black pleather lounge chairs. There's also a mobile laptop desk and some side tables. You also have access to the kitchen area, where there's a single-cup coffee maker and vending machines, plus typically either high cafe tables or a counter with chairs. However, some locations have a more elaborate setup, some even including little "ThinkPod" mini-cubicles.

Their UK site has pretty good photos of many US cities' locations:
http://www.regus.co.uk/products/busi...ges/index.aspx

This one in Providence has the standard-issue furniture:
http://www.regus.co.uk/locations/bus...minster-square

Chicago Regus
 

Does anyone have experience with any of the Chicago locations? I am basically just looking for a lounge area for an hour or so before boarding the Amtrak. Preferably with snacks, and/or lunch, TV, etc. I see there are several locations downtown, and I am not sure which one to choose. They all say 24-hour access, so I would just show up with my card? I see on the website, there are links to "contact us" and to "schedule a visit."

Thanks ~

I have only visited the 22 West Washington location. It is a nice space, comfortable, and very friendly folks working there. There was an area with couches and coffee. Not much to eat that I saw.

It did not seem well set up for drop-ins. You need a badge from security before you can get on the elevator. They call upstairs to the Regus reception desk, and if I had not had a conference room scheduled, I think things would have been more difficult. I would suggest calling ahead, at least if you plan to visit this location.

Thank you for the information, kurt. Maybe I will call a couple locations to see which one sounds best for our needs.

Be VERY careful with this. IME the 24 hour access rule only works if you've got a "real" office there. For drop-in visits you need to show up when reception is there and that's very much a 9-5ish sort of schedule. I've been thrown out at 5 when at sites before as the receptionist was leaving for the day.

I was kind of surprised that they all said 24-hour access. I guess now I understand why. Sounds like I definitely need to call a few, because we would be going on a Sat. too, which might make a difference.

Some of them are very good, Berkerly Square in London, and Potsdamer Platz in Berlin come to mind. These locations have Thinkpods, Starbucks Coffee, News Channels etc. Other locations are no more than a few seats in the lobby area!