Sitting in hotel lobbies
Oct 25, 2019, 4:19 pm
#61
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,544
I'm at a conference in Salt Lake City and brought my SO with me, so he could visit with friends and shop while I work. Not having much to do, he hung out in the lobby for a while (very expansive, with lots of different seating groups), before heading into the city. He got harassed by security, and was asked to leave. He complained at the front desk, but they just stared at him. No apologies. Were this a private trip, I would NOT stay another night at this hotel, but I'm here for the conference for another couple of nights. I feel that at least a sincere apology is due, but am not sure how to ask for it, or who to ask, as the front desk doesn't seem interested at all. It's an expensive hotel, and this experience ruined the mood for the day, if not the stay.
At a minimum, I’d contact the duty manager, if not the GM.
Oct 25, 2019, 9:53 pm
#62
Join Date: Nov 2013
Programs: AA Lifetime Platinum; Amex Plat; Four Seasons; Fairmont; HH; etc.; "Retirees-In-Training"
Posts: 658
I'm at a conference in Salt Lake City and brought my SO with me, so he could visit with friends and shop while I work. Not having much to do, he hung out in the lobby for a while (very expansive, with lots of different seating groups), before heading into the city. He got harassed by security, and was asked to leave. He complained at the front desk, but they just stared at him. No apologies. Were this a private trip, I would NOT stay another night at this hotel, but I'm here for the conference for another couple of nights. I feel that at least a sincere apology is due, but am not sure how to ask for it, or who to ask, as the front desk doesn't seem interested at all. It's an expensive hotel, and this experience ruined the mood for the day, if not the stay.
If this is "your" hotel, there shouldn't be any reason not to be able to "use" the lobby. (Or, what is it for, strangers only?)
GC
Oct 26, 2019, 1:22 am
#63
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Sydney Australia
Programs: No programs & No Points!!!
Posts: 14,222
I'm at a conference in Salt Lake City and brought my SO with me, so he could visit with friends and shop while I work. Not having much to do, he hung out in the lobby for a while (very expansive, with lots of different seating groups), before heading into the city. He got harassed by security, and was asked to leave. He complained at the front desk, but they just stared at him. No apologies. Were this a private trip, I would NOT stay another night at this hotel, but I'm here for the conference for another couple of nights. I feel that at least a sincere apology is due, but am not sure how to ask for it, or who to ask, as the front desk doesn't seem interested at all. It's an expensive hotel, and this experience ruined the mood for the day, if not the stay.
Oct 28, 2019, 3:26 am
#65
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Wonderful Weald of kent
Programs: BAEC Bronze
Posts: 989
I had to do that just this summer.
Lisbon airport has limited landslide facilities, and what there are are crowded out, so, having stayed at one of the airport hotels on arrival, we knew that they had a pleasant lobby and bar/ restaurant, and waited there for a few hours in peace and quiet.
no one actually bothered my daughter and myself, and we had a couple of drinks, then went for a nice meal before heading over to check in/ bag drop in the terminal. They didn’t seem to mind as long as we weren’t being a nuisance and were actually buying food and drink... the fact that we had the Wi-fi passwords from the previous stay also helped 😄
Lisbon airport has limited landslide facilities, and what there are are crowded out, so, having stayed at one of the airport hotels on arrival, we knew that they had a pleasant lobby and bar/ restaurant, and waited there for a few hours in peace and quiet.
no one actually bothered my daughter and myself, and we had a couple of drinks, then went for a nice meal before heading over to check in/ bag drop in the terminal. They didn’t seem to mind as long as we weren’t being a nuisance and were actually buying food and drink... the fact that we had the Wi-fi passwords from the previous stay also helped 😄
Oct 28, 2019, 6:05 am
#66
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Florida
Posts: 2,872
Ah - that's often the problem. With checkout at noon - the guest no longer has a room to sit in! Especially if the hotel refuses a late checkout. I have often sat in hotel lobbies when my room is gone but my flight doesn't leave until hours later. I'd much rather sit on comfortable furniture in a hotel lobby and read than on a dirty uncomfortable plastic chair at the airport.
Oct 28, 2019, 6:25 am
#67
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
Oct 28, 2019, 6:44 am
#68
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
It’s not unanswered. It’s already known, based on what was posted by the OP. They went to Salt Lake City to stay together.
Oct 28, 2019, 9:04 am
#69
Join Date: Jul 2017
Programs: DL
Posts: 196
Yes, he was staying at the hotel with me. He sat there for about an hour, during the late morning, while housekeeping was presumably cleaning the rooms. I was going to contact the manager, after he had gotten such an unsympathetic response from the front desk after the incident, but didn't find time until the next day. He went back to the lobby the next morning, and told the front desk that he would be sitting in the lobby for an hour or so (great passive aggressive tactic, I thought), so of course they asked WHY he told them...this time, he received a sincere apology and no further hassles. We decided to let it go after that and enjoy the rest of our stay at the bit 'quirky luxury hotel.' I mean, have you ever housekeeping fold your dirty laundry, switch your clothes to the 'correct' hangers, tie your headphones wire into a knot, move your documents and name tag from the nightstand to the desk, etc., etc.?
Last edited by altabello; Oct 28, 2019 at 9:05 am Reason: missing word
Oct 28, 2019, 9:11 am
#70
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,417
I'm at a conference in Salt Lake City and brought my SO with me, so he could visit with friends and shop while I work. Not having much to do, he hung out in the lobby for a while (very expansive, with lots of different seating groups), before heading into the city. He got harassed by security, and was asked to leave. He complained at the front desk, but they just stared at him. No apologies. Were this a private trip, I would NOT stay another night at this hotel, but I'm here for the conference for another couple of nights. I feel that at least a sincere apology is due, but am not sure how to ask for it, or who to ask, as the front desk doesn't seem interested at all. It's an expensive hotel, and this experience ruined the mood for the day, if not the stay.
Did your partner tell security that he was a hotel guest or mention the conference as being the reason for his presence?
You could also complain to the conference as they picked the hotel, signed the contract, and will be paying a lot of big bills.
BTW, does the conference have some form of "spouse" registration that provides a name tag and access to social events? If so, was your partner officially registered in this way?
Oct 31, 2019, 4:17 am
#71
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Sydney Australia
Programs: No programs & No Points!!!
Posts: 14,222
Yes, he was staying at the hotel with me. He sat there for about an hour, during the late morning, while housekeeping was presumably cleaning the rooms. I was going to contact the manager, after he had gotten such an unsympathetic response from the front desk after the incident, but didn't find time until the next day. He went back to the lobby the next morning, and told the front desk that he would be sitting in the lobby for an hour or so (great passive aggressive tactic, I thought), so of course they asked WHY he told them...this time, he received a sincere apology and no further hassles. We decided to let it go after that and enjoy the rest of our stay at the bit 'quirky luxury hotel.' I mean, have you ever housekeeping fold your dirty laundry, switch your clothes to the 'correct' hangers, tie your headphones wire into a knot, move your documents and name tag from the nightstand to the desk, etc., etc.?
Nov 2, 2019, 8:25 am
#73
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 30,038
Yes, he was staying at the hotel with me. He sat there for about an hour, during the late morning, while housekeeping was presumably cleaning the rooms. I was going to contact the manager, after he had gotten such an unsympathetic response from the front desk after the incident, but didn't find time until the next day. He went back to the lobby the next morning, and told the front desk that he would be sitting in the lobby for an hour or so (great passive aggressive tactic, I thought), so of course they asked WHY he told them...this time, he received a sincere apology and no further hassles. We decided to let it go after that and enjoy the rest of our stay at the bit 'quirky luxury hotel.' I mean, have you ever housekeeping fold your dirty laundry, switch your clothes to the 'correct' hangers, tie your headphones wire into a knot, move your documents and name tag from the nightstand to the desk, etc., etc.?
Did you post a review on yelp? TA?
Nov 5, 2019, 1:28 am
#74
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Sydney Australia
Programs: No programs & No Points!!!
Posts: 14,222
Not entirely - try being a lady in your 20s or 30s, dressed in reasonably smart or pretty dresses - the assumption being you are a working girl! Whilst I don't tend to hang around hotel lobbies much anymore, I used to wait in them for various friends in cities around the world in the past, and was asked to remove myself more than once!
Nov 8, 2019, 4:03 pm
#75
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire Ambassador, Global Entry
Posts: 2,871
Just remember, more often than not, there is another side to the story. How many people expect nice hotels to not have non-guests sitting in the lobby while many of these stories involve non-guests sitting in the lobbies. Businesses can never win. Someone is always mad because the world should revolve around them.