Sitting in hotel lobbies
 

For many years, I have used hotel lobbies for informal meetings with colleagues, etc... I'll also use them to spend a couple of hours working after checking out for a late flight or waiting to check in after an early arrival. This usually results in revenue of a few coffees, pastries, etc... for the hotel coffee shops while we have our meetings.

Of late however, I have noticed more and more hotels actively discouraging this. Security constantly hovers around anyone who sits down for more than a few minutes and generally makes things very uncomfortable. In worst case scenarios, security will sometimes ask people to leave or get law enforcement involved to check IDs.

I've seen this happen at hotels in India, Egypt, Nigeria, UAE, Kenya, China, Thailand, Philippines and South Africa over the last few years. Am I the only one to notice this or is this symptomatic of a greater security paranoia at hotels worldwide?

PS. I'm writing this using the Public Wifi in the Marriott Beijing Northeast lobby. I've been almost kicked out once already by security and had a second dust-up with a security guy who backed off when he found that I had checked out a couple hours ago.

Are you Caucasian?

Nope. Brown skinned. :)

I think that's your answer. Sadly.

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!

I know what you mean. That was exactly what happened to me in Dubai. Was having a drink one evening with a (female + attractive) friend who flies for Emirates and was discreetly approached by security and told that we needed to leave. A word with the manager solved that pretty darn quick with plenty of apologies.

I was going to say the same thing...the reality of the world we live in :td:

A lot of it definitely depends on who and where you are; I often take a 6pm flight from MCO and will check out of my room at the Embassy Suites Altamonte Springs at around 2 then work the rest of the day from the lobby, and never had a hassle--- myself and my Mr (both caucasian), in a mid-tier hotel in the Orlando suburbs not easily accessible without a car (no walk-up passerbys), do not fit any "potential threat" model as long as we behave.

That said, I do believe with the ever-growing concerns over security, and in the interest of maintaining a pleasant atmosphere for all guests, I think anyone camping out in a lobby would draw some attention unless it were plainly clear that you were "allowed" there. Maybe you're not suspected to be the next hotel bomber, but they're concerned that you're rather a bad guy staking out potential purses to snatch, or someone looking to sneak into whatever free amenity (breakfast, happy hour/manager reception/pool/wifi) they have.

I tend to leave my room key visible on a table or chair arm when settling into a lobby for an extended visit, to cut down on hassles from Security folks, as they can just glance over and see that I am indeed a guest.

As a guest, I actually appreciate hotels that make an effort to control who is in the lobby. I've visited many hotels where the lobby would be packed with non-guests; at the Courtyard New Orleans I camped out for half a workday (no reason other than I wanted my room made up and didn't feel like being in the room when they did it) and watched at least 3 people wander in off the street, sit down, and use smartphones for about 30-45 minutes, which I assumed to be on the hotel's free wireless. As these folks did what they needed to do then left the hotel, and didn't return while I was in the lobby, I assumed they were non-guests. While their wifi use didn't detract from my stay, they did take up space that could have been used by an actual guest. More importantly, if one of these "visitors" were so inclined, they could have gone up in the guest elevator, or gotten up to no good (petty theft, purse snatching, wifi sniffing, etc).

So I actually appreciate that the security folks in some hotels are actively trying to figure out who's in their lobby and what they are up to.

Most hotels would discourage non-paying customer using their facilities.

I was involve with some properties which are located in waterfront tourist destinations. We have problems that paying guest could not sit down in the lobby until we implemented some measures to discourage lobby seating usage by non-guest.

I was under the impression that nicer hotels encouraged the use of their lobbies. That's why they make them nice and welcoming - you know, to welcome people who need a convenient place for meetings and maybe a drink or snack.

Originally Posted by holtju2
Are you Caucasian?

Originally Posted by gfunkdave
I think that's your answer. Sadly.


Yeah, racism, that's it.

I share this thought. I prefer the security guys being more active than sitting around and then reacting to situations when they go wrong.

If you are a guest (or just checked out). just tell them, and you should be fine no? why would anyone have to get kicked out?

I remember reading a biography of Cesar Ritz who opened the Hotel Ritz in Paris in 1898. He specifically mentioned that he wanted almost no lobby at all, something one immediately notices when entering the Ritz. He believed that not having a comfortable place to sit would discourage loitering. OTOH, it also got guests into the Ritz Bar (Place Vendome side), which was just off the very small lobby.

The Root of All things evil
 

Racism & sexism, that's my take on all the bad, evil, unequal things that happen; I have experienced it.

Many times I sit in the lobby in a nice dress, penny loafers and my Snop Dog hat and security & other folks just look at me suspeciously. Can I help it if I am a metro sexual male who is not afraid to show the real me to anyone who cares to look. Yes, I am a man of colour. I am white with black spots, I can go either way yet no accepted by either.

sexism, racism hmmmmmmmmmmm :D

I freuqent hold informal meetings in/around hotel lobbies. I have not found this discouraged anywhere, although "design" hotels with loud music or disco lights make it more difficult and thus I look to stay somewhere else. Any decent hotel 3* or above should be able to accomodate this for guests and their visitors. At hotels where the lobby doesn't have space- the restaurant should be able to accomodate with an order of a coffee/tea/water for each person at the table (of course not for large groups- however for 3 or 4 people this should be absolutely fine).