which hotels offer evening receptions?
 

DH will be traveling on a regular basis soon, and would like to stay at hotels that have a manager's reception or something similar during the week. Which hotels offer this? We're not looking for specific locations, but really rather chains. I know Homewood Suites offers a manager's reception Monday-Thursday. What other ones do? Thanks!

Embassy Suites - seven days a week in most locations, IIRC.

I don't think you'll see too many outside of Embassy Suites and similar 3* properties. The high-end hotels have their club lounges, so they generally don't have receptions for the whole hotel.

Other than ES, I've only seen one such reception -- at the Four Seasons Maui. We got invited because it was our second stay there. It was very nice, but nothing extraordinary.

I'm looking for the names of the 3* properties. :) IIRC, Residence Inn does something in the evenings. I know from experience that Country Inn & Suites does as well. We're trying to develop a list, so he can give it to the secretary at work, with the, "Please try to book me into one of these when making hotel arrangements for me."

I need to steer clear of such properties. I enjoy these receptions, but too much. There's something about an open bar that doesn't agree with me the following morning.

:D DH doesn't drink cheap beer, or typically, liqour, so chances are, he'll be fine. But, you can use the same list with a "Don't book me into these properties." :D

IME, these "receptions" typically serve the cheapest of the cheap. :)

:D He's not looking for the alcohol, he's looking for the food.

Sure, but no one goes to taste the subtleties of the fine wines.

True, but IME, the wines have not even been drinkable. ;)

And yet another travel-related thread finds itself misplaced in OMNI.... :eek:

:confused: :confused: :confused:

Seems like this would be more appropriate in TravelBuzz.

Anyhow, there are even some Hampton Inns that offer an evening reception with food. Not sure if they are all doing this, though. I think not.

The Marriott grand cayman has had a managers reception several times when I've been there.

That is the only Marriott I have ever been at where such an event took place.

Ironically, also the Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman, though that may have been a special event since it has only happened once.

If DH is interested in the food, then pick a chain (or two) and stick w/ it to get to Gold status, at which point he'll have access to the executive lounges of the full-service hotels & they usually have food.

Cheers.

Which ones? Not Hilton....

Unless you are out of the US.....

Is he travelling on his own dime? I can't imagine any managers reception that I would consider having "food" worthy of making a meal.:eek:

In college we used to hit the Bahia resort in SD for happy hour where we could scare the tourists by drinking dollar drafts and doing a coordinated multifront assault on the managers' reception, but fortunately that was many years ago.

lots of them
 

There are 1000's and 1000's of hotels offering nightly free food and/or booze in this world. Almost all booze is the chheap stuff and most nibblies are highly salted or overly greasy. The better stuff is offered in the hotels executive or concierge lounges or levels. Either book the executive level rate (typically 40-60% higher than the cheapest rate) or be a member of the hotels Gold, Diamond, Platinium card anf pray for an upgrade invite to them.

MisterNice

Some Hampton Inns do - but only some of the hotels.

All hamptons include something called Breakfast. What it consists of is a mystery to me - although I don't mind their 'breakfast on the run' bags which you can grab at the front counter when leaving.

Unfortunately, he'll be disappointed at almost any of the extended-stay chains. None of them are rolling out gourmet vittles, if you know what I mean... Think build-your-own-tacos, little smokies, nacho dip, etc.

One chain that nobody's mentioned that seems to do a bit more is Kimpton. I've stayed at 3-4 of their hotels, and I noticed lobby receptions in at least a couple of them. Evening receptions open to all guests, that is. I dropped in on one at the Monaco in Seattle a few months ago - decent nibbles (that is, what you'd expect at a catered event at a nice hotel) and several drinkable wine choices, plus Heineken and a couple of other beers.

I don't know if they do it every night or at every hotel. But it seems to be more common there - especially because some (all?) of them do not have concierge levels.

He's not on his own dime, but he's cheap, and would do the manager's receptions to avoid paying for dinner.
He's fine with that--he was in the Marine Corps, so he's used to eating MRE's. Anything is better than that!

I read once that the joke in the military is that "MRE" (meal ready to eat) is three separate lies.

:D That could be true. I've also heard them referred to in a potentially offensive way.

Honestly, none of them provide something that would actually be a good replacement for dinner. Occasionally, I'll be in a mainline Marriott or Hilton that happens to have a really great C-lounge where they stock enough hot food (and stock it late enough into the evening) where you could have something approaching a dinner.

But then I'll stay at other Marriotts/Hiltons that stock cheese & crackers and 5:30PM and when the stuff runs out an hour later, that's it... It depends on the property.

But really: if he's not on his own dime - just trying to stick within a somewhat tight per diem, for example - maybe he should check out something like Chowhound to find good dinner recommendations that won't break the bank?

Agree, I went to one at the ES in San Diego, the beer - served in a plastic beaker - was rubbish, weak and warm.

A plastic beaker?!? He'll probably avoid the beer. :)
Chowhound? He's just being cheap, so it might work. Seriously though, if it's edible, he'll eat enough to make it a meal. :D

Hear, hear!

If he's not on his own dime & his employer isn't asking him to try to go the reception route to save a few $$, then why is he doing it? Him being cheap doesn't make sense w/ that scenario.

Does he get a per diem where if he doesn't spend it, then he'd get to keep it? That I guess I'd understand.

But if not, then pick a hotel based on his needs, not just whether it offers up a someone so-so reception.

If he wants to save some $$ he can always eat at places like Chili's, Denny's, Olive Garden, etc.

YVMV. Cheers.

And if he wants better tasting food than the offerings of these fine establishments, he could always buy some surplus military MREs.

Staybridge Suites offers "food" three nights a week. Tonight is Mac & Cheese with mini corn dogs. Some nights are good, some I pass. The Sloppy Joes last Thrusday I looked and went across the street to Green Mill.

He gets per diem, and if he doesn't spend it, he keeps it, so that's why he'd rather be cheap, and eat at hotel receptions most nights.
That's what he's figuring he'll do--eat at the hotel on nights where the food sounds good, when it's not something he'd like, he'll go out.

I know this is really specific, but the Residence Inn in downtown San Diego offered a decent free reception. They set up a BBQ by their pool, and were grilling hamburgers and hotdogs, as well as offering a couple different types of salads etc, while i was there ^

Evening reception is standard on weeknights at most all Residence Inns (I've stayed in lots), as is breakfast on weekdays. Breakfast is better (usually includes fruit, cereals, make-your-own waffles, eggs, sausage, some kind of potato). Food in the evening is different each night, but not good - of the make-your-own taco variety. You'll also see a large beaker each of red and white wine (neither are very good). Much better to get a room in a good hotel on the club level.

True, but I think rte66kid was pointing out that occasionally you run across a RI that goes above and beyond the build-your-own-taco bar. The RI in San Antonio occasionally cooked out for us - nice grilled chicken sandwiches, burgers, brats, and cold beers outside - but it was only about once a week.

But no question: finding a good full-service hotel with a well-stocked C-level is the best way to go. Assuming, that is, that you will stay within that hotel group often enough to reach whatever frequent-stay level is required for access. :)

Marriott Yes - Embassy Suites NO
 

Stayed at Embassy Suites San Francisco airport recently. The evening reception was a joke. Pretzels and Chex mix were the extent of the appetizers. Pitiful. Marriott's Springhill Suites and Residence Inn offer much more variety at evening receptions and we will choose those hotels because we like to relax with a drink and a nice snack after a hard day shopping or sightseeing. Embassy Suites is off our booking list!

Drury Inn
 

While the number of locations is somewhat limited, Drury Inns have an evening reception. They also have free popcorn and soft drinks in the lobby in the afternoon and each room gets a few free drinks (I think just beer and wine, but not sure) each night.

Unless you think 1-3 shots of rotgut liquor is worth scheming for- I'd pass.

But this depends on your age and perspective. If I were 23 years old and on a modest salary- I'd think I was living like king eating frozen hotel appetizers and getting drunk on low-end spirits. Now, not so much.