All About Hotel Club Lounges

AFF Editor

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What Are Hotel Club Lounges? is an article written by the AFF editorial team:


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When looking at the price of rooms with/out lounge access, I've not found the benefits to outweigh the costs of a buffet breakfast and a couple of drinks at the bar, especially as a solo traveller

Am I wrong? Is it really worth it?
 
I've recently been thinking about lounges. In some ways, I feel as a traveller they're actually a bad thing. Let me explain.

If I'm travelling solo for work, I land up just going for an evening drink and eat some rubbish just because it's there and free. From a health perseptive, it makes me lazy and I don't land up having a decent meal and drink just because.

When travelling with MrsDaver6 we land up in the lounge for evening drinks...again, just because it's there. If there was no lounge we'd land up exploring and doing something different.

I know just because it's there and available doesn't mean I have to use it. I realise that's my own craziness and to an extent laziness.
 
I've only just found out about club lounges myself as I took a brief vacation to Singapore/Malaysia. I enjoyed the extra level of service provided, the lounges feel exclusive and beautifully located and decorated. Admittedly, I didn't get a huge amount of value out of it, except at Pan Pacific Singapore where laundry/dry cleaning was free for club guests. I was mostly out and about.

The food ranged from absolutely outstanding to generic finger food/canape. Evening coughtails were always very enjoyable.

I guess all up, I will stretch for the club level as I enjoyed the luxury and precious time away from the unwashed masses. However, if you are out and about particularly in a country known for its street foods, I wouldnt bother (unless it was alcohol included all day) unless you are on a fly and flop holiday, you will appreciate the coffee, fresh juices and generally ambiance of the club lounges.
 
Asia is a much better proposition than Europe and the US
Will only use them if can take advantage of both evening and breakfast offerings.
 
I've recently been thinking about lounges. In some ways, I feel as a traveller they're actually a bad thing. Let me explain.

If I'm travelling solo for work, I land up just going for an evening drink and eat some rubbish just because it's there and free. From a health perseptive, it makes me lazy and I don't land up having a decent meal and drink just because.

When travelling with MrsDaver6 we land up in the lounge for evening drinks...again, just because it's there. If there was no lounge we'd land up exploring and doing something different.

I know just because it's there and available doesn't mean I have to use it. I realise that's my own craziness and to an extent laziness.
A couple of recent trips made me realise that the lounge varies between hotels and even the same brand. I stayed at the Hilton Bankside London and the EL was OK and the staff were friendly but obsequious. The Hilton Carlton Glasgow had one of the worst EL I've ever been in. I'll lose my Hilton Diamond next year and really I won't miss it (I think)
 
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A couple of recent trips made me realise that the lounge varies between hotels and even the same brand. I stayed at the Hilton Bankside London and the EL was OK and the staff were friendly but obsequious. The Hilton Carlton Glasgow had one of the worst EL I've ever been in. I'll lose my Hilton Diamond next year and really I won't miss it (I think)

I think what hurts more losing top tier is the difference in room upgrades between gold and diamond with HH or gold and platinum with ALL is quite a chasm.
 

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