I’d like to dedicate a post to talking about one of my favorite hotel amenities — club lounges. What are they, why do I love them so much, and what does their future look like?
What are hotel club lounges?
Hotel club lounge (also often referred to as executive lounges, concierge lounges, etc.), are lounges within a hotel that offer drinks and snacks throughout the day:
- Hotel club lounges are generally available to those who specifically pay for a club room (the cost for club access can range from $50 to $500+ per night), and/or hotel loyalty program elite members (though policies vary by hotel)
- Lounges generally offer complimentary breakfast, and an evening cocktail hour; many club lounges also have snacks throughout the day, ranging from lunch to afternoon tea
- Many hotels have dedicated club floors, and rooms on these floors may offer additional amenities, ranging from better toiletries, to butler service
- As you’d expect, the quality and pricing of club lounges can vary greatly
- Not all hotel brands have club lounges; actually, a majority don’t, though you’ll most commonly find them at properties belonging to the major global hotel chains (especially Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hilton, InterContinental, etc.)
There’s huge variance of hotel club lounge quality
Before I share why I like hotel club lounges so much, I’d like to talk a bit about the huge variance in the quality of club lounges, as they’re not all created equal. As a general rule of thumb, here are some considerations that determine how good a club lounge is:
- The further from the United States (and the closer to Asia) you are, the better the quality of the club lounges
- The fewer elite members that receive complimentary access to club lounges, the better the quality
- The more luxurious the hotel brand, the better the quality of the club lounges
On one end of the spectrum, you have your run of the mill Marriott club lounge in the United States, which is generally going to be a pretty unremarkable room, with TVs broadcasting stuff at a high volume (this drives me nuts — is it just me?).
In the evening there might be a limited selection of food, plus some pretty not-so-exciting alcohol available for purchase.
On the other end of the spectrum, you have Ritz-Carlton club lounges in Asia, which are gorgeous rooms with amazing views. The lounges have five food presentations per day, each of which could pass as a full meal. The ambiance is also great, and in some cases you might even have live music in the lounge.
In terms of food & drinks, you can expect everything from an extensive breakfast buffet, to a lunch buffet, to afternoon tea, to an evening spread with complimentary champagne, cocktails made by bartenders, etc., to a dedicated dessert selection.
There are of course lots of high quality club lounges beyond Ritz-Carlton. A couple, in particular, come to mind:
- Select Rosewood properties have Manor Clubs, which are essentially lounges open to all suite guests and select Manor Club rooms; the Rosewood Hong Kong Manor Club is simply incredible, in terms of the ambiance, view, and even the food presentations
- The Osaka Station Hotel, Marriott Autograph Collection, has a shockingly good Specialty Salon; it has free flowing champagne throughout the day, caviar and cooked to order beef tenderloin in the evenings, etc.
So yeah, all club lounges aren’t created equal. It’s no different than the variance in business class quality when flying — Lufthansa’s intra-Europe business class is a far cry from Qatar Airways’ Qsuites.
Where I see the value in hotel club lounges
Frequent hotel guests have varying takes on hotel club lounges. The most common argument against hotel club lounges is that people want to go out to eat and drink in a city, rather than being in a hotel. That’s totally fair, especially for city hotels (though it’s sometimes a different story at secluded resorts, where outside dining options may be limited).
It’s true that dining is of course a big part of travel for many people, and you don’t want to just be grazing on snacks all day in a lounge. It’s also challenging in situations where you’re actually paying for club lounge access, because you want to be able to justify the price you’re paying, and that might involve spending a lot more time dining and drinking in the lounge than you otherwise would.
While I think those are all fair points, I have a somewhat different take on club lounges. For me, the value isn’t always in the food as such. After all, I usually get breakfast included (either on account of my hotel elite status, or by booking through a program like Virtuoso).
Nonetheless, I greatly value good club lounges, and will go out of my way to stay at hotels with them. Why? Well, I’m fortunate in that I can work from anywhere, but I also don’t really take full vacations where I disconnect.
To me, a good hotel club lounge can add a lot of value. First and foremost, a club lounge is an ideal place to get some work done, in my opinion. Often hotels don’t have great desk setups in rooms, and for that matter when I’m jetlagged, I try to stay outside of my room as much as possible, so that I’m not tempted to sleep.
Mainly hotels simply aren’t set up with a lot of public spaces where you can work in a comfortable and relatively quiet environment. They might either have loud lobbies full of people sitting there waiting for their room to be ready, or they have food and beverage outlets, where you feel a bit uncomfortable sitting for hours while just ordering a coffee.
Beyond that, though I enjoy club lounges for a variety of reasons:
- They’re generally located on the top floors of a hotel, so more often than not boast good views
- It’s a great place to grab a coffee or soft drink any hour of the day, so you can’t beat the convenience and cost savings of that
- Even in a city, there’s something really nice about enjoying a pre-dinner drink in a familiar surrounding and with a great view
- At resorts I do get significant value out of the food and drinks, since this can help save you money you’d otherwise spend on-property
The challenging economics of hotel club lounges
During the pandemic we saw many hotels close their club lounges, initially due to lack of demand, then due to lack of staffing, and then because they decided that the economics of reopening them didn’t make sense. As we’ve emerged from the pandemic, we’re seeing many hotel owners try to increase margins and reduce costs.
There are many fully operational, consistently full hotels, that still haven’t opened their club lounges. It’s becoming increasingly clear that this is a permanent change. For that matter, we’ve seen many new hotels open in recent years belonging to brands that traditionally have club lounges, but this amenity is missing from those properties.
I think that gets at the economics of club lounges. For club lounges belonging to properties of major hotel groups, where select elite members receive complimentary access, there’s an obvious challenge:
- For lots of hotels, club lounges are cost centers, since they’re offered to elite members as a way to reward them for their loyalty and to get them to stay at that brand
- Hotels have had the challenge of dealing with an ever-increasing number of elite members, given that hotel elite status has become so much easier to earn over time thanks to credit cards
- This causes a lot of hotels to offer watered down food and drink choices compared to lounges that are only accessible on a paid basis
- The fact that these lounges don’t have great quality also means that non-elite members are less likely to pay for access, further exacerbating the issue of these lounges being cost centers
Generally speaking, I think Ritz-Carlton club lounges are the gold standard when it comes to a major hotel group with consistent club lounges. The catch? Marriott Bonvoy elite members don’t receive free access to these lounges, and as a result, they’re much higher quality than what you’d find at other brands.
It’s interesting that most other luxury hotel groups, from Four Seasons, to Mandarin Oriental, to Rosewood, don’t offer club lounges at most properties (though there are some exceptions).
As much as I hate to say it, I think the best days of club lounges might just be behind us, as we increasingly see hotel owners try to get out of reopening these lounges, as a way to save on costs.
Bottom line
Personally, I’m a huge fan of hotel club lounges. Admittedly the quality varies significantly around the globe, though there are some common themes depending on the part of the world you’re in, and how many people have access to it.
For me, a club lounge isn’t about having a place to pig out (though that can be fun at times!), but rather about having a pleasant space from which to work, which is something that many hotels otherwise lack. Access to everything from coffee to soft drinks throughout the day is pretty great as well, and I don’t mind the food presentations either. 😉
I’m curious to see how club lounges evolve over time — I fear they might not have a bright future on the whole, given how many hotel owners are trying to cut costs, combined with the increasing number of hotel elite members.
Where do you stand on hotel club lounges? What do you think the future holds for them? And to fellow hotel club lounge enthusiasts, what’s your favorite lounge you’ve visited?
Too many credit card warrior yahoos thinking they are God's gift to the earth and expecting all this outsized value promised by bloggers...
@Daniel M, I'd say that high quality is not a description I'd apply to many M Clubs. Some absolutely are, but I've been to some where the best thing on the buffet was the packaged granola bar.
I also think a club lounge is very valuable when you have little kids. They get hungry or thirsty and a quick trip can change their state.
The other chain that I feel has very consistent lounges is Fairmont Hotels.
I just noticed the Hyatt Regency Vancouver has just reopened their lounge which is nice to see and may be bucking the trend (fingers crossed)
Fairmonts have good club lounges. Fairmont Century City LA is absolutely good. But other Fairmonts also have really decent lounges. Check them out if you get a chance.
The issue with the "fake elites" is that a lot of them came in via dubious schemes at hotels (I seem to recall there was one hotel pumping those out for either Hyatt or Marriott at a "local" brand - frankly, given the risk to the overall program, that hotel should have been publicly de-flagged pour encourager les autres), so the credentials themselves are often legit - just acquired by "questionable" means that aren't really...
The issue with the "fake elites" is that a lot of them came in via dubious schemes at hotels (I seem to recall there was one hotel pumping those out for either Hyatt or Marriott at a "local" brand - frankly, given the risk to the overall program, that hotel should have been publicly de-flagged pour encourager les autres), so the credentials themselves are often legit - just acquired by "questionable" means that aren't really within the remit of front-line employees to evaluate.
@grayanderson Your comment reminded me of OMAAT’s previous article about how some major hotel groups offer easy access to tier levels that come with lounge access so it is the fault of the hotel groups for lack of enforcement because they want the extra money. They do not care at all if the lounges are slammed. Blame the greed of the hotel groups and not the individuals. Blame the business relationship that the hotels groups...
@grayanderson Your comment reminded me of OMAAT’s previous article about how some major hotel groups offer easy access to tier levels that come with lounge access so it is the fault of the hotel groups for lack of enforcement because they want the extra money. They do not care at all if the lounges are slammed. Blame the greed of the hotel groups and not the individuals. Blame the business relationship that the hotels groups have with the credit card companies where they offer elite status with just a credit card. @No More Stop your racist comments because you know those CC holder Americans are fake elites as well.
I think the point is that lounges are not being reopened after the pandemic in the US. In Europe and Asia they have by and large reopened. It is another effect of the US credit card market, where people get elite status just for holding a credit card. There are complaints about people being able to buy elite status in China and India, but isn't that exactly the same the credit card holders are doing...
I think the point is that lounges are not being reopened after the pandemic in the US. In Europe and Asia they have by and large reopened. It is another effect of the US credit card market, where people get elite status just for holding a credit card. There are complaints about people being able to buy elite status in China and India, but isn't that exactly the same the credit card holders are doing in the US? Paying a yearly fee, and presto, they are ready to enjoy all the benefits of elite status.
There are plenty of good/solid Marriott and Hyatt lounges in Asia, Oceania, and Europe, even a few great ones. Even post pandemic.
Particularly in Asia, people actually pay for the club rooms to get the access. As it is worth paying for. The problem in the US is that no one actually wants to pay extra for what is offered at Hiltons, Marriotts, Hyatts, where it is offered for elites as well. Because there is nothing worth paying for. That was the case before the pandemic as well. One of my more negative memorable lounge experiences was the Renaissance at LAX back in 2017. One terrible hot dish, awful wines at an additional charge, a few snacks, cold options that were pretty bland. Of course this was only a cost centre, no one in their right mind would pay extra for it. And this was even before the main deluge of credit card driven elite status.
Totally correct @CPH-Flyer. This is what I wrote about before in a comment of mine. Look at the instant Diamond elite with just an Aspire credit card. And so many offer massive sign up bonuses and free night certificates where you just don’t see in other parts of the world. The problem is just how greedy those hotel groups are and their answer is to create another elite level by spending even more nights. Enter the Hilton Diamond Reserve level.
Most of my favourite hotel lounges are actually the ones with very limited/simple catering. Not that I don't appreciate having great food and drinks, but with the recent travel trends, most lounges that offer them attract all sorts of nasty people whose main purpose in life seems to be to shove as much food and alcohol down their throats as possible. These, unsurprisingly, also happen to be very annoying people with poor manners and lack...
Most of my favourite hotel lounges are actually the ones with very limited/simple catering. Not that I don't appreciate having great food and drinks, but with the recent travel trends, most lounges that offer them attract all sorts of nasty people whose main purpose in life seems to be to shove as much food and alcohol down their throats as possible. These, unsurprisingly, also happen to be very annoying people with poor manners and lack of consideration of others. Consequently, these lounges become essentially unusable during the happy hour.
I much prefer simple lounges like the ones at most Crown Plazas and some DoubleTrees. There's enough snacks to have a little aperitif before dinner, but the "value maximisers" don't have a reason to spend two hours there every evening so if you want a place to relax or work, the lounge can still be used reasonably.
I have a soft spot for the Lounge at the InterContinental Mexico City. Great lounge, excellent food and most of the staff has been there for years.
The views are incredilbe from the 42nd floor!
So many of the lounges that are open close for part of the day, early in the evening or for the entire weekend. I value just being able to get a hot drink in the evening and frequently the lounge will be locked. And then Marriott has moved all the "M Clubs" to the lobby level, making them less attractive.
This is my pet peeve. Especially at lounges that are not serviced anyway. Why not have those open 24/7? Are people having a tea before bedtime gonna ruin the hotel's economics?
@AD Some are closed for breakfast and do not open until the afternoon.
@stanley-c that too... But at least then they usually give you breakfast in the restaurant. But, really, I would prefer to be able to go to the lounge as well in the morning. Sometimes I just want to grab tea and a yogurt and not sit for a meal.
@AD That is what I would want too but in order to cut costs the lounges open later in the day and would need to have breakfast at the restaurant but they usually give you an elite member seating area and/or special breakfast item.
@stanley-c I haven't run into that... but that sucks. Are you seeing that at a particular chain?
@AD I know that certain IHG hotels would do this where the executive lounges are not opened in the mornings and they either open in the late mornings or early afternoons.
@stanley-c Interesting. That seems like strange and counterproductive behavior for a program that has relatively few people getting free access. But never discount the willingness of hotels to shoot themselves in the foot.
The “M Club” lounge at the New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square, Manhattan is particularly good (I was there with my wife in May on a weeklong trip to New York – got access via my Titanium status). The lounge's breakfast buffet is shared with the actual restaurant. They serve some of the best lox I've ever encountered.
There are snacks and beverages for the rest of the day (except when closed other than...
The “M Club” lounge at the New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square, Manhattan is particularly good (I was there with my wife in May on a weeklong trip to New York – got access via my Titanium status). The lounge's breakfast buffet is shared with the actual restaurant. They serve some of the best lox I've ever encountered.
There are snacks and beverages for the rest of the day (except when closed other than for breakfast on parts of the weekend). There is capacity for 200 at a time and although there are a good number of TVs on, they are not blasting and are often on captions only).
My wife and I travel full-time, living in hotels across Asia. We prefer IHG and Hyatt properties. In the past year, we have noticed a decline in the offerings and quality of the lounges. Some more than others. Generally, though, we would be unlikely to stay at a hotel that did not have a lounge. I can usually ascertain the approximate amount of value a hotel ascribes to its lounge by comparing a room rate...
My wife and I travel full-time, living in hotels across Asia. We prefer IHG and Hyatt properties. In the past year, we have noticed a decline in the offerings and quality of the lounges. Some more than others. Generally, though, we would be unlikely to stay at a hotel that did not have a lounge. I can usually ascertain the approximate amount of value a hotel ascribes to its lounge by comparing a room rate without lounge anccess annd the same category room with the lounge. If it is substantial, it’s probably a good lounge. Not foolproof, but a rule of thumb we use.
The easiest way to improve lounge quality, is to exclude children under the age of 13. Having young children, screaming, and running unsupervised through a lounge destroys the ambience for everyone.
I totally agree !!
Young children running and screaming are getting on my nervs while I try to enjoy a glass of wine during social evening at a Club lounge.
I also have problems with people who do facetime and Video calls without reduce the volume of their devices.
Thats why I prefer club lounges in Hotels like the CONRAD or Hyatt Regency in Bangkok with strictly rules:
No kids unter 12...
I totally agree !!
Young children running and screaming are getting on my nervs while I try to enjoy a glass of wine during social evening at a Club lounge.
I also have problems with people who do facetime and Video calls without reduce the volume of their devices.
Thats why I prefer club lounges in Hotels like the CONRAD or Hyatt Regency in Bangkok with strictly rules:
No kids unter 12 allowed during HappyHour (CONRAD).
Voices and volume of devices must be reduced to a minimum-strictly order written on every table (Hyatt Regency).
Point.
We travel with our 7 y.o daughter. Except when she was a baby, we avoided hotel lounges and aiport lounges but ever since she was 2-3, she never did any noise, never screamed, never runned... it's just a question of how children are raised.
I cannot say the same about some adults behaving like idiots in these lounges. Most trouble makers in hotels, lounges, on flights.. are adults
I won't be surprised if in 10 years time these club lounges are completely shutdown. Just look at the footprint of the club lounges from the past 10 years, it has shrunk. Where it exists the offerings are paltry and the choice of drinks is cheaper. In US most Grand Hyatt lounges are shutdown.
Only in Asian markets where there are more brands competing you still see club lounges operating with some decent level of offerings.
I mean, if the only point of lounge is free stuff, then it deserves to die...
It’s not free. You’re already paying for it, either baked into the room rate or earned through brand loyalty. Originally, these perks existed to win a competitive edge by keeping travelers loyal. But in consolidated markets like the US, where waves of mergers and acquisitions have gutted real competition, the major chains no longer feel the need to try.
In international markets where genuine competition still exists, those same US giants still have to put...
It’s not free. You’re already paying for it, either baked into the room rate or earned through brand loyalty. Originally, these perks existed to win a competitive edge by keeping travelers loyal. But in consolidated markets like the US, where waves of mergers and acquisitions have gutted real competition, the major chains no longer feel the need to try.
In international markets where genuine competition still exists, those same US giants still have to put in the effort. That is precisely why Hilton could slash the complimentary breakfast benefit for elite members in the US while keeping it intact abroad.
If and when international competition dries up in rest of the world, executive lounges will easily be the next casualty.
@BBT Yes. People tend to forget that they are most definitely not free. Like you mentioned, you paid for a room that comes with lounge access, buy a separate lounge access at a set price per night or because of elite status which was earned the hard way.
If it gets harder to sell hotel rooms in the US in the future - which it will at some point because no travel boom lasts forever - some of these lounges may reopen.
Something is better than nothing, IMO, even if that lounge is a pile of crap like my recent experience at the Sheraton Philadelphia. It was still convenient for food and drinks. Lounge access plays almost no factor when I book hotels, it is more "a nice additional benefit on the side."
My main issue with lounges is the extreme inconsistency with access, especially with Hilton, where I have had everything from "no access at all"...
Something is better than nothing, IMO, even if that lounge is a pile of crap like my recent experience at the Sheraton Philadelphia. It was still convenient for food and drinks. Lounge access plays almost no factor when I book hotels, it is more "a nice additional benefit on the side."
My main issue with lounges is the extreme inconsistency with access, especially with Hilton, where I have had everything from "no access at all" to "there is access for a fee" to "yes you get access" as a longtime Gold member.
With Marriott, it is approaching Hilton's level of inconsistency though I am more successful in getting some kind of lounge access at their properties. Though recent experiences really soured me, like getting a room on the Club level of the Ritz Carlton in Los Angeles but not getting any club access privileges as a Platinum. Switching to the JW Marriott in the same building resulted in the "lounge" being closed except for breakfast.
The best thing is when it's included; if it's an upcharge or daily purchase, not-so-much. That said, wow, Ritz-Carlton in Tokyo and Rosewood in Hong Kong do look like really great club lounges...
Ritz-Carlton Tokyo is far from the best Club level out there. Hong Kong and Shanghai Pudong are the gold standards for RC.
I have not been in a while, but Berlin used to be very nice. Bangkok has a nicer space than Tokyo, and better food. But Tokyo will probably win on the beverage selection.
I'd also put Fukuoka ahead of Tokyo, though I have not been since Josephine left as Club level...
Ritz-Carlton Tokyo is far from the best Club level out there. Hong Kong and Shanghai Pudong are the gold standards for RC.
I have not been in a while, but Berlin used to be very nice. Bangkok has a nicer space than Tokyo, and better food. But Tokyo will probably win on the beverage selection.
I'd also put Fukuoka ahead of Tokyo, though I have not been since Josephine left as Club level manager in Fukuoka. She moved to JW Tokyo, and while the level of the lounge is not quite the same as RC, she remains a gem as a manager of the lounge.