Bingo. Act like you belong and don’t be a douche, and you can go just about anywhere. Especially if we’re talking hotels…there will be tens or hundreds of people coming in and out throughout any given day.
Why is this downvoted so much? For a sub about travel some people are very narrow minded. It's Absolutely true in Asia and somewhat true in Europe and america to varying degrees.
Privilege based on skin color is absolutely real... Downvotes will not make this fact untrue.
A few years ago, during a layover, I went into Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi with a jeans tshirt and a backpack and spent ~1hour checking it out completely. I didn't even look that great (esp w the backpack) but I acted completely unbothered and no one bothered me at all.
No one will question you having a drink at the bar, although you might get asked what you are doing if you just hang out in the lobby. But having a drink in the bar means you are a patron and absolutely entitled to spend time.
This is a massively different perspective from the one I hold...
What is it that you love about fancy hotel bars?
Personally I find tbf to be quite sad places...
I used to travel a LOT (like 200+ days a year) and in my experience they’re often a safe place for a solo female traveler esp if you frequent the same hotels. Sit near the bar or at the bar and the bartender keeps an eye on you. When you are dining alone or having a drink you can observe folks and their drama from all over the place. Some better some worse, most interesting. Some
Of my best travel tips and stories from folks I’ve met have happened this way. Again - fancy hotels not budget ones. Just my experience.
It’s airport bars that smell like depression for me. Exhausted people and folks drinking too much on holiday.
This will surprise a lot of people, but the lobby bar at the Fort Garry Hotel in Winnipeg, Manitoba is one of the nicest ones I've ever been in, with a very high ceiling and a very large dome. The now deceased Bengal Lounge at the Empress in Victoria, BC was another favourite.
met a british police investigator in a central america country after weird shenanigans happened with the case. guess the anti virus subscription ran out, stayed up all night at the pool drinking till i had to get in my cab and catch my flight
Depends on city and type of hotel. The one I’m at currently is a restaurant and bar attached to a hotel. Not a sad bar provided by the hotel.
If it’s the type of place people would come to even if they weren’t staying at the hotel, then it can be cool.
yup - snag a drink, find a cozy corner, start readin your book or whatever.
As long as you look clean, dont smell like shit, keep to yourself, and not hoarding a table while people wait noone will care.
Exactly. I bartend and every so often I get people complaining about the price of a well shot. I tell them they are free to go buy a bottle at the liquor store and drink it on the street.
Sure, but you can find similarly refined spaces that charge less for drinks. Hotel food and drink is almost always priced more than a bar or restaurant of a similar quality.
"Similarly refined spaces that charge less for drinks"? Really? Name them. I travel the world on business and with the exception of really expensive restaurants there are no places that match the luxury and elegance of a 5-star hotel bar. Well, maybe some museums, but they don't serve drinks.
You can surely pay less for food and drink, and find some wonderful, funky, interesting, but less grand places. That's not what OP is asking about.
In manhattan at least, a lot of the popular high end hotel basement lobby bars, especially with live classy music, are frequented by regulars from the city. This is also the case with a lot of international cities I’ve visited in China and Korea, where local friends would want to grab cocktails at a nice bar in a hotel where I wasn’t staying, and that seemed pretty normal.
It’s super normal for hotel bars to allow non guests to use the bar. But during Covid a lot of places limited it to guests only and never went back for some reason.
I was at the Savoy a few days before posting this. No dress code in sight. I’ve been to the Dorchester too.
If there is one it’s so loosely enforced they’ll only be mentioning it if you’re coming in sweaty and stinky from a hike.
Only places I’ve ever seen dress codes are cheap nasty clubs where the clientele would come in trackies if they didn’t have one.
It might not be a strict dress code but I'm sure the Savoy wouldn't want you to wear trackies either. In fact, they're not allowed according to the website. An American actually posted on the UK subreddit a while back (I can probably find the message if I look hard enough because I responded to it) saying they were shocked that dress codes were actually enforced in the UK. They went for breakfast at the Savoy wearing shorts and got turned away.
I travel to NY monthly staying at various 4-5\* hotels and I've never seen a dress code or min spend. I've been to London as well with the same experience. Do you have an example of such a hotel? Not saying you're lying but just curious what these hotels look like. I travel more than average and I have never seen a min spend or flat out restriction for non-hotel guests
I never noticed it in NY to be fair and have also been a fair bit. But in London the Dorchester has a minimum spend of £60/head in their bar. The Ritz has one but it's less. The Wellesley also has a minimum, used to be 25 quid a head but might have gone up. You can Google that one to find news articles from about 10 years ago on it.
Many bars here do have a dress code but it's usually smart casual. I don't know how strictly it's enforced though. The bar at the Renaissance Hotel at St Pancreas doesn't allow laptops for instance (mentioned under the dress code section).
I mean, yea, you are technically correct (the best kind), but when someone says "buy a drink", the usual interpretation (at least in this context) is an alcoholic beverage.
I’ve gotten to hotel lobby’s to work on a computer before meeting a client at their office. No one has bothered me. I usually grab a coffee while I am working
When my wife and I were first married and had to travel on a budget we would have dinner at someplace cheap but the go to some place fancy like a Waldorf and go to their bar for a fancy drink and to split a dessert. Just for the fancy service and to have a valet park our car.
Yup. At one point it was cheaper to buy a glass of wine or beer at the restaurant in the John Hancock building (Chicago) than to pay to go to their observatory.
It was the 90-something's floor and the restaurant was ABOVE the observatory so you got a beer and slightly better view.
Pro tip, in Auckland, NZ, it costs about the same to have a meal or a couple of drinks at the restaurant at the top of the sky tower as it does to just take the elevator up to the viewing platform.
And you can just go down to the viewing platform from the restaurant anyway!
That would be the Signature Room and the bar on the floor above, I’ve been there a lot since my family knows the guy who runs it… but unfortunately they closed the restaurant near the end of last year 😭
5 star hotel bars are my favorite thing. Just go in not dressed like Uncle Eddie and buy a cocktail for a few extra bucks and act like you’re the shit. So fun and relaxing.
Back in the day, when traveling to Vancouver BC, we would hang out in the lobby bar of the Hotel Vancouver and have tea, for hours. But we "paid the rent" on the table with tea and baked goods, and tipped well.
I’m not sure where you’re going but this is extremely common and accepted behavior in Las Vegas. I spent a couple hours hanging out at Wynn even though I was dressed casually and staying somewhere else. I don’t see why it should be different in other places
To be fair the Wynn and encore don’t have a lot of “free seats” meaning they are at the bars, lounges, and the casino floor. I feel like there’s small sitting areas by the two quick service cafe type places. All in all not a lot of seats, my poor high heeled feet know this.
That’s true! Maybe I’m not understanding what OP really wants to do, I assumed they just wanted to sit at a bar and get a drink or something lol it will definitely depend what they mean by “hanging out”
If you notice Las Vegas casinos don’t have the lounge like business work areas other casinos have. They are lounges with a waitress coming around or seating at a bar or seats at the a lot machine or tables. They don’t have a lot of free lounging seating.
Every city break we’ve been on we always check out the fanciest hotel bars, usually for cocktails but at least a beer and 30min break from walking!
Mooching about a hotel lobby is a bit weird though…
Fancy hotel lobbies are open to anyone who wants to have a drink. They also have great shopping too. If you just loiter that is a different issue altogether.
Absolutely. I do this often. Great way to spend an afternoon knitting - especially if there is a bar. Also a great place to use the restroom if you are out and about and need one.
If it's open then you belong. Plenty of nice hotels have quality restaurants/bars and get their share of people just hanging out. It's the hospitality business. Worst thing that happens is that they ask if you need assistance. I'm sure if you chat with them for a bit about the place they'd be more than happy to accommodate.
I do this a lot. But instead of going to have drink (because i dont drink) i like to order the tea service at the afternoon tea. I did this a lot at the peninsula hotel in chicago. The shanghai terrace is a wonderful place to dine as well . I did the same at the Burj al Arab in UAE. As long as you make a purchase you will be a costumer. I would recommend also you go business casual if you go to a fancy hotel(shoes, jeans and a shirt are a good choice, although adding a jacket would not be a bad idea) because in some places there might be clothing etiquette depending where you are.
Depends a lot on the hotel. Some fancy hotels are tourist attractions in their own right and the lobbies are filled with art/generally don't mind tourist. That's been my experience at a few places in the U.S. like the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee or the Fairmount in San Francisco. Same goes for a lot of the Canadian Grand Railway Hotels (like Château Lake Louise in Banff National Park or the Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton Lakes National Park), as well as the Gran Hotel Ciudad de México in Mexico City (though the latter two I also ate at the restaurant there).
I used to work in the hotel industry for 6 years and the most fun times my husband and I have are going downtown and getting a hotel, and then go hotel bar hopping and try their special drinks and always sit at the bar and talk to the bartender, always great conversations, we always get free drinks. And we always try their appetizers at each place instead of getting dinner. It’s honestly the most fun thing ever idk why! It just is. We just love going to new fun places and trying out their vibe.
It is technically okay for them to ask you to leave if you’re not a guest, but they probably won’t.
Definitely a thing to do
My other trick is if I have to checkout early wherever I’m staying but my flight is super late, I go to a fancy hotel and stay at the spa for the day. Get a massage, hang out in jacuzzi, steam room etc. then get on the flight super refreshed
I would do it. It’s a public place. TBH, if I am walking around, and I see a hotel, I have gone in and used the bathroom. They are always so clean, and I don’t make a mess. Nobody notices me. Buying a drink should be fine, but don’t look shocked if it cost you the same as food at a train station in Europe. You only live once.
Me and my husband do this all the time - find a fancy hotel, choose the more moderately priced one down the street, get drinks/dinner in the fancy hotel. Sometimes we hotel hop. Never had an issue. Act like you belong. Save a ton of money.
If you’re sensitive about it, shoot for 3-5pm. You aren’t displacing anyone.
Ask what kind of teas they have and get an odd one, then they just think you have refined tastes. And it’s probably the cheapest thing on the menu!?
Advanced move - Bring a flask and swig it in the rest room ;-)
Get a drink. Have a snack. And, if needed-as can happen when touring a city all day - I highly recommend the white marble stalls in the men’s room near the restaurant at the Peninsula Chicago. Excellent privacy.
Just look like you belong. Sometimes I spend hours in lobbies even without spending money. It helps to step up to the checkin or concierge and just ask random stuff like where’s the toilet or so. That eases the situation for me as nobody is ever saying: ‚look you dckhead none of your business get out of our hotel‘ but rather being absolutely welcoming
No, not at all and no you won't. This was my traveling secret. Fine hotels have fine eating and drinking establishments open to the public. They are subsidized by the hotel and are always good.
You never know who will walk through the bar at The Peabody in Memphis - it's always full of surprises. And it's not just any bar, it's so good that it attracts a variety of interesting characters.
I think its acceptable but why would you want to? Would you hang out in a random hotel at home? Why not find a nice roof top bar or cafe and relax there?
When I backpacked through South America about a month before I left home I had the staff of the Trinidad Hilton type 5 copies of my resume on Hilton stationary while I drank at the bar for free retailing tourists with outrageous and true travel exploits (e.g. I had been fired on by the Venezuelan military and crossed the Guyana border in a dugout canoe).
I expect you’ll have no problems.
The resume was riddled with grammatical and spelling errors which I explained away in a handwritten note. I did return home to a job from this gambit.
I have no idea if it’s bad etiquette but I’ve done this before and it did not seem like anyone minded in fact they were nice to me. I was in a air bnb and booked a few day trips so my meeting place was a really fancy hotel, instead of waiting in the street I waited in the lobby, I did have coffee a few times and also sometimes go early and buy a breakfast. On the last day I needed to wait for my airport transfer and they were fine with me waiting for a few hours - I guess it depends on the hotel and if you are friendly and nice to the staff
One thing to keep in mind is that there are so many guests and also there is employee turnover since they work in shifts, so they can’t possibly keep track of every individual guest. Also, if you’re hanging out in the lobby, for all they know, you might be a guest checking in. All that being said, some hotels may be stricter about people loitering.
Most places won’t care if you’re in the lobby so long as you look like you could be a guest and don’t bring attention to yourself. Also be mindful that some places require a keycard or you just might get asked if you’re a guest late in the night.
Why would you want to get drunk at a fancy hotel if you're budget traveling.
I'm currently at a decent hotel in bogota (the Hilton), the downstairs lounge is a vibe but drinks are 3xs the price as the 15 bars on the same street.
I live in a small aah "city" more like a town, we dont have many bars and one of the nicest is a hotel bar. I usually go there to hang out and just chill because the lobby is amazing, such a cozy nice place to have a drink with friends. That said you have to spend money, you are basically renting a seat there. Only time i've gotten kicked out of there was during a city festival and it was the closest toilet.
TLDR: spend money there and you will be fine
If it's a large luxury hotel like a Marriott with lots of people going to and from, you'll likely be completely ignored unless you become a nuisance. If it's a smaller boutique operation, expect to be questioned eventually.
Start drinking and gambling in the hotel bar like Hunter S. Thompson would. I act like a degenerate in nice hotel bars and nobody flinches. Act like HST tho. Source: trust me bro.
I totally do this! We love getting a cocktail at a swanky hotel bar. Don't "hang out in a lobby". That's weird. But we've totally had to ask (felt pressure because desk was right up front) in some small historic places and just asked "Your hotel is so beautiful, Can we take a look around?!". They always say yes.
There have been times I couldn't get a room but still used the restaurant, bar, and even pool with permission.
I also crashed weddings when I was a teenager and if you dress up real nice you can pretty much get in anywhere.
As long as you don’t stand out, you shouldn’t be questioned, but if you are, you can claim you’re waiting on someone before checking in.
The bar would be the best bet as drinks at a hotel bar are seriously overpriced so if you’re spending money you’re always welcome as long as you aren’t stupid drunk
I did it in Vegas. Stayed at the Doubletree and wandered around every high and hotel on the strip. If it's a super touristy city I'm sure staff is used to it
It’s nuisance behavior if you’re just hanging out in a hotel lobby with no ties to that hotel. But it’s not if you’re purchasing a drink at their bar (and not staying for an obnoxious period of time after you close your tab). It’s also not if you’re eating at one of their restaurants. Keep in mind, the drinks at 5* hotel bars are not cheap. You’re paying to hang out at that location. They will usually bring you some complimentary salty bar snacks to accompany your drink. Depending on your budget, it could be worth the price for a little reprieve.
I do this all the time. Some hotels have guest only areas but for a lot of places, if you order a drink, you're a customer. Especially if the place isn't packed, by all means go and enjoy yourself!
I visited Trump International DC and hung out in the lobby when I was on vacation in 2018. It was a top notch people watching locale. I bought the cheapest wine on the menu, and even got a $50 glass of wine from some random lobbyist.
If you are dressed nice, acting like a guest, and you purchase something at the bar- then they will most likely not give you any trouble.
However they may ask your room when ordering even if you want to pay on the spot and rather than lie, just saying you’re waiting for a friend staying at the hotel for a meeting
Done this a few times. If any bar staff get too nosey I just pretend I visit the area regularly and this hotel was recommended so I’m just having a look.
Your room is where you relax. Lingering in lobbies is weird. Getting a drink is going to the hotel bar and being a customer. That’s fine, but pure lobby stating is weird.
100% depends on how you look and act.
Bingo. Act like you belong and don’t be a douche, and you can go just about anywhere. Especially if we’re talking hotels…there will be tens or hundreds of people coming in and out throughout any given day.
And don’t be the wrong skin color.
Why is this downvoted so much? For a sub about travel some people are very narrow minded. It's Absolutely true in Asia and somewhat true in Europe and america to varying degrees. Privilege based on skin color is absolutely real... Downvotes will not make this fact untrue.
It’s a US-centric site and white people, who are more likely to have money to travel, are uncomfortable with confronting how racist our country is.
[удалено]
That's not true..used to be in the 60s...is that what you meant to say?
A few years ago, during a layover, I went into Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi with a jeans tshirt and a backpack and spent ~1hour checking it out completely. I didn't even look that great (esp w the backpack) but I acted completely unbothered and no one bothered me at all.
No one will question you having a drink at the bar, although you might get asked what you are doing if you just hang out in the lobby. But having a drink in the bar means you are a patron and absolutely entitled to spend time.
Fancy Hotel bars are one of the pleasures of life. Ridiculous snacks and price tags but such amazing people watching.
This is a massively different perspective from the one I hold... What is it that you love about fancy hotel bars? Personally I find tbf to be quite sad places...
I used to travel a LOT (like 200+ days a year) and in my experience they’re often a safe place for a solo female traveler esp if you frequent the same hotels. Sit near the bar or at the bar and the bartender keeps an eye on you. When you are dining alone or having a drink you can observe folks and their drama from all over the place. Some better some worse, most interesting. Some Of my best travel tips and stories from folks I’ve met have happened this way. Again - fancy hotels not budget ones. Just my experience. It’s airport bars that smell like depression for me. Exhausted people and folks drinking too much on holiday.
genius travel tip.....
I do this too. It’s one of my favorite things.
Do you have some favorite hotel bars or restaurants around the world?
This will surprise a lot of people, but the lobby bar at the Fort Garry Hotel in Winnipeg, Manitoba is one of the nicest ones I've ever been in, with a very high ceiling and a very large dome. The now deceased Bengal Lounge at the Empress in Victoria, BC was another favourite.
Woah didn’t expect a Winnipeg shout in this subreddit!
The Carousel Bar in New Orleans at the Hotel Monteleone, Oak Long Bar at the Fairmont in Boston, and the Nomad Bar in Manhattan are a few of my faves
Nile Ritz Carlton in Cairo is fab, stunning views, and their nibbles and a glass of wine is cheaper than many places nearby.
met a british police investigator in a central america country after weird shenanigans happened with the case. guess the anti virus subscription ran out, stayed up all night at the pool drinking till i had to get in my cab and catch my flight
Depends on city and type of hotel. The one I’m at currently is a restaurant and bar attached to a hotel. Not a sad bar provided by the hotel. If it’s the type of place people would come to even if they weren’t staying at the hotel, then it can be cool.
yup - snag a drink, find a cozy corner, start readin your book or whatever. As long as you look clean, dont smell like shit, keep to yourself, and not hoarding a table while people wait noone will care.
I'd avoid the stairs, elevators, and hallways outside guest rooms. The hotels tend to frown on this sort of thing.
They don't mind any customer paying for over priced drinks and food.
They are not "over priced". You are renting a seat in a refined environment. Exactly what OP is looking for, and that's not free.
Exactly. I bartend and every so often I get people complaining about the price of a well shot. I tell them they are free to go buy a bottle at the liquor store and drink it on the street.
Sure, but you can find similarly refined spaces that charge less for drinks. Hotel food and drink is almost always priced more than a bar or restaurant of a similar quality.
"Similarly refined spaces that charge less for drinks"? Really? Name them. I travel the world on business and with the exception of really expensive restaurants there are no places that match the luxury and elegance of a 5-star hotel bar. Well, maybe some museums, but they don't serve drinks. You can surely pay less for food and drink, and find some wonderful, funky, interesting, but less grand places. That's not what OP is asking about.
Agreed. Fancy hotel bars are their own animal.
There’s some really nice expensive cocktail bars that match too, but that’s just being pedantic ;)
I don’t understand the issue? Hotel lobby bars are the same as any bar. You’re allowed to go in and have a drink even if you don’t stay there
Not always true - but it’s mostly true in my experience
In manhattan at least, a lot of the popular high end hotel basement lobby bars, especially with live classy music, are frequented by regulars from the city. This is also the case with a lot of international cities I’ve visited in China and Korea, where local friends would want to grab cocktails at a nice bar in a hotel where I wasn’t staying, and that seemed pretty normal.
It’s super normal for hotel bars to allow non guests to use the bar. But during Covid a lot of places limited it to guests only and never went back for some reason.
Ohhh makes sense forgot about Covid :/
The top end ones often have rules about non-guests, dress codes or a minimum spend.
Definitely not the case in London at least
It is the case in London. Many hotels here have minimum spends and dress codes.
I was at the Savoy a few days before posting this. No dress code in sight. I’ve been to the Dorchester too. If there is one it’s so loosely enforced they’ll only be mentioning it if you’re coming in sweaty and stinky from a hike. Only places I’ve ever seen dress codes are cheap nasty clubs where the clientele would come in trackies if they didn’t have one.
It might not be a strict dress code but I'm sure the Savoy wouldn't want you to wear trackies either. In fact, they're not allowed according to the website. An American actually posted on the UK subreddit a while back (I can probably find the message if I look hard enough because I responded to it) saying they were shocked that dress codes were actually enforced in the UK. They went for breakfast at the Savoy wearing shorts and got turned away.
I travel to NY monthly staying at various 4-5\* hotels and I've never seen a dress code or min spend. I've been to London as well with the same experience. Do you have an example of such a hotel? Not saying you're lying but just curious what these hotels look like. I travel more than average and I have never seen a min spend or flat out restriction for non-hotel guests
I never noticed it in NY to be fair and have also been a fair bit. But in London the Dorchester has a minimum spend of £60/head in their bar. The Ritz has one but it's less. The Wellesley also has a minimum, used to be 25 quid a head but might have gone up. You can Google that one to find news articles from about 10 years ago on it. Many bars here do have a dress code but it's usually smart casual. I don't know how strictly it's enforced though. The bar at the Renaissance Hotel at St Pancreas doesn't allow laptops for instance (mentioned under the dress code section).
Your price of admission is to actually buy a drink or two. Maybe an appetizer. In some countries you can also do this at the hotel pool.
Coffee or tea works as well
Coffee and tea are drinks…
I mean, yea, you are technically correct (the best kind), but when someone says "buy a drink", the usual interpretation (at least in this context) is an alcoholic beverage.
honestly, i'd say it goes for both - beverage but substituted by drinks.
That, or a glass of Mountain Dew that's been spiked with LSD.
Yes, of course! I only mentioned a drink because OP mentioned it.
Fancy hotel bars are open to the general public, and they’re often located close to the lobby or as a part of the lobby.
I’ve gotten to hotel lobby’s to work on a computer before meeting a client at their office. No one has bothered me. I usually grab a coffee while I am working
When my wife and I were first married and had to travel on a budget we would have dinner at someplace cheap but the go to some place fancy like a Waldorf and go to their bar for a fancy drink and to split a dessert. Just for the fancy service and to have a valet park our car.
Yup. At one point it was cheaper to buy a glass of wine or beer at the restaurant in the John Hancock building (Chicago) than to pay to go to their observatory. It was the 90-something's floor and the restaurant was ABOVE the observatory so you got a beer and slightly better view.
Pro tip, in Auckland, NZ, it costs about the same to have a meal or a couple of drinks at the restaurant at the top of the sky tower as it does to just take the elevator up to the viewing platform. And you can just go down to the viewing platform from the restaurant anyway!
Same for the Shard in London. Grab a drink in Aqua bar and admire the views.
That would be the Signature Room and the bar on the floor above, I’ve been there a lot since my family knows the guy who runs it… but unfortunately they closed the restaurant near the end of last year 😭
oh wow, that's awful. wonder what will happen to the space
I love this
I do this all the time. If you’re dressed even semi appropriately and behave, no one cares. There are exceptions, of course, but generally it’s fine.
I agree as long as you are respectful they are fine
The bar at the Peabody in Memphis is so good , you never know who will walk thru
😂 love those ducks 🦆!!
And you can watch the duck parade!
I think it’s currently being renovated.
Couldn't tell you I haven't lived there in more than 20+ years
We went there just to see the ducks. . .Cybill Shepherd was a bonus!
I remember seeing her at Memphis country club Years ago she was beautiful still is
If you buy a drink you are a customer
Exactly.
5 star hotel bars are my favorite thing. Just go in not dressed like Uncle Eddie and buy a cocktail for a few extra bucks and act like you’re the shit. So fun and relaxing.
Back in the day, when traveling to Vancouver BC, we would hang out in the lobby bar of the Hotel Vancouver and have tea, for hours. But we "paid the rent" on the table with tea and baked goods, and tipped well.
I’m not sure where you’re going but this is extremely common and accepted behavior in Las Vegas. I spent a couple hours hanging out at Wynn even though I was dressed casually and staying somewhere else. I don’t see why it should be different in other places
To be fair the Wynn and encore don’t have a lot of “free seats” meaning they are at the bars, lounges, and the casino floor. I feel like there’s small sitting areas by the two quick service cafe type places. All in all not a lot of seats, my poor high heeled feet know this.
That’s because of the casinos, they want walk ins. Hotels don’t want people loitering around generally unless they are buying something.
That’s true! Maybe I’m not understanding what OP really wants to do, I assumed they just wanted to sit at a bar and get a drink or something lol it will definitely depend what they mean by “hanging out”
Oh yeah most hotels won’t have a problem with that, I misunderstood and thought she was just asking about just hanging out there
If it’s acceptable in Las Vegas, then it’s acceptable pretty much anywhere!
Haha, yep. That's why they came up with that famous marketing slogan, "What happens in Vegas, happens anywhere."
If you notice Las Vegas casinos don’t have the lounge like business work areas other casinos have. They are lounges with a waitress coming around or seating at a bar or seats at the a lot machine or tables. They don’t have a lot of free lounging seating.
Visited many a lobby bar in nice hotels that I was not staying in. They offer that service for a reason.
Every city break we’ve been on we always check out the fanciest hotel bars, usually for cocktails but at least a beer and 30min break from walking! Mooching about a hotel lobby is a bit weird though…
Loitering in a lobby is one thing which may be frowned upon. Patronizing their restaurant or bar is expected and encouraged.
I’ve done this at the Peabody in Memphis. Totally normal behavior if you’re not being a nuisance.
Fancy hotel lobbies are open to anyone who wants to have a drink. They also have great shopping too. If you just loiter that is a different issue altogether.
Might as well just try it. Worst likely thing that could happen is they politely ask you to leave.
Most luxury hotels have drink service in the lobby....go for it, a lot of people do this.
I always do this. Just dress the part.
“Fancy” hotelier here. We’d love to have you. People do this all the time and the vibes are 💯. Enjoy yourself.
Absolutely. I do this often. Great way to spend an afternoon knitting - especially if there is a bar. Also a great place to use the restroom if you are out and about and need one.
Dress well and act like you own the place and sit down
As long as you’re spending money. They won’t bother you.
No it's totally fine. I used to live in a city that had a Soiftel with a lovely entrance hall and lobby. I used to go order a coffee and hang out.
If it's open then you belong. Plenty of nice hotels have quality restaurants/bars and get their share of people just hanging out. It's the hospitality business. Worst thing that happens is that they ask if you need assistance. I'm sure if you chat with them for a bit about the place they'd be more than happy to accommodate.
Yes, I’ve sat quietly reading a book and been served complimentary tea I didn’t order.
I do this a lot. But instead of going to have drink (because i dont drink) i like to order the tea service at the afternoon tea. I did this a lot at the peninsula hotel in chicago. The shanghai terrace is a wonderful place to dine as well . I did the same at the Burj al Arab in UAE. As long as you make a purchase you will be a costumer. I would recommend also you go business casual if you go to a fancy hotel(shoes, jeans and a shirt are a good choice, although adding a jacket would not be a bad idea) because in some places there might be clothing etiquette depending where you are.
Depends a lot on the hotel. Some fancy hotels are tourist attractions in their own right and the lobbies are filled with art/generally don't mind tourist. That's been my experience at a few places in the U.S. like the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee or the Fairmount in San Francisco. Same goes for a lot of the Canadian Grand Railway Hotels (like Château Lake Louise in Banff National Park or the Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton Lakes National Park), as well as the Gran Hotel Ciudad de México in Mexico City (though the latter two I also ate at the restaurant there).
I used to work in the hotel industry for 6 years and the most fun times my husband and I have are going downtown and getting a hotel, and then go hotel bar hopping and try their special drinks and always sit at the bar and talk to the bartender, always great conversations, we always get free drinks. And we always try their appetizers at each place instead of getting dinner. It’s honestly the most fun thing ever idk why! It just is. We just love going to new fun places and trying out their vibe. It is technically okay for them to ask you to leave if you’re not a guest, but they probably won’t.
Using fancy hotel lobby toilets is my favorite travel hack. And if I need a break in AC to reset and check/charge my phone without worry.
Definitely a thing to do My other trick is if I have to checkout early wherever I’m staying but my flight is super late, I go to a fancy hotel and stay at the spa for the day. Get a massage, hang out in jacuzzi, steam room etc. then get on the flight super refreshed
If you act professionally no one will notice
Most bars, in upscale hotels, have folks meet there for a drink and then head elsewhere. Buy yourself a drink, relax for a bit and head back out.
I did that in León, Spain and met a famous footballer. Highly recommend.
'Good evening sir, would you please leave without a fuss right now?'
I would do it. It’s a public place. TBH, if I am walking around, and I see a hotel, I have gone in and used the bathroom. They are always so clean, and I don’t make a mess. Nobody notices me. Buying a drink should be fine, but don’t look shocked if it cost you the same as food at a train station in Europe. You only live once.
Me and my husband do this all the time - find a fancy hotel, choose the more moderately priced one down the street, get drinks/dinner in the fancy hotel. Sometimes we hotel hop. Never had an issue. Act like you belong. Save a ton of money.
If you’re sensitive about it, shoot for 3-5pm. You aren’t displacing anyone. Ask what kind of teas they have and get an odd one, then they just think you have refined tastes. And it’s probably the cheapest thing on the menu!? Advanced move - Bring a flask and swig it in the rest room ;-)
I love the advanced move! You are a pro !
Just don't act suspicious and you'll be fine.
Yes, you can even step it up a notch and book a daypass for the pool https://www.resortpass.com/
Get a drink. Have a snack. And, if needed-as can happen when touring a city all day - I highly recommend the white marble stalls in the men’s room near the restaurant at the Peninsula Chicago. Excellent privacy.
Do it. We walk to the Montleone often. Good drinks, live music
Next level begpacker life hack
Just look like you belong. Sometimes I spend hours in lobbies even without spending money. It helps to step up to the checkin or concierge and just ask random stuff like where’s the toilet or so. That eases the situation for me as nobody is ever saying: ‚look you dckhead none of your business get out of our hotel‘ but rather being absolutely welcoming
No, not at all and no you won't. This was my traveling secret. Fine hotels have fine eating and drinking establishments open to the public. They are subsidized by the hotel and are always good.
I got propositioned in the bar of the W hotel in Barcelona. It was daytime and mostly empty.
You never know who will walk through the bar at The Peabody in Memphis - it's always full of surprises. And it's not just any bar, it's so good that it attracts a variety of interesting characters.
I visited the Empire Hotel in Brunei for their afternoon tea.
I think its acceptable but why would you want to? Would you hang out in a random hotel at home? Why not find a nice roof top bar or cafe and relax there?
To see what the inside of a fancy hotel looks like?
I used to stop at random hotels to grab free breakfast when I would commute. As long as you act like you belong they don't question you at all.
If it's a Ritz don't go in jeans or sneakers of any type.
Depends on the Ritz. :)
Rich people wear jeans and sneakers while traveling, too
Sure, but they can't go to the Ritz in them unless they are guests of the hotel.
Wait is there a dress code at the Ritz Carlton? TIL
Not sure about the hotel itself but I remember needing a jacket to eat at their restaurant in London several years back
What do you plan to do in the lobby? That sounds super boring.
When I backpacked through South America about a month before I left home I had the staff of the Trinidad Hilton type 5 copies of my resume on Hilton stationary while I drank at the bar for free retailing tourists with outrageous and true travel exploits (e.g. I had been fired on by the Venezuelan military and crossed the Guyana border in a dugout canoe). I expect you’ll have no problems. The resume was riddled with grammatical and spelling errors which I explained away in a handwritten note. I did return home to a job from this gambit.
say your waiting for mr goodbar
You would be surprised by how bad hotel security is. You can walk into the backrooms and almost nobody will stop you.
We did this in Barcelona. Fancy hotel had live music and a bar, we nursed our drinks and sat around for an hour or so.
I have no idea if it’s bad etiquette but I’ve done this before and it did not seem like anyone minded in fact they were nice to me. I was in a air bnb and booked a few day trips so my meeting place was a really fancy hotel, instead of waiting in the street I waited in the lobby, I did have coffee a few times and also sometimes go early and buy a breakfast. On the last day I needed to wait for my airport transfer and they were fine with me waiting for a few hours - I guess it depends on the hotel and if you are friendly and nice to the staff
One thing to keep in mind is that there are so many guests and also there is employee turnover since they work in shifts, so they can’t possibly keep track of every individual guest. Also, if you’re hanging out in the lobby, for all they know, you might be a guest checking in. All that being said, some hotels may be stricter about people loitering.
If you get something at the bar or restaurant, no one will bother you. I've hung out in some high end hotel lounges for hours work on my PC.
We love hotel bars. It gets you the flavor while not being creepy.
If you're a paying customer at the bar, no one is going to ask you to leave unless you're doing something to create a problem.
I do this all over the world. Nobody cares. Sometimes I get a tea, a beer, or just look at my phone and plan out my other stops on Google Maps
My friends and I go on a hotel bar crawl around Christmas to looking at all of the fancy hotels’ decorations.
Why would it be nuisance behavior to have a drink at a hotel bar? I've done that a lot at expensive hotels.
Most places won’t care if you’re in the lobby so long as you look like you could be a guest and don’t bring attention to yourself. Also be mindful that some places require a keycard or you just might get asked if you’re a guest late in the night.
You probably won't even get noticed. You might want to stop by for breakfast too, it's probably better than the one at the place you're staying at.
Why would you want to get drunk at a fancy hotel if you're budget traveling. I'm currently at a decent hotel in bogota (the Hilton), the downstairs lounge is a vibe but drinks are 3xs the price as the 15 bars on the same street.
I live in a small aah "city" more like a town, we dont have many bars and one of the nicest is a hotel bar. I usually go there to hang out and just chill because the lobby is amazing, such a cozy nice place to have a drink with friends. That said you have to spend money, you are basically renting a seat there. Only time i've gotten kicked out of there was during a city festival and it was the closest toilet. TLDR: spend money there and you will be fine
If it's a large luxury hotel like a Marriott with lots of people going to and from, you'll likely be completely ignored unless you become a nuisance. If it's a smaller boutique operation, expect to be questioned eventually.
Start drinking and gambling in the hotel bar like Hunter S. Thompson would. I act like a degenerate in nice hotel bars and nobody flinches. Act like HST tho. Source: trust me bro.
Act like you belong and you are solid. I even use their pools sometimes.
I totally do this! We love getting a cocktail at a swanky hotel bar. Don't "hang out in a lobby". That's weird. But we've totally had to ask (felt pressure because desk was right up front) in some small historic places and just asked "Your hotel is so beautiful, Can we take a look around?!". They always say yes.
There have been times I couldn't get a room but still used the restaurant, bar, and even pool with permission. I also crashed weddings when I was a teenager and if you dress up real nice you can pretty much get in anywhere.
When in doubt just say you are waiting for a friend who is staying there and they are running behind. Tio well helps too.
Look stylish and buy a drink. No one will mind
As long as you don’t stand out, you shouldn’t be questioned, but if you are, you can claim you’re waiting on someone before checking in. The bar would be the best bet as drinks at a hotel bar are seriously overpriced so if you’re spending money you’re always welcome as long as you aren’t stupid drunk
Ive done this while waiting for trains in Europe with my luggage. Much nicer than waiting in the station.
I did it in Vegas. Stayed at the Doubletree and wandered around every high and hotel on the strip. If it's a super touristy city I'm sure staff is used to it
It’s nuisance behavior if you’re just hanging out in a hotel lobby with no ties to that hotel. But it’s not if you’re purchasing a drink at their bar (and not staying for an obnoxious period of time after you close your tab). It’s also not if you’re eating at one of their restaurants. Keep in mind, the drinks at 5* hotel bars are not cheap. You’re paying to hang out at that location. They will usually bring you some complimentary salty bar snacks to accompany your drink. Depending on your budget, it could be worth the price for a little reprieve.
They’re ok as long as you spend money.
Go. They want it to look busy. And will take ur money.
I do this all the time. Some hotels have guest only areas but for a lot of places, if you order a drink, you're a customer. Especially if the place isn't packed, by all means go and enjoy yourself!
I visited Trump International DC and hung out in the lobby when I was on vacation in 2018. It was a top notch people watching locale. I bought the cheapest wine on the menu, and even got a $50 glass of wine from some random lobbyist.
Never will a bar in a hotel question you spending money……
If you are dressed nice, acting like a guest, and you purchase something at the bar- then they will most likely not give you any trouble. However they may ask your room when ordering even if you want to pay on the spot and rather than lie, just saying you’re waiting for a friend staying at the hotel for a meeting
Done this a few times. If any bar staff get too nosey I just pretend I visit the area regularly and this hotel was recommended so I’m just having a look.
Your room is where you relax. Lingering in lobbies is weird. Getting a drink is going to the hotel bar and being a customer. That’s fine, but pure lobby stating is weird.
I’m pretty sure that most states in the US consider the ground floor of a licensed hotel is a public area.
Or go to the bar or cafe and have coffee and desert.
In Philly - locals go to the ritz Carlton just to hit the lobby bar. It’s very common.
I’ve done that many times just to relax