Do children belong in executive lounges?

Back to Forum
Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 159 total)

  • Anonymous
    Guest

    judynagy
    Participant

    I’d be interested to read everyone else’s opinions on this subject. I’ve never encountered anyone under the age of 15 or so in a hotel VIP lounge. Recently at a Hilton in France, two grandparents and their oh-so-cute 3yrold grandson were having the best time at breakfast. Apparently this child was so amusing that the grandparents laughed out loud, and I mean LOUD, for the entire time I was there. It wasn’t the end of the world, but usually people in France are quiet … so this threesome really stood out. I finished my breakfast and went back to my room to work, so no harm done. What do y’all think?


    IanFromHKG
    Participant

    Oh no, I see a new “babies-in-premium-cabins” outpouring of vitriol looming on the horizon!

    Interestingly, thouhg, it sounds as though it was the oldies, not the youngster, that were being annoying

    As to your headline question – yes, absolutely, if they and their guardians are entitled to access (through status or through paying for an executive club room). We have taken our kids into hotel lounges throughout their lives. Just as with premium cabins, it is the parents’/guardians’ responsibility to ensure they are appropriately behaved or (and of course this isn’t an option on an aircraft) remove them. Of course, it helps that they are not usually in such lounges for long, and that often it will be during a mealtime so the little darlings (ahem) are usually occupied with filling their faces. I have very rarely seen poor behaviour from children in hotel lounges


    Binman62
    Participant

    Judynagy
    “I’ve never encountered anyone under the age of 15 or so in a hotel VIP lounge.”

    I think you have been very lucky.

    As a parent with small kids and who uses premium cabins and club floors in hotels, I will defend the right of parents to use these facilities if they wish and choose to do so. The parent or guardian is always responsible for the behaviour of the child but children are children, with children’s needs and attention spans to match, and I would not wish it to be any other way.

    In 30 years of travel it has always been obnoxious adults who have created the most problems being drunk, drugged or simply vile and disgusting. I have never for example witnessed a child say “do you know who I am” start a fight or be the cause of a diversion due to their behaviour either on the ground in hotels or in the air on flights.

    My kids have used VIP lounges around the world without incident. They use the Concorde room and occupy the board room computers to keep themselves amused. They can order drinks at the bar and make their way to the Flounge in the mistaken hope that the equipment might for once actually be working and not in pieces!

    On principle I avoid all hotels with anti-child policies such as many Hilton’s, Singapore in particular, and the Conrad Bali, who did not allow access despite having taken my money for the room in advance! Most recently I stayed in the IC Bali and the policy there was no admittance after 6pm. I had no particular issue with that as drinks etc were available elsewhere.

    Indeed, even when alone or with my wife, I avoid all hotels with a no kids rule. Such places and many of those who work in or occupy them are detached from reality and are no doubt the same who complain about falling standards of behaviour. How parents are expected to educate their kids on how to behave in a variety of social settings, when they are actively banned from some, is quite beyond me and is probably why there are so many obnoxious adults in lounges and premium cabins across the globe.

    There have been a number of threads on this subject and a link to the most famous/infamous is below.

    http://www.businesstraveller.com/discussion/topic/Babies-in-premium-cabins
    http://www.businesstraveller.com/discussion/topic/Obnoxious-kids-in-Business-Class


    millionsofmiles
    Participant

    Reading all this snobbish crap, let us introduce the following laws:

    – No kids under 14 are allowed in public, except schools, dedicated transport and parents’s tranports.
    – Kids are not allowed in restaurants etc under 16 years of age, except fast food junks.
    – If, exceptionally, kids must stay or move through public areas, they must be blindfolded and gagged.

    That according to your desires, you snobbish slef-appointed nobility?


    Papillion53
    Participant

    Really judynagy – how on earth can a family group having fun do you harm?

    Usually people in France are quiet – really? That’s a bit of a generalisation to make, isn’t it? It’s a bit like saying all Scots are mean and we know that’s not true! 😉 🙂

    Why should they not allow “VIP” kids into the “VIP” lounges – unless it’s a dedicated Business Lounge, where business people might reasonably expect a degree of calm and quiet to work, then too bad.

    I agree totally with Binman in as much as how can you expect a child to grow up to be a well-educated, balanced, socially adept adult without allowing them to socialise as a child in adult situations. I know this wasn’t really your point, but you don’t know the circumstances surrounding this family.

    What really annoyed you? The child being there, or the adults laughing loudly? If the latter, should your question not have been ” do loudly laughing adults belong in VIP lounges?” Sounds silly, doesn’t it?


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    Here in the Westin BKK, I have to admit that I do cringe if I am in the middle of meeting and kids come in. However, my out is a meeting room on one of the lower floors. I know its called “Executive Lounge” but I guess its the age of the Junior Executive.

    Maybe a few years ago I would have jumped up and down, but as long any business meeting has an “recovery” plan, in the event of noise (adults, kids or a loud TV) I am cool.


    Papillion53
    Participant

    MS @ 12:52

    We always knew you were “cool”! LOL!


    millionsofmiles
    Participant

    What is an “Executive Lounge”.
    The Lounge is dedicated for business class and sometimes first class trvellers having paid the appropriate fare. Secondly for people having a higher status with the respective airline.
    In hotels it is for people that paid the addon for staying in an Executive floor.
    So, one way or the other, people in that lounge have paid for being there.
    If you need privacy, why not rent a conference room…or do you discuss business and contractual details within a group of “quiet adult executives”?
    This whole snobbish issue about kids not being allowed to breathe loud anywhere is disgusting.


    NTarrant
    Participant

    It does depend on the behaviour of the children really and whether the parents are considerate that there may be people who are having a meeting or just want the quietness and exclusivity of the lounge.

    I have been in some Hilton lounges where there have been children running about and creating havoc whilst parents don’t give two hoots, of course none of the posters here children would do that.

    Where there are computers, I recall being in the Intercon lounge in Wellington where there were two and one was not working, there was clearly a couple of people who wanted to use them while a child played gamess. A little inconsiderate.


    VintageKrug
    Participant

    Another dreary thread on this old nugget of a topic, where comment will run for tens of pages, rehearsing the moribund arguments already set out – at some length – in this thread pertaining to a similar issue:

    http://www.businesstraveller.com/discussion/topic/Babies-in-premium-cabins?page=1

    The summary is that it’s up to parents to control their children appropriately; good ones do, others do not and there’s not much we can do about it.

    No doubt it will clog the forum for days until it dies a death, much as many would wish happened to the parents of obnoxious children!

    It will no doubt be trailered heavily in Thursday’s email, just to rub salt into the already weeping and possibly gangrenous wound.


    PatJordan
    Participant

    I think NT and VK have summed it up quite well.

    Surely there’s little to add.


    millionsofmiles
    Participant

    VK and PatJordan: Right.

    If parents make them behave like normal people, thats fine. My kid travelled FC long haus from 2 to17 years, twice year never any problem.

    Exec Lounges and F-Cl lounges, no problem.

    If your kid understands the difference between being at home and being allowed to run around and being in a public space where she has to respect other people’s nerves and privacy, that is all you need.


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    “Where there are computers, I recall being in the Intercon lounge in Wellington where there were two and one was not working, there was clearly a couple of people who wanted to use them while a child played gamess. A little inconsiderate.”

    I had similar thoughts until I heard a GM question an adult guest waiting to use a computer that a well behaved child has as much right to check facebook, emails and play games as an adult, waiting to use the same computer to get onto a company server.

    The problem probably stems there only being one or two computers. Spare lap tops could be on standby for busy periods in the lounges.


    canucklad
    Participant

    It’s a shame in this particular case ~~~ laughter wasn’t contagious!!!

    We could do with a lot more laughter in our world! And in my experiance to see and feel the joy and wonder of the world through a 3 years olds eyes is a wonderous moment/s to be treasured wherever it happens!

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 159 total)
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Business Traveller March 2024 edition
Business Traveller March 2024 edition
Be up-to-date
Magazine Subscription
To see our latest subscription offers for Business Traveller editions worldwide, click on the Subscribe & Save link below
Polls