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Elite and Ambassador Elite status . They are afforded complimentary access on every stay . Guests who are not Marriott Bonvoy members , or do not have that level of status , may inquire at the specific hotel to see if access may be offered for an additional fee .
Executive lounges are available for Marriott Bonvoy members at the Platinum Elite level . These facilities are generally found at Marriott premium or luxury brands , with some properties offering guests the option of paying a fee to gain access , even without having elite status . The JW Marriott Dallas Art District recently opened with a spacious executive lounge that is adaptable for large groups to gather for breakfast or cocktails .
At Hyatt , according to a spokesperson , club access is granted to World of Hyatt Globalist members and any registered guests in their room ; guests who are staying as a Globalist member ’ s Guest of
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Honor ; guests who book rooms on a club level floor ; and World of Hyatt members who use a Milestone Reward . ( Globalist is the highest level in the World of Hyatt loyalty program .)
SEEKING ALTERNATIVES Rather than offering a lounge , operators are also looking at other ways to reward loyal guests and to use those spaces more productively . Vardharajan said he has seen some properties offer a F & B credit , for example . That encourages guests to spend on property — and probably more than the allotted amount .
Vanja Bogicevic , clinical associate professor at the SPS Jonathan M . Tisch Center of Hospitality at NYU , said some hotels are bringing communal areas down to lobbies , creating flexible , revenue-generating uses , such as the selling of food and beverage . Or , she said , those desirable locations on high floors can be converted to event or meeting spaces .
M Club at the Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay .
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The Regency Club lounge at the Hyatt Regency Hong Kong , Sha Tin . |
And , while the appeal or relevance of lounges in urban centers might be getting diluted , said Vardharajan , they are still appealing for operators and guests at resorts , where complimentary food can be a distinct benefit for families . In addition , there tends to be more square footage to carve out a premium guest refuge .
REGIONAL DIFFERENCES Lounges in the Middle East and Asia , said Vardharajan , tend to be “ spectacular .” Bogicevic agreed , noting that in some countries in Asia , labor is more affordable , making lounges more viable . The same might be true in the Middle East , she said , and even in some European destinations , such as Malta , where many employees are expatriates .
In the Middle East and Asia , said Demuth , lounges “ are routinely part of the conversation ”— most notably in terms of taking them to the next level . JLL , said Demuth , is working on a project in Singapore that includes what is
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IF YOU CAN ’ T FIND STAFF TO CLEAN ROOMS , HOW CAN YOU FIND THEM TO CLEAN A SPACE THAT IS NOT GENERATING REVENUE ?
– KAUSHIK VARDHARAJAN ,
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
OF THE PRACTICE , BOSTON
UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF HOTEL
ADMINISTRATION
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46 hotelsmag . com Nov / Dec 2023 |