To think hotel lounges aren't workplaces

[Lydiaatthebarre]

I have been staying in a hotel for the past couple of days and yesterday my friend and I were told to shush by a woman who was not a resident but had come into the hotel with her laptop and phone, ordered a coffee and sat there for about an hour making calls. We weren't shouting or anything, just talking in a perfectly normal voice. She then sighed loudly when two kids sat at a table near her and started playing I Spy.

The last time I stayed in a hotel I was trying to relax and read the paper but two men were using it to have a meeting and make several very loud business calls that could be heard all over the place.

AIBU to think residents should be we to relax in hotel lounges without being made to feel they're gatecrashing someone's office?

As hotel manager with 14 meeting rooms to sell it really grind my shit.

I dont mind people coming in ordering lunch and working on their laptop but you get recruiters who will order a coffee and then use up a table for an entire day whilst they interview 7 to 10 people. The worse is they'll use my receptionist as there secretaries giving them instruction on what to tell their clients.

Regus is in every town and obviously more reasonable than hotel conference rooms can be so there's no excuse.

Once had one of the recruiters complain because my events coordinator was talking to a bride at the next table at her upcoming wedding and it was putting him off. Unfortunately for him the bride spending £15,000 is more important than the 1 x latte customer.

I was told to leave a hotel restaurant in bath as it was their weekly meeting for something or another and must have my meal in my room - reception overheard and told them they'd not booked and paid so they'd no right turning people away - they even put their own sign up saying "restaurant closed private function". I did get my meal, it was slightly uncomfortable as they kept saying in loud voices they couldn't talk properly because I was there but I got my meal free, along with a free extra course as it was very clear the staff loved every second of me eating there and kept encouraging me to stay on. It was a Sunday night and the hotel had very very few people staying. When I left I mentioned it the manager said it was a major problem for them as it is open to non residents as well as residents and people were getting increasingly goady turning up holding meetings for free when they have perfectly good, and reasonably priced meeting rooms - which they were I'd gone to meetings there. He like his staff relished me having my meal.

I've had it on a train too, in the accessible part of the carriage going to Birmingham NEC a group of local bunsinessmen got on and demanded I vacated it for their vital confidential meeting. They were very insistent I left. The guard turned up and gave them short shrift - they'd been doing it all week, arguing it was their right but as I had a disabled persons railcard as well as being visably disabled they were forced to leave. Best bit? We were going to the same conference and their "vital confidential meeting prep" wasn't and I was running that day

I've no idea why that took a hour to post but x-post with lou

How were they left get away with putting up their own sign Becca? Surely the manager should be talking to them!

Sorry I should have explained better the sign was under an overhang of the reception desk. When they told me I couldn't go in, they pointed to the sign and then reception manager got involved (not actual manager they weren't in).

I did mention it when I left which was when he was saying about people being goady and taking advantage. They hadn't seen the sign as it had been placed in such a way as unless you were directly going in via that entrance you wouldn't see it (staff didn't use that entrance as they had a more direct way in from reception).

And it wasn't a huge overhang either!

Bugger, wasn't a huge sign sorry.

Wow that was incredibly cheeky. I hope the manager left them in no doubt that they were never to do anything like that again
I'd have been tempted to bar them after that. How dare they tell paying residents that they can't use the dining room.

Years ago hotels used to have a residents lounge that could only be used by people actually staying in the hotel
I wonder why most don't nowadays.

It's a public space. You'll often find me at 6am on a comfy lobby sofa working on my laptop while DH snoozes in the room. People are coming and going, checking out, going for an early breakfast, going out somewhere for the day. If I had an expectation of silence and privacy I'd rent another room or an office. I would never make business calls in a hotel lobby or a Starbucks or a train, it's bloody annoying for those around. I always think they're 'performance working'. What's wrong with emailing or texting until you can get somewhere where you can talk in peace and without imposing your loud, self-importance on others?

You think that is bad! A while back I was in a large park in London. It was the middle of the day and no one else was around. I was walking my dogs and then sat down in a nice secluded, shaded area, which had several felled trees arranged into a large circle as a natural seating area. The circle and shaded area was actually really massive. But some self-important dude in a suit came along and sat on the next tree trunk closest to me and kept talking loudly into his phone, obviously on a business call, pretending to be in his office. My dogs were running up to me, making some noise. The dude held his receiver and actually shouted at me to keep my dogs quiet. In the middle of the fecking deserted park. That is the highest Zen level of elevated entitlement! Being a tad immature, I played a YouTube clip of Greyhounds rooing and soon my 4 hounds joined in the song of their people, howling loudly in unison. Dude threw a hissy fit and stomped off.

lydia I'm sure he did. Certainly when I spoke to him he was very annoyed about the sign, they did repeat several times it is a public space open to all but they were very argumentative about how they'd the right as they were there first and it was public space like I was being a nuisance. That said I felt anything but in the way, the staff were really good.

It was years ago, well before I was on MN. It would have made a good thread!

We have a local community run cafe/library which is busy with people having lunch, children playing with the toy box etc. Not to mention the cafe radio and general noise.
We once had a woman come over and complain that it was too noisy to work on her laptop.
The manager replied that it was a cafe not an office but she could have a room for £7 an hour.
She got the huff and stormed off.

temptress that made me laugh! Thankyou.

@Becca19962014 Chuckling myself again at the memory

Can I ask how you knew she wasn't a resident?

Gawd, I feel your rage, OP!

Technology and the Smartphone has brought us this!

I was relaxing in a hotel lobby a few weeks ago. Some twatty businessman decided to take his Business Calls next to me.

On a train a few months ago a woman decided to have a massive argument with her Water Company next to me.

Selfish twats, every last fucking one of them.

I live quite near the river, walking along the tow path passing by an office where a woman was standing outside talking into her phone, friend and I walk by having a chat with a bit of laughter, not overly loud. Woman on phone "would you please keep your noise down, I can't hear anything" me "It's a public thoroughfare not your private space, anyway tell them as well" pointing to honking geese, maybe I misunderstood, perhaps that's who she was complaining to. Best not to expect peace and quiet in a public area, one can't always expect co-operation in the reduction of noise from the public, animals and assorted water fowl

My sister and her husband were relaxing with a glass of wine and watching a Wimbledon match in a hotel lounge a couple of years ago. A woman wanted the TV turned off because she had important work calls to make. She wasn't even staying in the hotel. She got short shrift from the staff.

Seems to be yet another example of people nowadays going around in a self absorbed bubble, unaware of the people around them or the norms around sharing public spaces.

As long as people recognise it’s public space then it’s fine to work. Telling other people what they can or can’t do in that space is unreasonable. If they need quiet they would have a better chance in the library or should pay for office space

Libraries aren't quiet anymore. Which is fine. Except that I needed to work in my local library the other day when my home internet connection was down. There is a"quiet study area" so I went there. But people felt the need to bring small kids into the vicinity, the staff felt the need to have conversations right behind me and there was also someone having a conversation on the phone (staff again).

I didn't need absolute quiet so it didn't matter but if you actually wanted to study it would be a bit rubbish.

As for the OP, it's fine to sit and chat, and it's fine to work. Both shouldn't be mutually exclusive. There's no need to shout, anywhere.

I absolutely hate people who treat public or semi-public spaces as an extension of their office.

See also: trains.

I absolutely hate people who treat public or semi-public spaces as an extension of their office

I think that’s a little unfair. It’s totally possible to use public spaces to work in and not be an asshat. The problem is when the two meet!

It’s totally possible to use public spaces to work in and not be an asshat.

Sitting typing on your laptop and making the occasional quick and discreet phone call = fine.

Making long, loud phone calls, doing conference calls or expecting other people to keep the noise down = being an asshat.

Oh and if you're working from a coffee shop and you hog a table for hours whilst only buying one coffee, when other people can't get a table, you're an asshat and a CF (and costing the business money).

Oh and if you're working from a coffee shop and you hog a table for hours whilst only buying one coffee, when other people can't get a table, you're an asshat and a CF (and costing the business money)

Yup that’s total CF behaviour. If I’m using a coffee shop for a meeting I always do morning and ensure we order plenty of drink. I go to a specific coffee shop and in return I do them free advertising locally which they appreciate.

Yanbu.

I always think of you want private holiday - book somewhere private.
If you want a private office space - rent one or hire a room.
If you want a private train carriage book all the first class seats in that carriage.

People should always be aware of how their behaviour affects others but also others need to be tolerant that people will be behaving in a way they didn't choose them to in their vicinity.

We once went to a restaurant for a birthday meal. My friend and I and our 3 children. One of these places where it's all booths so you're either behind/in front or opposite others. My friends DD is absolutely hilarious and was telling us a story and we all laughed. Didn't believe we were noisy but when table next door complained we quietened down. They complained to waitress and were moved.
At end of meal we apologised to waitress (and tipped her well for her inconvenience!) but she said it was them not us and 3 tables weren't acceptable and she just thinks they wanted absolute silence.