Guest-Only Lounges Are The Latest Luxury Hotel Trend
Hotels are in a never ending hospitality battle to attract more travelers. They’ve done everything from upping their game when it comes to in-house food and beverage offerings, providing wellness amenities, installing Instagrammable art, and inviting the public to hang in their lobbies. But, while much of the push recently was aimed at attracting locals and day visitors, the latest trend is all about a hotel basic: exclusivity.
While it’s great for the bottom line to have multiple revenue streams that include those just stopping by, there’s no better amenity than feeling special. That’s why a number of hotels have opened or revamped their “guest only” spaces, giving overnighters special access to parts of the property purely reserved for their presence.
“I’ve seen pet concierges, tanning butlers, and loaner yachts,” says Alisha Prakash, editor for the hotel review site Oyster. “Now guest-only lounges are the latest way hotels are pampering their guests. By offering overnighters the option of a guest-only lounge, hotels and resorts are differentiating themselves from other properties in the area.”
New York City’s AKA Central Park and AKA Sutton Place created special bar and lounge areas dubbed a.lounge where guests can cozy up in warmly lit cocoons complete with fireplaces and mixologists serving up artisan spirits and curated wines just for them. Millennium Hilton New York One UN Plaza in Midtown East has a similar offering where hotel guests get exclusive access to The Skyline Club Lounge. Here, guests can sip on a craft cocktail while taking in skyline views of NYC.
One Aldwych in London took things one step further and made a speakeasy private lounge with sleek couches, cocktails and selection of books by celebrated British designer Paul Smith. Only guests know where to find the secret door.
And it’s not just about the indoor private lounges. Harbour View Inn in Charleston, South Carolina has a rooftop terrace bar only available to guests where they can partake in a complimentary wine and cheese reception and daily rotating programming like local wine and beer tastings. Then there’s the uber exclusive pool at Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo in Monaco.
Described as an outdoor “haute couture” concept created by Karl Lagerfeld, the Odyssey is an outdoor area with a heated salt-water pool, private cabanas, terrace gardens and a pool house with a Joël Robuchon concept restaurant. The space is exclusive to hotel residents and those with a membership during the day.
“These spaces make it explicitly clear that privacy is a feature that’s not limited to your hotel room, and that can give travelers a big reason to return,” says Prakash. “Plus, it adds a sense of mystery to the property. Who doesn’t want that?”
