Mary Ann and I have travelled to many big cities over the years. One thing we always look at is Executive Club Rooms and Lounges. For those that don’t know, an Executive Club is a hotel upgrade that gives you access to a lounge where you can enjoy buffets with full breakfast and during the day snacks and drinks. During the evening if you haven’t eaten a dinner, the snacks can be hardy enough to replace a dinner.
The upgrade gives you a upgraded room as well. Sometimes it is a view and sometimes the room is better than your typical hotel room. The Lounges can be located at the top of a skyscraper with fabulous views or sometimes in a lower level with nothing to look at but still very relaxing. Shanghai’s Longemont Lounge had a lovely view.
One of Mary Ann’s and my favorite lounges is at the Mark Hopkins in San Francisco. The lounge is on the bottom floor but you can enjoy the large windows with cable cars passing the building, dinging their bells, while you enjoy your coffee. You can also get a nice room with a awesome view of San Francisco.
When you are tired from a long flight or just don’t want to go looking for food or a breakfast, the lounges are the best. The upgrade cost can vary but Executive Club Rooms and Lounges don’t always cost that much more.