I have written about this hotel a number of times before and my opinion of it stays the same. Rules rules rules all the way. I am starting to see why – it is still so crowded and understaffed.

In the lounge last night, my partner and I requested a friend to join us just for 15 mins. It is against this hotel’s policy for guests to bring anyone else into the lounge without paying a fee of around $60. We asked as we were both Diamond members if just 15 mins would be OK. It is a business hotel after all and as an Executive Lounge, this is where business guests meet. Two of the staff members came over and said no problem. Then a third male staff member (who I have had an encounter with on previous stays) came over and lectured us on how it is unfair to allow this to normally happen and that only this once we would be allowed. All guests had to be treated equally he said, which begs the question as a Diamond member is there no room for flexibility – as there is at all other Hilton hotels I stay at? He went on that of course if our guest had anything to drink we would be charged $60.

After he left the 2 earlier staff members came over to make sure everything was OK – I told them what the third guy had lectured us on and they were embarrassed and apologised, saying he is well known for going ‘by the book and being inflexible’.

As it turns out we stayed for an hour, our friend ate and drank to her heart’s content, and no one blinked an eye towards us once.

One thing I should mention though is they make great Martinis in the lounge 🙂