March 2015
hotel voyeurism
At one time or another everyone has become a "hotel voyeur" - stopping by to see a hotel property with no intention of ever staying there. We often come in contact with hotels' public spaces for events like weddings or conventions. Sometimes when I was living overseas I paid for a day pass to use a hotel's gym or swimming pool. Historic hotels frequently have fantastic bars and restaurants attached. Modern high-rise hotels have "sky bars" on their roofs with amazing views. I am totally guilty of checking out hotels "just to see what they have" with no intention of ever returning.
Most hotels welcome voyeurism and some even charge for it. To access that fabulous roof deck of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore [see: Marina Bay Sands], there is a fee for non-guests. Then, of course, a person is encouraged to spend more money up top in a restaurant or bar. However, some hotels that cater to the rich and famous or the elite actively discourage "the rabble" from entering their properties, largely to protect the privacy of their guests, but also to add to an air of mystery. The Burj al Arab in Dubai is off limits to anyone not staying there or with a confirmed restaurant booking. Common folk can only view its sail-like architecture on its own little island from a distance.
Often due to race, exceptions are made. I find myself astounded that I can walk into high-end properties around the world very casually dressed (jeans and a t-shirt) with the assumption by security that I am staying there or have business there just because I am white. Even better dressed locals might not gain entrance, but I can walk in without question. One of my favorite activities anywhere I have lived overseas was treating my local friends to coffee or drinks in a fancy hotel that they might not normally have been permitted to enter.
When I was in Bahrain and driving around with Saudi friend, AM, we were passing by the Novotel which happened to be on a beautiful little inlet. I quickly told him to stop so we could explore. There, in the middle of built-up Bahrain, was a hotel with its own private beach on the very blue waters of the Persian Gulf. The skyscrapers of another part of Manama glistened in the distance. I wished I had stayed there, but then again - I could not have walked anywhere outside of the hotel property because it was hemmed in by highways. My good Saudi friend, Yazeed, told me he had often stayed there with his family in his growing up years for all the reasons I liked it. His father thought it was a nice hotel with traditional "faux local architecture" and a fantastic private beach. Apparently, the evening outdoor barbeques were amazing.
I love peering into the world of hotels when traveling - it is often getting a glimpse of how we wished we lived even as those who stay there take it all for granted.