This stay at Novotel gave me a truly "unique" experience—and not in a good way. Having stayed at over 50 different hotels, this was a first for me.
I was booked for a total of 11 nights. On the 5th day, feeling a bit suffocated in my room and with the heat outside being too much, I decided to sit in the lobby for the first time (at the tables and chairs shown in the photo). Within less than a minute, I was kicked out. They told me I couldn't sit there without ordering something. I asked, "Isn't this the lobby?" and the staff flatly said, "No."
So, I moved to a long sofa-like bench nearby. A few minutes later, two men carrying Starbucks coffee sat down exactly where I had been. The same staff member kept walking past them but didn't say a word. I eventually asked the manager, "Is there a specific criteria for who can sit there? Why are they allowed to stay while I wasn't?" Only then did the staff go over and ask them to leave.
Two hours later, out of sheer spite, I ordered an iced coffee and sat back down. A foreigner sat next to me, spread out his laptop and work materials, and started working. When the staff brought the menu and asked for an order, he confidently refused. He proceeded to work there for the next 50 minutes without ordering a thing.
I eventually called the F&B manager to explain the situation and asked why I was the only one targeted and kicked out so quickly. I did receive an apology, but the manager’s conclusion was that their policy is indeed to ask people to leave if they don't order, though they admitted kicking me out in just one minute was wrong.
I suppose the staff were just following orders, but it’s the hotel’s policy that surprises me. A "Novotel" that prioritizes business over guest convenience in what should be a lobby space is truly disappointing. I’ve stayed at dozens of 3, 4, and 5-star hotels, but this is the first time I’ve encountered a hotel that so boldly tells a staying guest to "get out" if they aren't buying a drink in the lobby.
"To me, a hotel lobby has always been a space to sit and relax, with the option to enjoy a drink. However, at Novotel, the lobby was a place where you aren't even allowed to sit unless you're buying something."
