I had this brunch once in Bangkok. I was meeting a German lady I had befriended years before, and she treated me. The JW Marriott is on the same soi (small lane) as The Atlanta Hotel, where I stayed several nights in 2000. When I stayed there, I would often walk down to the Marriott, and hang out on a comfy sofa or chair in their lobby. I would order a fruit shake - often, coconut or cantaloupe - and a snack mix. I would always grab their free New York Times, and then read as much as could. But the greatest treat was flirting with the female staff, who were dressed impeccably, spoke pretty good English and seemed very happy to wait on me. I would stay usually for an hour at least. I discovered, when I was an expat living in Bangkok, the savviest expats were those who knew which hotel lobbies were best for resting during a long lull between classes (if you were an ESL teacher), or ideal for kicking back and reading a newspaper or talking politics with a friend, or simply walking in to use a super clean, very plush restroom without having to be a guest. I very quickly became savvy - let's put it that way. Probably helps to be a white male (or somebody who clearly looks like a tourist). It also is a plus to walk with confidence, and with a purpose. What's worse case scenario? "Are you guest?" "No, but I just want to use the lobby restroom." "Sorry, it's only for guests." "Okay. No problem." How many times do you think that happened? Zero. And I have been in the lobbies of most of the big name hotels in Bangkok!
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