Okay, so my fiancee’s birthday is coming fast. I’m pretty good at this, I got her tickets to see a show (really good seats too) and I’ve already done my practice lasagna, so I’ll be able to make a magnificent version for her birthday dinner.
Now, I have just one more detail…
The weather here sucks and in frustration my fiancee said “This sucks! You know, I’ve always wanted to go swimming on my birthday and it’s always like this! Phooey! Stupid winter! Sucks, sucks, sucks!”
So, now I’m on a mission. There’s a hotel that has an indoor pool under a glass dome, but really, I can’t pay $150 a night for a room we don’t need, considering the dome will be covered in snow and ice anyway (initially I thought it would create the “swimming under the stars” effect).
There are a couple hotels within walking distance of my apartment that have indoor pools. Being so close to home, I could pull of the surprise effectively. I intend to go and beg and plead for some kind of deal: say pay $50 so we can swim a couple of hours. I’m guessing though that will be met with resistance. In a pinch, I can pay $100 for a room if that will give me pool access, but I really, really, really don’t want to to that (the show tickets were pricey).
Any ideas? It has to be mid-week, after work. I’ve looked at the Y and city pools, they aren’t helpful.
Dude, just go to the manager and say, “Hey can I swim in your pool? I’ll pay you.” Of course he’ll let you swim! I remember when my family used to drive all the way across the country to go skiing in the winter. We would stop at a hotel and ask if we could use a room to shower. They’d say, “Sure, just as long as you’re out by 12” Because for them, they’d give you a clean room, and have the maids clean it after checkout time. They got a little extra cash (probably in their pockets) and all was well. Just go ask for the manager of whatever hotel you would like, tell him the deal, and ask him a price. If he doesn’t cooperate, go on to the next one. How the hell is he going to turn down any amount of money for something that effectively costs the hotel nothing?
My only worry is that when a friend of mine tried some such thing, the problem was that the hotel insurance policy cover “casual visitors” who were swimming, only guests. So the hotel had a blanket policy that only registered guests could use the pool.
I have stayed at several hotels where I am confident you could just walk in and use the pool and no-one would know. There are no hotel staff at the pool and I can’t tell whether the other people using the pool are guests. I don’t imagine that hey know nor care whether I am one.
Most decent size hotels if you just walk in and head for the lifts as though you belong there no-one notices you.
Just make up a cover story and do a solo trial run.
Since, I’m in the heart of a large urban area, there is a lot more care about who is using facilities and a lot more security. I’m finding now that some hotels even require you to use a key card to get into the some of the bathrooms around the lobby. I guess a lot of it is to keep “undesirabless” out. I guess too many people like me were taking a shortcuts through the hotel lobby and using the bathroom, sullying the place with our non-paying presence, riff-raff that we are.
A lot of the dowtown hotels also sell “gym memberships”, so you get a passcard that allows you to access the fitness area and pool (for an exhoribtant fee). It’s not the “just walk right in” thing you used to be able to do when I was a kid. They actually do have to monitor things now.
That’s a good idea! So far the few I’ve looked into have “open swim” hours at lousy times. I coulnd’t actually get my fiancee out swimming because their scheudle has waterpolo or something. I’ll keep looking into that one.
Not too sure how it is where you are, but the local Y and other rec clubs have one day passes available, which includes usage of their indoor pool. Also, you can get a “Free Trial Membership” to a lot of health clubs around here (check the internet or the phone book for coupons if needed)–and their clubs include indoor pools.
I don’t have any suggestions, except that if you provide your location someone familiar with that area may be able to provide you with some more specific recommendations.
One of my co-workers lives just a couple of blocks from me. I didn’t think that particular building had an indoor pool, but I figured I’d ask. It does! It does! So she’ll lend me a card to get in, at our leisure. There are nice change rooms, a sauna, and apparently no one really uses the pool, so we may have it to ourselves.
I can throw a pair of towels and our suits in a backpack, so she won’t know what’s up, then take her to the pool. Now I’m excited. It’ll be perfect!
Really? That’s very, very cool. I’m going to have to remember that for the future. I wonder what the cost is like? It may be comparable to a room, but I like the idea of a winter pool party in general. It might be fun to have a whole birthday party at a hotel pool sometime.
I’ll look into it. I bet I just have to call the “event planning” department, or whatever it’s called.
Yes…I’ll see if I can remember to call her later to verify that. I think the more “out of the way” hotels are probably more willing to do this than the ones that are frequently booked solid. I’ll come back to the thread later after I reach her to fill you in.
