Why you should avoid the Amex Platinum / The Hospital Club pop-up lounge in Covent Garden

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• David says:

  25 Nov25 November 09:01

  Something must have got crossed over in their thinking.
  You stick the limited capacity lectures on during the working day, when “the people who would come would not be the sort who have jobs”. Not after 5pm on a weekday.

  What a complete….

  • Lady London says:

    25 Nov25 November 12:17

    I’ll take a bet they realised their mistake and the limitations of the venue – possibly after spotting the event being mentioned on a certain blog . They they realised they could not keep it secret for visiting American tourists shopping with their Amex cards in London, and might get several representatives of the UK resident Amex cardholder base who might also want to join! So… my guess is they plonked the lectures across cocktail hour just to effectively block access to anyone wanting a drink.

    If Amex wants to stop those of their customers that actually have a job from accepting an open invitation to a bevvie, then they’ve seriously not understood who is the best Amex customer these days…!

    My other thought was they might have seen Rob’s bar bill on his Amex from last year’s HfP Christmas party, and worked out their bar bill would be a lot higher if they didn’t do something to block locals attending at cocktail hour too!

• James Alexander says:

  25 Nov25 November 09:21

  What a mess!
  I was mid making plans to travel from Glasgow to come to this fiasco so thanks for heads up!
  Outside London there’s few social events for we Platinum Amex Charge Card holders, but between the Lounge fiasco and the info I got in the phone about the The RAH event I think bk I’ll stay in Scotland and use another premium card to pop through to Edinburgh and do my Christmas shopping at Harvey Nicks!
  Merry Chrimbo everyone!

• Olly says:

  25 Nov25 November 09:24

  Well that’s disappointing. We have extended our hotel stay another night to check this out. We’re up here in the smoke for a leaving drink last night anyway but thought we would make a weekend of it by calling in during the day in between shops around Covent Garden and the evening happy hour. The evening it seems is a no go but what about the day time, anybody had any joy other than Paul?

• Clive says:

  25 Nov25 November 09:25

  I’m not sure why you’re focussing on the lecture – it wasn’t ticketed and those of us (incl my wife and I) already inside didn’t have to leave. So if it was at capacity at 4:30pm that was the case with or without the lecture. Your complaint is the size of the venue.
  It sounds like, if they wanted their wealthier cardholders who don’t need to work, their mistake was to be open on weekends and evenings at all – should stick to 9-5 on weekdays for a week or two next time.

  • Olly says:

    25 Nov25 November 09:28

    Clive, what was the food, drink and seating experience like during the day?

    • Clive says:

      25 Nov25 November 09:44

      Nice atmosphere, seats available. Food was v nice cakes and some sandwiches. Drinks were hot, soft, wine or beer.
      It was a lovely place for a coffee and cakes followed by wine.
      Be aware that their ‘planned events’ at weekend included early activities such as ‘brunch with santa’ – so if that does lead to any fuss it would be earlier and not just evening.

      • Olly says:

        25 Nov25 November 11:27

        Thanks Clive. I think we we’ll have a look but not build up any hopes. From the comments about it’s failings, not just on HFP, I don’t think the company organising it will be engaged by Amex for any other events without some serious tweeking.

    • Adam says:

      25 Nov25 November 09:51

      Well I turned up at 5 and waited 50 minutes to get in for them to have no seating available, run out of canapés & champagne. Had one whisky for that to run out too.

      The so called fashion event was so a woman speaking so loudly on a mic that you couldn’t hear yourself speak.

      It was a total shambles.

      Oh and I’m still on the wait list for Santa at the RAH with the family too!

  • Rob says:

    25 Nov25 November 09:54

    I spent 30 mins standing next to the manager, I know exactly what was going on. It was 2 in 2 out and then at 4.30 they announced that everyone would be cleared because capacity was 75 and 60 were coming for the lecture.

    • Clive says:

      25 Nov25 November 09:57

      If you know exactly what was going on, and not just what you were told, Rob, you must’ve then seen 75 people leave?

• Ed T says:

  25 Nov25 November 10:18

  I actually got in last night. I turned up just before 1730.

  They mentioned something about clearing out the lounge for people going into the lecture but almost no one in the queue was there for the lecture (it was something about xmas fashion and decorating I think). The event staff decided to start letting people in and also cancelled the lecture. Not long after (perhaps by 6 ish) they resorted to one-in-on-out.

  Apparently I look like an HFP reader. I met a fellow reader, Nick. Had some good conversations about travel and points. 🙂

  The free drinks were great, the atmosphere pleasant enough, but could have done with some more snacks. Also, the space should have been bigger!

• Nathan says:

  25 Nov25 November 10:23

  Hahahahaha ‘not expecting anyone on Friday night’ … in central London, posh location, free entry, free booze, the mind actually boggles at whom exactly had that thought. My mind wonders how they manage to breathe AND walk at the same time

• Andy says:

  25 Nov25 November 10:48

  I’m quite surprised at the posts saying people were actually coming down to London for a few free drinks!

  • Costa says:

    25 Nov25 November 12:11

    ditto.

    And “extending a hotel stay for another night”? Bizarre — unless paid by someone else — it’s not like London is lacking in drinking spots suitable for any fashion or inclination.

    • Olly says:

      25 Nov25 November 13:44

      You misunderstood me. It was to make a weekend of it whilst we are in London anyway, and have somewhere to call in throughout the day to warm up (0 degree feel) not to spend the day on what appears to be a Christmassy hotel or airport lounge!

• NFH says:

  25 Nov25 November 12:27

  We arrived at around 17:45 and queued until around 18:15 when they let in 10 people at once. Two friends joined us later, although one had to queue for quite a while. The gin kept running out and we didn’t get any Champagne. Bitburger, being one of my favourite beers, was particularly appealing. Not a bad evening, although the capacity issues were far from impressive. They should have extended the closing time past 8pm in view of this.

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.