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This weekend, I was a guest at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan for an evening wedding. Upon arrival, we went to the bar area to have drinks before the wedding and another mom and I excused ourselves to pump. Realizing that there was a huge line and only two stalls, we asked the attendant what to do since taking both stalls for the necessary pumping time would have inconvenienced many guests. The attendant encouraged us not to do so since the line was so long and told us to go speak to the concierge. We spoke to them and they directed us across the hotel to an area open to the public for lunch patrons, etc. This bathroom was also extremely full and again, we didn't want to inconvenience so many people.
We went back to the front desk and explained our issue and asked if there was a semi-private place to pump. They said that there was not and to just use the bathroom. We explained that this would render the bathroom unusable to everyone else and the front desk employee shrugged and looked around me to help the next customer. I politely asked for an office, a closet, the bellman's closet, anywhere. I even offered to leave my credit card and take a room so that I could be charged if I didn't return. Again, denied. At this point, desperate to pump, I asked to speak to a manager and was denied. They were "not able to help me, please allow me to help the next guest".
Twice during the wedding, I pumped in a bathroom. During the second time, I inadvertently chose the stall (now inside the wedding hall) that contained the attendants supplies and she knocked loudly several times and complained to other guests that I was taking so, so long. As you can imagine, this was both humiliating and uncomfortable and I was not able to really pump because my milk wouldn't let down.
It was a really sad and frustrating experience, especially on Mother's Day weekend. Not wanting to upset the bride, I haven't said anything to them but I was just wondering if this is normal? I know in NC, they would have at least tried to help?
Obviously it's not a legal issue since I'm not an employee although I'm baffled because isn't there an employee's "mother's room" that they could have offered?
I'm not one for a scene but I briefly thought about just setting up in the middle of the lobby to see what they would do.
We went back to the front desk and explained our issue and asked if there was a semi-private place to pump. They said that there was not and to just use the bathroom. We explained that this would render the bathroom unusable to everyone else and the front desk employee shrugged and looked around me to help the next customer. I politely asked for an office, a closet, the bellman's closet, anywhere. I even offered to leave my credit card and take a room so that I could be charged if I didn't return. Again, denied. At this point, desperate to pump, I asked to speak to a manager and was denied. They were "not able to help me, please allow me to help the next guest".
Twice during the wedding, I pumped in a bathroom. During the second time, I inadvertently chose the stall (now inside the wedding hall) that contained the attendants supplies and she knocked loudly several times and complained to other guests that I was taking so, so long. As you can imagine, this was both humiliating and uncomfortable and I was not able to really pump because my milk wouldn't let down.
It was a really sad and frustrating experience, especially on Mother's Day weekend. Not wanting to upset the bride, I haven't said anything to them but I was just wondering if this is normal? I know in NC, they would have at least tried to help?
Obviously it's not a legal issue since I'm not an employee although I'm baffled because isn't there an employee's "mother's room" that they could have offered?
I'm not one for a scene but I briefly thought about just setting up in the middle of the lobby to see what they would do.
it was at country club though, so much harder to track someone down for that kind of help than at a hotel.
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