For some, its difficult to spot, but others, I can spot them from a mile away for obvious reasons. Here are some instances. I just got back from the popular agency here where I live, and I accidentally over stayed by 10 minutes. So, by the time I left, and got out of the elevator, I saw this dude walking pass me repeating to himself out loud 814, 814, 814. Man, that was the same room I just came from. And, why are you repeating that out loud?

When I was outside smoking a cigarette several weeks ago at this incall, me and this guy was talking about how cold the weather was. He apparently smoked his cigarette and I thought he was waiting for someone to pick him up. After 5 or so minutes, he called and said out lout, "Hi, this is ******* for ******* 7:00 appointment". Like it was a casual thing, and he then went inside hotel. What other appointments do they have at the hotel besides escorts? Man, that was pretty obvious.

When I was at a conference for a job convention, I like to sit at the lobby for fun because I don't want to be by myself inside my room. So, I sit there for a couple of hours reading things from the ipad and such. Here are some obvious hobbyist. I see a couple of men that walk in with their deer lights on, they just start looking around like it was their first time there. I saw a couple that walked to the left of the hotel, then circled back to the right to find the elevator. I even see some idiots asking the front desk where the elevator is. One time, there was this guy that sat in the lobby with me. He was waiting around and actually called the provider while in the lobby. I could hear everything he said. He said, "hi, this is ******* for your 8:00 appointment". Next thing I know he is sitting there waiting about 10 minutes until he got a phone call back. That was too obvious.

I can even spot them in the elevator. Guy walks in, sweat on his forehead, his shirt is not tuck, I can immediately smell the sex and condoms from his hands, he check his wallet and discovered he just spent all of his money. He then ask me about the weather and such, and his replies seems energetic. As he walked in, he didn't even ask if he was going down or up. Man, that is so obvious.

Next time, if you don't know the layout of the hotel, always ask for it instead of turning your deer lights on. A respectable provider will inform you if it is left wing or right wing of the hotel. This way, I don't have to see you walk to the right wing, and five or ten minutes later seeing you walking to the left wing. Don't talk out loud about your appointment time, that's just so damn obvious. After your session, wash up a bit, the smell of condom and sex is very distinctive.

Yes. Those signs you mentioned are all too true. Regrettably, LE knows all the signs to look for as well. It's amazing how much one can pick up while sitting in the lobby of 4-star hotels.

Not only does dressing up show more respect for the provider, but that along with a briefcase or laptop bag basically says "I'm going to a meeting".  There are tons of innocent reasons why you could be going to a hotel room for a meeting with someone.  If the hotel staff say hello I simply cheerfully wave at them (well not too cheerfully) but am careful not to ask directions as that gives them an opening to ask where I might be going.  

Then when leaving I make sure I am not untucked anywhere.

What you should probably keep out of sight is the archaic hobby phone, which does not fit the image you are presenting.

When first started hobbying, a provider told once, I make myself look suspicous the moment I walked into the hotel lobby.  After a while, you learn learn to fall in with the crowd and people don't really notice you.

Another thing I've learned to do is exit from the exit doors on the side of the building, and park my car near that door. that way after the session is over, I dont have to walk back through the lobby 35mins, which will draw suspicsion to the front desk workers. Also if le is trying to stop suspecting johns, they'll usually be posted at the entrance. Doing this you leave the area discreetly.

me?  you may spot me.... maybe.... the stripper who provided for me would show up in her minivan.... come in a dress... with no undies.... after we would strut out and go to a nice restaurant... would you be able to spot us?? Probably... but is it a big deal...  remember this was a booty call as much for her as it was for me..

she looked like a housewife - and me?  not too far off.... but with one stripper friend - the tats, plus her dress was not demure... it was rather obvious...

but for shere obviousness, I took a pornstar to a strip club.... yea, she was noticed and it was obvious...  can't have everything.....

Reminds me of my most recent experience.  Won the lottery.  Frebie with a former stripper, now major provider.  Show up at her high end hotel incall and she decides to meet me in the lobby in a skin-tight dress with lingerie underneath to have a drink in the bar.  Totally obvious.  All the guys in the bar know what's up and none of us give a fuck.  We have a drink.  Then up to the room and a tourist couple get on the elevator so no obvious groping. Get to the room and it really gets hot.  We both get turned on and, even though greek was not on the menu she asks for it.  Of course I comply.  Magic moments.

Think they'll notice?  

First date with my ATF was at one of the more up-scale restaurants in the city. She did NOT dress like a porn star.  More like a model....which is exactly what she looked like. And that's my point.

Here we are, walking thru the middle of the restaurant, her wearing her little black dress so elegantly, holding my hand....with every eye in the place watching us.  "Mature" white guy with hot black chick. Yeah....it could happen.....

Hmmmmm.....maybe it was the big grin on my face that gave it away......

I'm hard to spot because I'm only 1 inch in size.

But what's up with that guy repeating 814 814 814... is he a broken record with an IQ of a cucumber?

In fact, I don't like people who can't keep their frikkin thoughts inside their head and have to blurt it out for everyone to hear.  simply very annoying. It's like, "STFU already!"  lol

I'm not sure if any of this really matters though, hotel lobby dudes don't give a folk unless LE is working with them.  

I personally just try to stay as discreet as possible, sometimes using back/side entrences too... although i'm not really into 'back entrances' during the session. lmao

Yes it happens all the time.  Well I am friends with some and business with others and some are both.  Yep, old white fart with a beautiful black, asian or latin hottie!   I love it.

Fuckin' A!

As a hobbyist, I could give a rat's ass about others when I am proceeding to or leaving a rendezvous unless there is some sort of interaction, which sometimes occurs.  I just act normal, and to date, nothing untowards has come about.  

The point you make about someone talking to themselves repeating a room number?  Obvious to you, but not to anyone not associated with the hobby.  As for smoking a cigarette outside of some lady's incall after your rendezvous was over, how uncool.  You're supposed to just leave, and smoke your cigarette on the walk back to your car or other transportation, not linger about outside her place.  As for hanging out in  hotel lobbies, nothing wrong with that, and your observations are noted.  Eavesdropping on others phone calls is uncool also, though.  

Even if she is well-reviewed and he is member of a verification site with many references, both can still get busted because someone in the hotel staff has become suspicious. It's happened.

For that reason, when I do outcall at a hotel, I never valet (unless I absolutely have to), I dress casually and walk in confidently like I am a guest in the hotel, I avoid talking to any staff, I have the room number texted or emailed to me before or upon my arrival and double check it before knocking on the door. I also bring a hair brush, etc. so I don't look like a hot mess when I'm leaving. I also try to exit through a back or side door rather than walk back through the lobby like these guys mentioned doing.

But then again, sometimes I am going to to the very same hotel twice in one week!

Beyond that, there is no reason to bring a briefcase. There are multiple shifts at the front desk checking different people in at different times. There is no way anyone there can tell any one individual is not a guest of the hotel just from sight if you don't make it obvious.

It's all about blending in and staying under the radar.

And, yes, parading around in public with a provider is dumb but fun.  The first time I did it was an OTC dinner with a very hot gal.  I kept catching other diners looking at her, then me, and doubtless wondering what is she doing with that old fuck?  More recently, for inexplicable reasons, the gal I was going to see wanted to come down to the lobby and have a drink with me in the bar.  Holy Crap!  She comes strutting off the elevator in a skin-tight mini-dress and platform heels, looking like a MILF porn star.  I just figured, I'm on her turf, she's got lots of experience, just roll with it.  We had a drink and caught up on things while the rest of the bar flies wondered, well, see above.  What is it about blondes?

I'm a newbie too.

The public's awareness of this hobby is much greater than you give it credit for. You do know that boards like TER's is open to public consumption, right?

I did a post on this back in July of 2011. But once while going to see a provider at her incall, she was in the hotel lobby, with her "boyfriend", who was on a computer posting an ad on backpage. As I'm walking in she walks up to me, and says "hey I just needed to run to the store, and get something to eat."  I give her the "huh" look, and say. "I'm just here to pick up my wife." I kept going then exited out the back.

I try to arrive a few minutes early to be sure to not be delayed.  Once I am sure, I withdraw to the corner coffee shop.  If she's cool with it, I'll call from my car outside the coffee.  

I upgraded my hobby phone to one which will fit into my belt case...  I switch phones for the play time.  

I also use the wing exit doors...  it's no problem to go down the stairs even with my cane.

After my appointment went into the room to post on TER.  The last person logged in on TER on that computer was a provider, and not the one I was seeing that day.  Ha ha!

As I finish a guy knocks on the door (you need a key to get in, but I knew that and slipped in as someone else left).  The guy looks like your sterotypical hobbyist: 50ish, receding hairline, slightly overweight.  He says he didn't have his key, then shows me how to leave the door so it looks closed but does not lock.  He tells me he does this all the time...just after telling me he didn't have his key less than one minute ago.

One agency manager told me she had dinner in the open serving area near the lobby.  She counted 6 providers walking thru, not from her agency.  She recognized them from their ad pictures.

******************
Different hotel.  I arrive and park in the lot.  In the car next to me is an elderly gentleman smoking a cigar with the car window wide open.  He seems very relaxed, in no hurry to go anywhere...looks like all his stress is recently released.

*****************
Different day, different hotel.  In the "business room".  There is a guy on TER on the computer.  He turned his screen as far as he could so that nobody could see, but it was still visibile.  (immediately recognized TER just from the colors).  He was on his cellphone with a friend talking about girls he has seen recently and the one he was going to see today.  Apparently she had no reviews.

Yes, some of us are obvious.

I have found that sometimes, the drink in the hotel lobby with a provider actually helps create the business meeting atmosphere.  Particularly if you are wearing a suit.  It actually makes more sense that way.  Strolling right to the elevator can be sort of weird unless it is a huge hotel with plenty of lobby activity.

This one keeps me up at night...
Why not pretend we are secretly meeting for our weekly, regular, old-fashioned rendezvous?
Certainly, hotel owners hope when they create a great hotel, that many an affair will take place in it.  
Please don't give us away by shaking hands and saying, "It's nice to meet you."  
Try simply instead, "It's so nice to see you" and kiss me while entering the door...xoxo's

Re: I'm hard to spot because I'm only 1 inch in size.

I think you used to date my wife.  She told me about a guy who had a little dick.  She could take the entire length in her mouth down to his balls.  Thanks for making me look big!  . Although I really wish she could deep throat me to my balls....

My hotel experience has always been in upper management in the front of the house. I would see ladies come in the lobby  and sit in the chair closest to the elevator pull out the blackberry and call the hobbyists since the elevators require a key. after 10 minutes a guy would come.out the elevator walk over to the lady and they would shake hands and she would kiss him on the cheek. off they went . about an hour or so later  I would see the lady leaving the hotel. we were told not to get involved as the general managers didn't care. unless a lady was soliciting at the bar. if the that was the case and she was alone not currently speaking to anyone then security would question the lady to find out if she was a guest. if she was on the guest list then she was left alone if not she was asked to leave. as for the hobbyists they would approach and ask to find a lady find. ater seeing the same ladies week after week I'm now a hobbyists

I took a few year off from the hobby and now getting my "feet" wet again and starting over as a newbie.

This was one of the things I was concerned about, so during my last session (not reviewed) I just booked a room at a hotel for the same night (turns out it was the same hotel).

Pros...

1. I was a legitimate guest at the hotel so no worry about keycards/staff etc.
2. It gave me time to take shower/clean up before the appointment.
3. Saved me a 2 1/2 hour commute to work the next morning.
4. Easy to sneak back to my room after the appointment to clean up again.
5. I never have been to work so early the next morning.

Cons...

1. None that I saw.

However any input would be most welcome?

I think I know my way around, and what and what not to do in this game.  Do you?

.....who cares?  Unless LE is setting up an elaborate sting in the lobby (very rare), there is really no risk here.  Front desk clerks have seen it all, they probably know exactly who the providers are when they check in, and can identify hobbyists when they walk in the front door.  But the simply don't give a rats a--.

Other hotel guests are clueless, and too occupied with whatever is going on in their own daily life, to care about strangers or observe their behavior.

As for carrying a briefcase or laptop bag -- sure, it makes the hobbyist "blend in" a bit more.  But especially when seeing a provider for the first time, I really don't want to have too many personal items or identifiable items on me.  The vast majority of providers aren't looking to rip anyone off, but you never know.  So I try and be as unencumbered as possible when going in, which means I won't be carrying a case or a bag.