Civvies staying in messes

[Oldstacker]

Seeing the discussion about Mess life reminded me of this....
As a civil servant I have to travel regularly, mainly to HQs but sometimes to units. At the moment if I stay overnight I usually opt for hotel but can ask for a Mess room if one is available. In my experience, even O Mess 'transit' rooms are spartan and uninviting, frequently without basic hotel facilities. (Double bed, Tea & coffee, TV etc). I also respect the fact that as I am a Mr I have no right of admission to any Mess.
From Apr 2016, they are working to make Mess accommodation the default answer for CS when visiting units. So my questions are;
Have Mess transit rooms (SNCO's & Officers') been drastically improved to hotel standards and how do Mess members (particularly livers in) feel about a possible influx of visitors?

 

[Norman the Storeman]

No problem as long as the mess management have final approval of the booking.
I wouldn't be happy if my booking for a social event was bumped for a civvy on a course/visit.

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[Highflyer]

I've got no dramas with civvies in the mess. Why should they get hotac when we can't, cost saving and all that...

I agree totally if they are filling the boots of a service person because of cost saving measures then why should they not stay in the mess like everyone else, it would be a dam site cheaper especially when visiting london areas.

 

[Stevienics]

Have Mess transit rooms (SNCO's & Officers') been drastically improved to hotel standards and how do Mess members (particularly livers in) feel about a possible influx of visitors?

Much depends upon where you go. In Shrivenham its a PFI so it pretty much is a hotel room with all the facs. (I even stayed in a disabled fit room). In others, the transit often does hav a towel and tea and coffee facilities - in others nothing at all. In some, I am guessing encouraging ppl to stay isn't a high priority in established messes because it's actually someones home as well - and no-one wants their home regularly raped by strangers 5 days a week.

 

[Tin basher]

As a coffin dodging, job stealing, oxygen thieving, civvy scum bag, civil serpent I jump at the chance to stay in the mess rather than some poxy travel lodge type establishment. As a former old folks mess member it's chance to "When I" the rest of the bar to death, to drink cheap beer, tell endless boring war stories, wax lyrical about "when I was in the mob" as a general rule the regulars love drunken old civvies talking for hours about camps that have been shut for years.

On a serious note given the choice between the mess and a travel lodge it's the mess every time for me, yes it may be a bit Spartan but one day it will be my last mess visit and I don't want to miss out on that.