Your first time in a suite: what to expect

1. 1

   Park where the pass says

   Suite parking is usually a separate lot with its own entrance and, more importantly, its own exit. Do not improvise this — the lot on the pass is often not the nearest one to the stadium and the difference is 40 minutes on the way out.

2. 2

   Find the premium entrance

   Every venue with suites has a dedicated door. It is quieter, security is faster, and it usually opens onto a lobby with lifts straight to the suite level. Guests who walk to the main gates out of habit will queue for 20 minutes for no reason.

3. 3

   Arrive 60 to 90 minutes before

   Suites open well before the event. This hour is when your food is freshest, the room is calm and conversation actually happens. Turning up at kick-off means paying for a suite and using half of it.

4. 4

   Tell your guests all three of the above

   In one message, the day before. This is the single highest-return thing a host does.

A typical suite is a private lounge with counter and table space, comfortable seating, several televisions, a private or shared premium restroom, and a bank of theatre-style seats immediately outside, overlooking the field or court. Those outdoor seats are yours for the whole event and belong to the suite, not to individual guests — people drift between the room and the seats all night.

• It is quieter than you expect. Most suites are glass-fronted, so you can hear the crowd but hold a conversation.
• Temperature is controlled, which in a December game in the north is not a small thing.
• You can come and go — walk the concourse, visit another suite, go down to the club level. Your wristband or ticket gets you back in.
• Screens carry the broadcast plus, in most modern venues, alternate angles and other games.

Every suite has one, and they are the most underused thing in the room. They restock food and drinks, bring anything from the wider menu, sort out problems with seats or access, and know the building. First-time suite guests tend to treat the suite like a hotel room they should not disturb; it is much closer to having a host.

• Ask them for things. More ice, a different beer, a plate for someone who arrived late, the score in another game.
• Tell them at the start if anyone has a dietary requirement that got missed.
• If something is wrong with the room, they fix it faster than anyone you could find yourself.

• Dress: smart-casual is never wrong. Team gear is welcome. Full formal is unusual outside a corporate event with a stated dress code.
• Tipping: 15% to 20% of the food and beverage bill is customary if no service charge has been applied. Check the invoice before adding it — many venues include one.
• Children are welcome in suites and it is one of the best places in the building to bring them.
• Photos are fine. Blocking the seats in front of you for ten minutes taking them is less fine.
• If you are a guest, find your host and say goodbye before you leave. It costs nothing and it is remembered.