It is only until Percy notices young people from all different time periods that he realizes that the hotel distorts time, and he snaps out of his trance. He grabs Annabeth and Grover, and when they leave the hotel, they realize that they had been in there for five days, although only a few hours had elapsed inside.

In the movie, waitresses hand out lotus flowers to the guests so that they forget who they are and end up staying in the Lotus Hotel for all eternity. After a mental push from his father, Percy stops eating the flowers and snaps Annabeth and Grover out of their trances.