737 CAPT RECEIVES A LOT OF GUFF AFTER TAXIING INTO GATE AT RAMP SHARED WITH SECOND ACR.

Narrative

AFTER LNDG AT STL; I WAS GIVEN CLRNC TO MY GATE VIA TXWY HOTEL. AS A FAIRLY NEW CAPT; I WAS VERY FAMILIAR WITH STL AND WITH NON-NORMAL PROCS ENTERING THEIR CONGESTED RAMP AREAS. MY FO WAS BRAND NEW AND NOT FAMILIAR AT ALL. I WAS TRYING TO EXPLAIN THAT WE NORMALLY GIVE ACR B RAMP CTL A COURTESY CALL INBOUND TO OUR GATES TO AVOID CONFLICT WITH TFC COMING OUTBOUND. IT WAS A SHORT DISTANCE AND I COULDN'T GET THIS MESSAGE ACROSS IN TIME TO COMPLETE THE CALL BEFORE WE WERE IN CONFLICT WITH 1 OF THEIR OUTBOUND ACFT. GND METERING HAD ADVISED TO PULL UP TO 'SPOT HOTEL.' HEARING THIS; AND REALIZING THAT I WAS ON TXWY HOTEL; I DECIDED TO CONTINUE TAXIING AT MY PRESENT SPD AND TURN L INTO MY GATE AHEAD OF ACR B AND BTWN HIM AND SOME PARKED ACFT. AT NO TIME DID I TAXI FAST. AT NO TIME DID I FEEL UNSAFE; OR THAT CLRNC DISTANCES WERE COMPROMISED. HOWEVER; THERE AROSE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON GND CTL; FIRST FROM THE #1 ACR B ACFT AND THEN FROM A LONG LINE OF HIS BUDDIES. I WAS AT A LOSS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT I HAD DONE TO DRAW THEIR ANGER; SO I PULLED ALL AVAILABLE CHARTS AND STUDIED THEM. STILL NOTHING THAT WOULD INDICATE A PROB. SO; I CALLED ACR B RAMP MONITOR ON THE PHONE. HE EXPLAINED THAT TXWY HOTEL IS 2-WAY STREET AND ALL TFC SHOULD KEEP TO THE R. NO SIGNS; NOR FAA CHARTS TELL YOU THIS. BUT; NOW I KNOW!