Marriott Rewards (including Ritz-Carlton) - Open letter complaint about Marriotts in Europe - AC off for energy saving

Hi Amy and Maxine, (EliteLoyaltySpecialServices@marriott.com)

We spoke and emailed in late 2009 regarding my problems with ventilation in European Marriotts. At the time you gave me 5000 Marriott points and renewed my Platinum status for my summer 2009 troubles.

I just got back from Germany where I stayed at the Marriott in Hamburg. My room there was quite warm and stuffy. On my second night I discovered that setting the temperature to cool actually warmed the room given that the A/C system in the hotel was off for energy savings. When I called AYS they explained the energy savings and presented the option instead of A/C to unlock my window to cool the room. The problem with opening the window is that the hotel is well located in the center of town (car and party noise) and the hotel operates a noisy and cigarette smoke emitting bar just outside most of the rooms. So for my nearly $200 per night I had the choice of a hot or noisy and smoky room. This is not a deal that I accept.

The value to me of a brand like Marriott is that I can reserve a room with the certainty that I will get a good night sleep there. Up until recently the Marriott brand offered me the short cut of paying a bit more in exchange for not needing to research each hotel stay. Marriott in Europe has repeatedly broken that brand promise. I’ve now had four stays in the last 12 months where Marriott has had no or insufficient A/C. (Renaissance Paris, Marriott Frankfurt, Renaissance Frankfurt, Marriott Hamburg) I will not be repeating the mistake.

I really hope that Marriott management will address and correct the issue. For once it’s literally as simple as the flick of a switch – the European properties need to turn it on. After my experience in Hamburg I moved my final night’s stay to the Swisshotel where the A/C was brilliant and I paid a bit less and had a delightful stay. My business has been Marriott’s to lose.

Sincerely,
Paul

I need my room temp to be around 66F. If that is not possible, I'd move. That simple.
OP, your title implies all MRs in Europe. My recent stay in a few MR and Ren did not have that problem though.

Many hotels (not just the MR brand) misuse the "save the earth" or "green movement" to save themselves money (and in doing so make themselves look PC) at the expense of their guests.

I need my room temp to be around 66F. If that is not possible, I'd move. That simple.
OP, your title implies all MRs in Europe. My recent stay in a few MR and Ren did not have that problem though.

Many hotels (not just the MR brand) misuse the "save the earth" or "green movement" to save themselves money (and in doing so make themselves look PC) at the expense of their guests.

One winter out of two I have problems to get heating in my room in Courtyard Neuilly-sur-seine (France). This has been going on since I have been staying in this hotel (2005).
Being the only 4 stars hotel in Neuilly I keep going there, but shame on Marriott.
Any suggestion to get compensation next time will be appreciated.
Fortunately this hotel does not pretend to do that to "save the earth".

Dudes & dudettes, this is not particular to Marriott. So maybe this thread should go to TravelBuzz...(btw, be prepared to switch chains again if you switch from the others from Marriott - Hilton has been known to have the same problems, etc etc).

Cheers.

It is often not even a chain issue but an individual hotel issue. Various European countries have laws that require a hotel to turn on their A/C for the summer -- I know Italy is one of them.

I am positive that such would not be required of a hotel in Italy in April, and perhaps even May. That a hotel now uses the Green model for energy saving when it is not required to turn on the A/C is unsurprising to me as electricity costs are generally much higher in Europe than the USA.

Inasmuch as many of the Marriott properties are franchisees, the OP's Open Letter is not only misguided, it will be ineffective.

I suggest that if you are going to Europe in the shoulder season that you learn beforehand what properties will have their A/C turned on -- and this goes for whatever hotel you intend to use.

I had the same problem at the Frankfurt Marriott a couple of years ago. They turn the A/C off at a certain point in the year.

However, they sent up a fan, and this did the trick.

Cheers,
Rick

I had this happen at the Westin Shanghai, but the windows were bolted shut and the room was nearly 80 degrees F. I complained to the manager and he finally agreed to turn on the AC for the entire hotel just to appease me.

The next night I moved to the JW Marriott in Shanghai, where the room was cool and comfortable.

It is often not even a chain issue but an individual hotel issue. .....

Inasmuch as many of the Marriott properties are franchisees, the OP's Open Letter is not only misguided, it will be ineffective.

I suggest that if you are going to Europe in the shoulder season that you learn beforehand what properties will have their A/C turned on -- and this goes for whatever hotel you intend to use.

This is exactly the conclusion that I came to - in Europe I need to research each property hotel by hotel. Unfortunately that blows the entire Marriott value proposition for me. The whole point of a brand is to not need to do the research, just trust the brand. Agreed with other posters that it's not just a Marriott issue. I also stayed in a suite at the Westin in Dresden last week and they also had the A/C off for energy savings.

I've found Tripadvisor to be extremely useful in doing the research. The Swisshotel I researched and stayed at after cancelling the Berlin Marriott was fantastic -working A/C, more ammenities than Marriott, free breakfast, cheaper internet, all at half the price of the Marriott. From an economist's point of view, I was and still am willing to pay an extra 100 Euros to Marriott to avoid doing the research.

Marriott is now passing on the premium from me and the 400+ employee company I own. Flip the switch Marriott and I'll be back.

One winter out of two I have problems to get heating in my room in Courtyard Neuilly-sur-seine (France). This has been going on since I have been staying in this hotel (2005).
Being the only 4 stars hotel in Neuilly I keep going there, but shame on Marriott.
Any suggestion to get compensation next time will be appreciated.
Fortunately this hotel does not pretend to do that to "save the earth".

I'm fairly certain the Courtyard Neuilly-sur-seine is *not* a 4-star hotel. For MR purposes it is Category 5, but I can't see how a non-full service property could obtain 4 stars.

Am I incorrect?

PaulSea1 --

I thought the probelm was with the Marriott Hamburg, not Berlin. i am heading to Berlin in early September, so, I too, may be a victim of their energy savings drive/lower costs.

I agree with the other poster that asking for a fan helps to cool me off, in fact, I use one at home, as well.

This is exactly the conclusion that I came to - in Europe I need to research each property hotel by hotel. Unfortunately that blows the entire Marriott value proposition for me. The whole point of a brand is to not need to do the research, just trust the brand. Agreed with other posters that it's not just a Marriott issue. I also stayed in a suite at the Westin in Dresden last week and they also had the A/C off for energy savings.

I've found Tripadvisor to be extremely useful in doing the research. The Swisshotel I researched and stayed at after cancelling the Berlin Marriott was fantastic -working A/C, more ammenities than Marriott, free breakfast, cheaper internet, all at half the price of the Marriott. From an economist's point of view, I was and still am willing to pay an extra 100 Euros to Marriott to avoid doing the research.

Marriott is now passing on the premium from me and the 400+ employee company I own. Flip the switch Marriott and I'll be back.

If that's all it takes to make you avoid an entire hotel chain, odds are you'll be running through the rest when something goes wrong w/ them that you don't like either. ;)

As noted, the A/C issue is NOT limited to just Marriott, so good luck w/ your future stays wherever they take you.

Cheers.

If that's all it takes to make you avoid an entire hotel chain, odds are you'll be running through the rest when something goes wrong w/ them that you don't like either. ;)

As noted, the A/C issue is NOT limited to just Marriott, so good luck w/ your future stays wherever they take you.

Cheers.

There is a difference between avoiding and not giving the extreme preference that it takes to be Marriott Platinum, as you surely know being a lifetime Marriott Platinum. Some Marriott properties remain the best options in their cities and I'll keep returning to those. The Courtyard Hong Kong comes to mind as a fantastic value. A Marriott with a great review will remain on my travel list. My letter is saying that I no longer trust the Marriott name just in and of itself.

I believe Marriott would be even more successful if they worked on consitency over their entire portfolio.

The Marriott Frankfurt had no AC when I was there in the Fall.

Was at 2 diff Marriotts in Moscow that had fine AC, luxurious rooms.

I need my room temp to be around 66F.

Woo Hoo. I finally found my cold mate!

Problem is that many AC systems simply wil never go that low.

There is a difference between avoiding and not giving the extreme preference that it takes to be Marriott Platinum, as you surely know being a lifetime Marriott Platinum. Some Marriott properties remain the best options in their cities and I'll keep returning to those. The Courtyard Hong Kong comes to mind as a fantastic value. A Marriott with a great review will remain on my travel list. My letter is saying that I no longer trust the Marriott name just in and of itself.

I believe Marriott would be even more successful if they worked on consitency over their entire portfolio.

besides the fact that some Hotels will use any means to save some $$ or to make some more.

Bear in mind that there may be Plats at the Hotel at the same time as You who want the Heat to be on. But more to the pt Ive been to many a Hotel where the system they have means EITHER the heat can be used or the a/c but not both. Other Hotels ahve more then 1 system so you can use the a/c while I use the heat

I think no matter the chain U need to find out if the Hotel has but 1 system for both Heat and A/C. I also dont forsee a Hotel taking a poll everyday to see which way it will be for thatnight, nor switcing a few times each week from 1 system to the other

Without getting into a debate about Global Warming and the use of alt sources of energy, I saw a program where it noted that Germany is one of the countries that subsidize one's putting in solar panels, etc, and permits those to sell the energy generated to the power companies, etc.

It is likely that such programs although laudable do not come cheap, and hence it could be that electric rates have raised appreciably in Germany than even before.

The particular hotel probably is hiding behind the green veneer to save money on such costs.

Just thought you might like to know.

PaulSea1 -- I don't think you will find a more consistent hotel product than one being offered by Marriott. I think you will just have to contact the hotel prior to staying there.

I just hope that I don't encounter a similar situation to you when I stay at the Marriott Berlin when I stay there in September.

As others have said, this is the case in many hotels in Europe, particularly as a lot of them are old hotels and the AC only has a warm or cold setting rather than being proper AC.

On the other hand, I find in the US that hotels often put the AC on all of the time e.g. in January in Oregon when it is raining outside, which is a complete waste of energy.

I'm fairly certain the Courtyard Neuilly-sur-seine is *not* a 4-star hotel. For MR purposes it is Category 5, but I can't see how a non-full service property could obtain 4 stars.

Am I incorrect?

In France it is 4 stars indeed. Every country has its own way of classifying hotels, I think.

In France hotels don't need to have business lounges or free breakfast for elite members (when they are affiliated with a chain) to be 4 stars.

The only strange thing for "4 stars" in this hotel is that mini-bars in rooms are empty. But I like it very much, as it is an opportunity to buy what I want cheaper in nearby groceries. Also at the reception refreshments and drinks are available 24h/day.

On the whole if one while staying in Paris wants to be in Neuilly-sur-Seine it is quite a good hotel, except in winter time as it can not guarantee heating.