Marriott Rewards (including Ritz-Carlton) - Concierge lounge sticker shock

$12.25 for a glass of wine at Niagara Fallsview Marriott concierge lounge.

$12.25 for a glass of wine at Niagara Fallsview Marriott concierge lounge.

Well hopefully you didn't pay it unless it was top shelf. What was it in the bar? And talk to the GM about it.

Cheers.

Curious what the bottle of wine was (and approximate cost). That sounds pretty absurd.

Looks like hotels near Niagra Falls are doing crazy stuff all around. See the thread (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starwood-preferred-guest/1376547-dear-platinum-member-if-you-would-like-access-club-lounge-3000-points.html)in the SPG forum

No, didn't buy it; instead took my plat amenity wine to lounge. Will ask later today about wine brand, but assume from one of the Niagara wineries. The 1/2 bottle plat amenity chardonnay is "Pillitteri Estates", 2010 unoaked. That's one of the numerous wineries here.

The high price of wine in some lounges really irks me. I don't understand why Marriott wants to gouge its lounge customers who have already paid more for a room directly or by achieving lounge access through nightly stays.

Why give juice, soda, coffee and bottled water away for free and charge for wine? Of course, one reason is that alcohol costs more, but it doesn't cost a whole lot more and certainly not dollars per glass. The obvious is that managers are trying to make a profit off the wine. But why not charge for hot food for example, or for snack foods, or for juice? What is the rationale for singling out this one commodity for making a profit? Is there some kind of value judgement about alcohol behind the pricing?

I can understand attempts to control the amount customers drink through pricing if the lounge has had problems with customers drinking too much. But overseas lounges typically give free alcohol and over drinking doesn't appear to be a problem.

I hope you speak to the manager and ask for a rationale for such outrageous pricing. I stayed at the Washington Rennaissance near Dupont Circle once and was annoyed by the pricing of wine in the lounge. I spoke to the manager who had no real explanation for the high price (much higher than even the JW Marriott in DC). I stayed in DC frequently, but I never went back to the hotel and I let management know that. It probably changed nothing but it gave me some satisfaction.

Marriott's corporate office needs to look at pricing of drinks in lounges in light of the whatever they deem to be the mission or purpose of CLs. Because of the many inconsistencies among lounges, I have a feeling that corporate does not have a coherent mission statement for its lounges or the definition is so general that it is not meaningful.

Looks like hotels near Niagra Falls are doing crazy stuff all around. See the thread (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starwood-preferred-guest/1376547-dear-platinum-member-if-you-would-like-access-club-lounge-3000-points.html)in the SPG forum

Haha. Beat me to it. At least you didn't have to pay 3k points to be ripped off for that glass!!!

Like high airfares, I presume that enough people are paying it to make it profitable to sell. If people won't pay $12.50, the property either lowers the price or it becomes an oddity which nobody uses.

Real solution is to make these lounges real lounges, charge for access and stop doling out freebies.

Like high airfares, I presume that enough people are paying it to make it profitable to sell. If people won't pay $12.50, the property either lowers the price or it becomes an oddity which nobody uses.

...

It maybe just the opposite. I can't tell you how many times I have seen people help themselves to a big glass of wine or spirits and not fill out the honor bar card. So maybe the high prices are needed to recoup the cost of the freeloaders.

One thing that really irks me is when the CL charges more for alcohol than the bar in the lobby. On a recent stay, a Sam Adams in the CL was $8.50, while the same beer in an identical bottle was only $6 in the bar in the lobby.
(And before 7:00pm, the bar was only charging $5 for the SA)

Regards,

RIP...

It maybe just the opposite. I can't tell you how many times I have seen people help themselves to a big glass of wine or spirits and not fill out the honor bar card. So maybe the high prices are needed to recoup the cost of the freeloaders.

One thing that really irks me is when the CL charges more for alcohol than the bar in the lobby. On a recent stay, a Sam Adams in the CL was $8.50, while the same beer in an identical bottle was only $6 in the bar in the lobby.
(And before 7:00pm, the bar was only charging $5 for the SA)

Regards,

RIP...


That bothers me too, so much so that I said something to the GM about it. The Houston Energy Corridor Marriott has happy hour daily until 6 and has $5/glasses of wine. The same wine in the lounge is $7. The GM apologized but said that their Lounge could not honor the happy hour prices in the bar b/c the bar also sold food and other items to offset the prices.

I find if I'm paying for a glass of wine in the exec lounge at inflated prices I have a tendency to fill the glass closer to the top, whereas if it's free I might only pour 1/2 glass. I do fill out the honor bar slips.

And the wine costing more in the exec lounge vs. the bar (and I'm not talking happy hour pricing) does irritate me when it's the exact same brand.

Of course lately I've taken to packing a bottle of wine if I'm going on a longer trip & having a glass in my room vs in the lounge, or if I'm ordering room service & want some wine to go w/ dinner. The room service wine prices are nuts.

Cheers.

I find if I'm paying for a glass of wine in the exec lounge at inflated prices I have a tendency to fill the glass closer to the top, whereas if it's free I might only pour 1/2 glass. I do fill out the honor bar slips.

And the wine costing more in the exec lounge vs. the bar (and I'm not talking happy hour pricing) does irritate me when it's the exact same brand.

Of course lately I've taken to packing a bottle of wine if I'm going on a longer trip & having a glass in my room vs in the lounge, or if I'm ordering room service & want some wine to go w/ dinner. The room service wine prices are nuts.

Cheers.

+1

Hotels charge more in the lounge than the bar because they want to drive business to the bar and/or restaurant. If you want a snack in the lounge, it's "free." A nibble in the bar means a larger tab.

Eliminate the free food and you could drive even more business to the hotel's bar and/or restaurant.

The Niagara Fallsview is on the Canadian side of the river isn't it? There is a slight difference in exchange rates, but looking at it not much now a days

$12.25 for a glass of wine at Niagara Fallsview Marriott concierge lounge.

Or to a Hilton!

Eliminate the free food and you could drive even more business to the hotel's bar and/or restaurant.

The Niagara Fallsview is on the Canadian side of the river isn't it? There is a slight difference in exchange rates, but looking at it not much now a days
Trading close to par.

$12.25 for a glass of wine at Niagara Fallsview Marriott concierge lounge.

Stick to the free food and avoid the liquor.

hmmm maybe this should go in the stealing from MR lounges thread :p except this time by MR

I find if I'm paying for a glass of wine in the exec lounge at inflated prices I have a tendency to fill the glass closer to the top, whereas if it's free I might only pour 1/2 glass. I do fill out the honor bar slips.

And the wine costing more in the exec lounge vs. the bar (and I'm not talking happy hour pricing) does irritate me when it's the exact same brand.

Of course lately I've taken to packing a bottle of wine if I'm going on a longer trip & having a glass in my room vs in the lounge, or if I'm ordering room service & want some wine to go w/ dinner. The room service wine prices are nuts.

Cheers.

+2

However, I often see folks filling up their glasses and leaving without filling out the slip :td:. Part of the reason why prices are so high :(

hmmm maybe this should go in the stealing from MR lounges thread :p except this time by MR

+1

Looks like hotels near Niagra Falls are doing crazy stuff all around. See the thread (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starwood-preferred-guest/1376547-dear-platinum-member-if-you-would-like-access-club-lounge-3000-points.html)in the SPG forum

WOW! And we thought the $13/glass of wine was bad!