Free breakfast most requested thing by biz travelers...
Apr 14, 2014, 12:29 pm
#16
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Apr 14, 2014, 12:59 pm
#17
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It still baffles me they won't have a continental breakfast offering in one of the conference rooms or the in-house restaurant. Is it that hard/expensive to offer danishes and croissants while upping room rates $5 for everyone (elite and non-elite) accross the board?
(I'm actually okay with the Bistro concept at Courtyards... I realize 99% of CY's don't have lounges or dedicated space for a Gold/Plat breakfast.)
Apr 14, 2014, 1:08 pm
#18
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It seems strange to me that the massive (in USA) Courtyard brand and (EU) AC brand both don't do free breakfasts. In the EU this has cost AC business since for a recent stay I chose the Ren over an equally convenient AC because when I factored in the free breakfast the Ren turned out (fractionally) cheaper. Equally when I have business in the Crawley area I ALWAYS choose the Lingfield Marriott over the Gatwick Courtyard on the same maths.
Apr 14, 2014, 1:32 pm
#19
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...edging out free i-net this year, although free i-net is listed #1 once within room. Guess I'll be keeping the exec lounge sticky going!
http://www.business-standard.com/art...1300195_1.html
Cheers.
http://www.business-standard.com/art...1300195_1.html
Cheers.
I didn't see where water was listed?
Apr 14, 2014, 3:33 pm
#20
Join Date: May 2005
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They are still MUCH better than the powdered eggs and disgusting sausage they serve in the FI and SHs.
Apr 14, 2014, 8:24 pm
#21
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It still baffles me they won't have a continental breakfast offering in one of the conference rooms or the in-house restaurant. Is it that hard/expensive to offer danishes and croissants while upping room rates $5 for everyone (elite and non-elite) accross the board?
My guess would be that they don't need to do that to bring in guests at CYs.
So why would Marriott want to force CYs to offer free breakfast to elites when CYs are already bringing in the guests as well as, if not better than any other Marriott brand?
Apr 14, 2014, 8:53 pm
#22
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I agree with hhoope01 that the current CY business model including the bistro appears to be working well for Marriott. I have already made enough rants about how I don't like the CY bistro on FT, so I won't do it again.
I also agree with the posters who have talked about convenience. When I am traveling on business, a quick <= 15 minute breakfast is what I am looking for. Some yogurt, cereal, fresh fruit and coffee is all I really want. The offerings at most FI's and SHS's meet this requirement though sometimes the fruit is processed and not fresh. At CY I have to spend more time to get my meal in addition to spending money for breakfast. Time is the bigger annoyance factor.
Finally even though I am on expense account, I do get a daily maximum for all food for the day. I prefer not to use it on breakfast and save it for a nicer dinner. Most days I just try not to spend any where near the limit and save my company some money. My two cents....
--Jon
I also agree with the posters who have talked about convenience. When I am traveling on business, a quick <= 15 minute breakfast is what I am looking for. Some yogurt, cereal, fresh fruit and coffee is all I really want. The offerings at most FI's and SHS's meet this requirement though sometimes the fruit is processed and not fresh. At CY I have to spend more time to get my meal in addition to spending money for breakfast. Time is the bigger annoyance factor.
Finally even though I am on expense account, I do get a daily maximum for all food for the day. I prefer not to use it on breakfast and save it for a nicer dinner. Most days I just try not to spend any where near the limit and save my company some money. My two cents....
--Jon
Apr 14, 2014, 9:32 pm
#24
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You sure most biz travellers are on expenses account? What statistics is this based on?
Around here the norm is to get a certain fixed tax-free amount per day, aka per diem, no matter what you spend it on (or if you spend it on anything at all or just pocket it). I sure prefer "free" breakfast at the hotel instead of using part of that extra money to buy a breakfast.
Around here the norm is to get a certain fixed tax-free amount per day, aka per diem, no matter what you spend it on (or if you spend it on anything at all or just pocket it). I sure prefer "free" breakfast at the hotel instead of using part of that extra money to buy a breakfast.
I have for example: $15 breakfast, $25 lunch, and $35 dinner limits.
Unfortunately I can't really combine the above to say have a $50 dinner and skip breakfast.
Apr 14, 2014, 9:50 pm
#25
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not everyone is on expense account
Not everyone is on an expense account. Geesh. There are self employed folk who travel and it's on their dime, also a lot of folk who work for small companies that don't have expensive or hi end expense accounts or per diem. Geesh.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Apr 15, 2014, 3:27 am
#26
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I didn't say everyone. I said most. Even as self employed you expense your travel. Most of the people who work for small companies do the same. Are you saying that self employed and those who work for small companies write it as "unreinbursed business expense" vs. expensing it with the business they work for?
Apr 15, 2014, 7:49 am
#27
Join Date: Feb 2003
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Free breakfast most requested thing by biz travelers...
While my expenses are "unlimited" I certainly get growls or comments from upstairs if I go over the city norm without a legit business reason. While a $10 breakfast won't make a big difference, it is one less line on my expense report when it is free.
Apr 15, 2014, 8:13 am
#28
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Also, if you are self employed, don't you only get a 50% deduction on meals? But if you get a rate that includes breakfast, the entire rate is 100% deductible.
Examples:
Even if the meal is charged to the room, you only write off half of a meal expense on the folio. If the meal is included in the rate, you write off the entire expense. The same thing is, of course, true for businesses, but with a self employed borrower, there is a more immediate connection between the write off and money in the businessperson's pocket.
Examples:
- You pay $100 for the room and $15 for breakfast, you write off $107.50.
- You pay $115 for a room with breakfast included, you write off $115.
Even if the meal is charged to the room, you only write off half of a meal expense on the folio. If the meal is included in the rate, you write off the entire expense. The same thing is, of course, true for businesses, but with a self employed borrower, there is a more immediate connection between the write off and money in the businessperson's pocket.
Apr 15, 2014, 8:14 am
#29
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I didn't say everyone. I said most. Even as self employed you expense your travel. Most of the people who work for small companies do the same. Are you saying that self employed and those who work for small companies write it as "unreinbursed business expense" vs. expensing it with the business they work for?
Cheers.
Apr 15, 2014, 9:34 am
#30
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I was responding to the FTer who said why should biz travelers care about free breakfast since they're on expense accounts. Not everyone has the high roller expense accounts implied by that comment. And yes as a self-employed biz person, having a free brekkie or free i-net does make a dif; the same with small companies that are also on tight budgets. Being self-employed the travel gets expensed at tax time but until then it's $$ out of my pocket.
Cheers.
Cheers.
