Originally Posted by
gardener
Interesting discussion. I am a Marriott Rewards member going back to ca. 1985 or 1986 and used to prefer CY when I was not staying at a FS property.
Now I find FFI to be a better value. Most of the newer ones sport the Fairfield Inn & Suites moniker and I find the rooms to be as nice or nicer than CY. Now that I am retired the free breakfast is nice also. So when the FFI is $10 to $20 less per night for an equivalent room and free breakfast that is a no brainer. Oh and a lot of the FFI now have at least cardio equipment. But if not I can run outdoors.
Only downside is most FFI do not have pay per view movies in my experience. Not a deal breaker for me but I mention because have not seen that discussed upthread.
I agree with you about the Fairfield Inn & Suites (especially if they are 3 years or less old) in some locations being as nice or nicer than some Courtyards, especially if the CY are old. Some (not all, but many or most) of the original CY locations, from the brand founding in 1985, through about 1995-1997, are like night and day compared to those built in the last ten years, and if I am able to figure out whether it is an older or newer CY, that will inform my hotel selection decisions. For me, if it is between a pre-1997 CY and a post 2005 FI&S, and the prices and locations are roughly comparable, there is no contest for me, I would choose the FI&S, in that situation, every time.
Recently, I stayed in one of the older CY's near ATL, and it was one of the worst hotel experiences that I have ever had with Marriott. In this case, it was not just the physical hotel and room, but also dismal service, but the physical hotel and room were mediocre at best. I needed to stay at that CY because of an event I was attending around the corner, but if not for that, I would have stayed at the FI&S ATL Airport North, which I have stayed at before, and is a truly great FI&S, with beautiful large suites, and generally a beautifully maintained property, inside and out. In comparing the two ATL airport hotels, it is a real beauty and the beast situation, and breakfast was not a consideration. However, it should not go unsaid that there are also some very nice CY properties, several which I have stayed in within the last few years come to mind, such as CY Embassy Row (Washington, DC), Courtyard Boston Logan Airport, Courtyard Washington Capitol Hill/Navy Yard, and Courtyard Los Angeles Westside.
Pay Per View movies in hotels are way too expensive. For the cost of less than one PPV movie per month, I'd recommend signing up for a Netflix streaming account, and then you have a wide selection, and you also have movies in the hotels which do not even offer them.
Originally Posted by
dvc_john
Quick question:
I've only stayed at a CY once since I became Platinum, and was given a breakfast certificate. I wasn't expecting it. Was that an exception, or is that now standard for Platinums?
AFAIK, that is the exception, not the rule. I can only think of one or two times I have ever received a breakfast cert when it was not included in the rate that I booked.