Marriotts in general ARE boring. Marriott and pizazz are mutually exclusive.

I have found JW Marriotts to be the best options by far for vacations, both within and outside the US.

As for breakfasts--as long as it is free, I do not care whether it is boring or not.

Conversely, Marriott gets much less of my business today precisely because there are too many exceptions to free breakfats for Platinum elites on vacation (most notably at resorts).