Originally Posted by
VisaW
Fair points, as are the others further up in this post. I plan on writing to Marriott as well because the $25 charge is unwarranted. That said, I'd argue against the idea that management is hurting the Marriott name. This is a pretty nice hotel and perfectly representative of the boutique nature of Autograph properties. Yes, the amenity/resort fee is crap, but the property itself doesn't hurt the brand.
IMO, I'd still rather stay here than some cultureless Sheraton or Marriott Resort.
I've shopped-around all the hotels on Waikiki; almost all of them charge a resort fee (or some euphemism) regardless of if it has "resort" in its title or if it's on the water. In fact, the few hotels that don't charge a resort fee make a big deal about how much of an exception they are.
Resort fees are a virus. Once a few hotels start charging a lower nominal rate and make it back in hidden fees, the other hotels have to do the same to remain competitive. It's obvious that customers don't mind it, or else the practice wouldn't take over entire markets (i.e: Vegas, Waikii). It won't end unless the government outlaws it as deceptive marketing (and I'm not sure if that's actually warranted).
This isn't Marriott's fault and it's not this specific property's fault. It's a bigger issue than that.
I would like for the property to be treated as a "hotel" instead of a "resort" as far as elite benefits go, which believe they currently do.