Originally Posted by
JBord
I agree with quite a bit of this. But I'm a little tired of threads that devolve into SPG is greater than Marriott and vice versa. The fake "income" argument from either side here is annoying. Responding to someone's absurd comment about income with an equally absurd opposite comment doesn't make sense to me, but maybe I'm just missing the point.
I hope I'm not offending either of you, because that's not my intent. I've read posts from both of you in other FT forums and generally respect your points of view. But these income posts just continue the SPG vs. Marriott sniping, which has nothing to do with the OP's post about W's. The reality is simply that maybe the W is not the best brand for the OP -- there are plenty of others to try though!
Yikes, I honestly wasn't trying to say anything about SPG vs Marriott here. Sorry if that's how it came across. But I am not offended in the slightest! I stated that the W Atlanta isn't perhaps the best hotel and that it clearly isn't the right place for our OP...but I am not sure that the OP won't like other Ws as you suggest. I don't think the W Atlanta (whichever one it is) is at all reflective of all Ws.
As it were, I stay with many more brands now from the overall Marriott portfolio and am quite pleased with the increased choices. But I choose hotels--not brands for the most part. I stayed at my first Autograph last week (Kansas City Ambassador Hotel) and liked it very much. I have discovered I am not a fan of the big convention JW hotels (Chicago, Austin) and do prefer the smaller W properties in those towns. I truly despise the Sheraton Times Square. I don't particularly like any of the Ws in New York, but I think the W Boston is great. I really like the Renaissance Providence. I like the W Westwood fine, but I vastly prefer the SLS Beverly Hills. I had a terrible stay at the W Hollywood--literally driving home in the middle of the night due to poor HVAC. I still am treated super well at the Le Meridiens Cambridge and Arlington. I was not treated well my last stay at the Le Meridien Philly and have't returned. I have had amazing stays and elite recognition with a number of Ritz-Carlton hotels--including a ton of wonderful suite upgrades and truly impressive service and elevated experiences. I love the addition of Ritz-Carlton to my luxury options. But I still was disappointed with the RC Dallas and will probably stay at the W next time around. I find the Courtyard New Haven to be reliably better than the Omni in town. The Courtyards in Manhattan don't impress me as much as the Four Points. I still love St Regis and wish there were more.