Originally Posted by
Muerz
To be fair, while not as opulent as other hotels in Abu Dhabi, I would take the Marriott Forsan over the W, the Westin or the Edition any day of the week. It‘s a really well managed hotel with great elite recognition and lounge offerings that would make any American hotel look bad.
While I disagree with your point in Al Forsan (I wasn't a fan of the lounge), you bring up another point - perhaps, the presence of a lounge is the focus of these properties as a differentiator for Elite guests. However, it still brings the overall experience for non-Elite guests who wouldn't have lounge access into question.
Regardless, I don't disagree - EMEA lounges generally are definitely better than their American M Club counterparts. I just wish that the rooms themselves were better. For example, Marriott bedding in North America seems consistently plush and pleasant even at cheaper properties like Houston Marriott North and Marriott Fort Lauderdale Airport, while Marriott bedding in EMEA has seemed to consistently use very thin covers (a major turn-off for me) with the same striped linen design.