Originally Posted by
JapanFlyerT
Pretty sure elite status means nothing. The on-site restaurant is supposedly run by another company, which allows them to deny you the free breakfast. Fairfields in Japan also don't give elites free breakfast either.
I stayed at the Fukuoka Hakata location, and finally experienced the smallest room in a Marriott-chain property ever. I understand that this is the Japanese business hotel market they're in, and personally I categorically do not like any of the Japanese business hotel chains or those properties in general. The feeling you get in the room compared to the typical Japanese business hotel is they've gone for something different like having a more comfortable bed with many pillows and a cushion (which looks and feels nice), a less-cramped bathtub that is egg-shaped, there are multiple(!) towels provided and they're not paper-thin like the competition, and of course the TV plays Marriott promotional material when you enter the room. Meanwhile, it's still a Japanese business hotel in that sense that AC shuts off when you leave the room with key, the fridge has to be turned on (off by default), and you must collect amenities you want/need in the lobby yourself, etc. You really get the sense that Marriott tried to adapt Unizo Inn in a way that works for both parties. That said, the Unizo Inns are relatively new, but not brand spanking new like some you can get in the price range depending on location (YMMV) and it shows.
This video perfectly encapsulates the feeling of my stay as well:
Maybe I've gotten fatter over the years, but the most striking thing for me as well was how tight the chair and desk was with the bed. I suspect this is a result of trying to make some other part of the room feel a little more spacious. I won't speak to prices because obviously that's dynamic, but in my mind the appeal of the Four Points Flex is only if you're a suffering Japanese employee with a per diem that has a low maximum but you want to keep the loyalty dream alive (yes, I felt better when the TV played the Marriott APEC advertisement when I walked into the room). The only nice thing they did for status was 4PM late checkout (which apparently costs ¥1100/hr at this property if not provided for free). I do understand Japanese Fairfield's not doing their own breakfast because the shtick is they're next door to a Michi-no-Eki and you're suppose to go experience something local, but at the Four Points Flex it feels like they're going by letter of their application of the T&Cs for breakfast, not the spirit of it. The restaurant is very cute though.