Originally Posted by schriste
I’m a Starwood Platinum and Hilton Gold, but very, very rarely stay at full service (or any other) Marriotts. Last October I stayed at both Marriott properties in Costa Rica. Prior to that, I can’t even remember my last Marriott stay. Enter my one night stay at the Marriott in Monterey, CA January 4th. I was truly impressed by the cheerful service at the hotel. Everyone seemed like they enjoyed getting out of bed in the morning to come to work. It was most noticeable everywhere throughout the hotel. Could this possibly be the norm at Marriott… or is this hotel just a fluke?
Having planned and managed meetings across the Southwest and US for more than 20 years along with routine business and personal travel, I've found in most cases, especially "company stores", the Marriott staff are among the best trained and most responsive I encounter, although I've made anumber of individual friends and contacts in other places.
While the company owns and operates properties with"brands" which range from Holiday Inn to Embassy Suites to Renaissance, the John Q. Hammons group (HQed in modest Springfield, MO) could also give lessons to many of the nation's "premier" hotel keepers.
Over the decades, I've developed a sort of lurking antagonism to Hilton, but admit that many of the negative experiences come from properties which have little more connection than the name on the door. I recall only a single "good" Adam's Mark memory, but a couple of less than acceptables, and am hoping to change my view of Sheraton, to date sort of a "I wouldn't cross the street to p*ss on Starwood were its gut a'fire." reaction to a couple of times which left worse than a bad taste.
Of course, when your hotel bill is $40,000.00 the staff ought to salute and an umbrella (and a doorman to hold it) to shelter you out the front door is not a misplaced amenity.