Okay, I seldom do this, but after reading and posting in the XML thread, and because of what happened this morning at a Courtyard, the BigGuyinPasadena (and I mean no disrespect) in me is going to come out. Before I rant, I want to say that I don't want to hear that such and such could happen at any other hotel chain. That is never the point, and in my opinion, is a lame response to a rant. I stay at Marriott properties because of many factors, and that's just the way it is. Sometimes it's like a bad marriage that would cost too much money to get out of. But it is what it is.

My annoyance comes from today's Courtyard, the one in Fountain Valley, Ca. at Brookhurst and the 405. I, like many of us, carry only my laptop on trips, and do not lug along a printer. For that reason, sometimes I will use the lobby computer (as opposed to my laptop) to compose and then print a document. This morning, after I had composed a lengthy something, I tried to print. All that came out were blank pages. I asked the front desk clerk to come over, and he ascertained that the toner cartridge was empty. No problem, I think. I asked him to replace it. He comes back and says the hotel has none, and that they will have to go and buy one. I ask when, he doesn't know. I had a CD to save the doc to, but the CD rom did not work. I don't use floppies, so that was a no go. Amazing. Is there not a checklist for these properties? It may seem minor to some of you, but I needed to print this doc and his suggestion was to send me to a Kinkos 6 miles away where I could recompose the doc (that I could not save )and use the Kinkos printer. (Yes, I learned my lesson. Compose on my laptop, save the doc, and try then to use their printer if they have the drivers to give me to make the printer work, or type a short something and test the printer) Enough of that, but you get my point. When I suggested to the clerk, that they buy 2 cartridges this time, he said, "Gee, yeah it might be a good idea to have a spare." I don't blame the staff for these screw ups, and no matter what I am unfailingly polite to the staff members. But many of these problems should be laid squarely in the lap of the managers which Marriott hires.

Or how about the Friday BEFORE a 3 day weekend when I checked in, and at 2300 I wanted a soda from a machine. I went to all seven machines on the property and save for 2 slots in one machine, all slots in all machines were empty. The 2 slots had water. This was prior to a 3 day holiday weekend and occupancy was high. Did anyone have the sense to restock prior to the 3 day wekend? No. The machines were not restocked until after the holiday. Once again, no check list for the property staff to go through?

Or how about the Promos? Marriott will tell you that the good news is there is a new Promo (you may not qualify but I am the first to admit that those are the breaks and such is life). The bad news is, there may not be anybody at the front desk that has been properly trained on how to apply the promo. The one that comes to mind most is the Bonus Bucks one, which I referred to in the XML thread and with which I had a huge hassle in Guatemala City, and at a FS Marriott in Anaheim.

In most, if not all cases, discussion with a Manager, or a call to customer service will resolve the issue. But when you have to start going to the lengths some of us do, at checkin, to make sure there is not a screw up, something is wrong. Like most of us, I want a simple checkout before I go to catch my plane.

The next issue is of unrequested access to the C Lounge. That is a no brainer. All appropriate members should receive, without asking, access at checkin. Does that happen? You can provide the answer and we know what it is.

Upgrades..once again, should be given without request. It seems like at some properties it's like a game to give you as few of your benefits as possible.

A minor one, but recently at the Polat Renaissance Istanbul, for the first time ever, I was asked to show my Platinum Premier card to, I guess, prove I am a Platinum Premier. Do I have the only card, that after a couple of months of use, has the silver lettering showing your status rub off, leaving only your embossed name, and date of expiration at the bottom? I thought the reservation on the computer properly identified one's status. I have twice requested a replacement card and none has ever arrived.

And lastly, I must respond to someone else's comment in the XML thread about the staff not being expected to know all of the policies and procedures. That is horse. I am expected to know policies and procedures within the scope of my authority at my job or I don't have a job. I don't expect the front desk staff to know about food procurement for the Courtyard Restaurant, but Management should make sure they know about Bonus Bucks, upgrades, Concierge Access, etc, all of which are with in their job descriptions.

In conclusion, I am not one of the Premier's who walks in a hotel, whips out my card, and tries to impress anyone there with my status. But, you know, if I, as a Platinum Premier get treated the way I do sometimes, something is wrong. Marriott should pay attention to us, because those of us with status (and many, many more without status) provide a steady revenue stream for the corporation. I personally, have given Marriott thousands of dollars, and many of you on this board have given Marriott much more revenue than have I. Something is simply amiss nowadays. Any property can provide hot water, a/c and a toilet. A Motel 6 does that. Can Marriott ever consistently competently do the other numerous things we are always discussing on this board? Does Marriott really care, or is it happy to get fat off of the higher rates being charged these days and ignore the problems? My only wish is that this thread would make it into Mr. Marriott's office. Happy Holidays.