hockeyinsider

It was at least 50 people long at 6:30 a.m. the other day.

DELee

That's the problem with Waikiki in general.

Waikiki = Manhattan with palm trees.

David

hockeyinsider

Complete cluster at Marriott Waikiki Beach tonight.

No record of online check-in. I had to give the front desk my confirmation number for them to find the reservation. I also had to show photo ID and my credit card before going through all of the formalities.

I booked an ocean view and received an ocean front "junior suite," which is the usual upgrade for a platinum premier. The hotel is still trying to charge the resort fee, but as usual I got it waived by protesting that I'm a corporate guest and most of what it is supposed to cover (telephone calls and internet access) is complimentary by virtue of my elite status.

Bellman gave me 6-pack of bottled water. So, I tipped him $10 for carrying my 2 pieces of luggage up to the room.

edgewood49

Sometimes it's a tie between the HHV and Marriott for check in lines. If a hotel wants to ruin a stay try that one! It's like sitting at the gate waiting for the jetway to get there !

sggolf

We enjoyed our stay at the Courtyard Waikiki! Got upgraded to Junior Suite in Royal Hawaiian Tower.

hockeyinsider

Checked into yesterday. Booked a "premium" ocean view room (see this thread: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marr...etization.html) and was pre-arrival upgraded to a high-floor junior suite with nice views of the beach.

The Marriott Waikiki Beach now has fancy black room keys branded "platinum elite" (sadly, no keys for platinum premier or platinum premier ambassador) that you flash to the breakfast buffet restaurant waitress or waiter to get a complimentary buffet. There are no more paper vouchers. If you have two guests in your room you get two breakfasts per day.

The buffet is the same as it has always been, which is to say it wasn't worth paying (it's like $34 for everyone else) for but is tolerable since it's complimentary. If you don't want the breakfast, the front desk says the alternative is 1,000 points per stay.

As with before, make sure you flash your room key to get a 25% discount off of non-alcoholic drinks and food from the pool bar.

C17PSGR

Anything else with the resort fee? I take it the drink chits are gone?

Majuki

So no more watered down Mai Tai from the poolside bar?

Unlike hockeyinsider I have been unsuccessful getting the resort fee waived, even after citing the elite benefits and fact that I would not be using anything included with the resort fee. The last time (December 2017) the front desk staff even seemed incredulous that I had asked. They had also raised the resort fee between the time I had reserved the room and my stay and charged me the new, higher resort fee. My protest netted me an extra breakfast voucher for my traveling companion. (Historically they only would give one breakfast voucher per room per day.)

The resort fee is egregious for what you get, and the Courtyard is a dump. My December stay this year will be in the Hilton behind the Marriott, which has no resort fee and a lounge.

hockeyinsider

Complimentary breakfast is no longer included in the resort fee. I was given a choice at check-in between 1,000 points and breakfast.

I'm not being charged the resort fee so I don't have the resort fee letter in front of me outlining what is covered. I'll ask.

I don't think a drink has been offered for a while. Certainly not since I've started staying here once or twice a month since this spring.

hockeyinsider

I asked for the manager the first time and it was waived without much of a pushback. I've been told that anyone who is here on business doesn't pay it.

Majuki

How do they verify purpose of visit? My understanding is that many rates booked through corporate travel tools will exclude the resort fee or mention that they're exempt from the resort fee.

araknis

Interesting comment about the resort fee. I'm there for leisure and will try to get the fee waived later this week.

hockeyinsider

I was given two examples. First, most of the hotels exempt government rates from resort fees. Many (or most?) of the "business" guests in these Honolulu hotels are military. Second, the sales office and executive office will handle booking for repeat corporate customers.

I have the updated resort fee card. Basically, nothing is worth the $37-plus-tax daily charge:
--- One macadamia nut candy
--- Fitness classes daily (good luck finding them)
--- Cultural classes daily (good luck finding them)
--- Enhanced internet (supposed to be free for eligible elites)
--- 60 minutes of long distance and international calls daily (domestic is supposed to be free for eligible elites)
--- Blu-ray or DVD rentals
--- Press Reader newspaper and magazine downloads (never gotten the info ever to download)
--- 1 introductory scuba or snorkel lesson, one per family (good luck getting it confirmed)

I wouldn't hesitate to ask for the manager-on-duty or general manager and complain about being charged for internet access and telephone calls, which are complimentary for eligible elites. Marriott's new, unified program terms and conditions require a property charging a resort fee for amenities or services that are supposed to be complimentary to provide alternatives.

Majuki

Thanks for the update, hockeyinsider. As I said, this property has already lost my my upcoming business in December to the Hilton behind it even though the rate is the same and I like the Marriott. For the 3 nights, the resort fee would add $111 to the stay (plus whatever taxes are calculated above this amount). Looking at what's included with the fee, that's one expensive macadamia nut candy (which I've found the front desk will continue to distribute upon request anyway). Among the other benefits, I've never used any of them except during one trip when Mrs. Majuki wasn't feeling well and rented one DVD as she stayed in the room all day.

Repackaging elite benefits as part of a resort fee is rather frustrating. I think the possibly the newspaper one is (or was) an elite benefit as well. Even if telephone calls weren't included, who doesn't have Skype or a cell phone? Also, I'm in Hawaii. I'm not sitting around in my room calling people back home for an hour each day. So, I count a number of benefits you've listed that should be part of my elite status. If you cite the new Ts&Cs of the program, what alternatives or prorated fee would the hotel provide? Perhaps this results in them ultimately waiving the resort fee, but what about those elites who just blindly accept the resort fee?

edgewood49

It appears to be a lame effort by the hotel to justify the resort fee and most of it is clearly directed to tourist and more in particular first timers who else would fall for that crap? Now looking at the Sheraton Princess is on par with the Marriott in points for stay and resort fees.

We can all think "equity capitol" for the continuing ramping up if "nickeling and diming" as we go along. no different than the airlines. At least with the airlines if you have status your more or less immune from them