jtp1947

We were there in Oct. 2014 and the 1+1 was strictly enforced.

LadyPhoenix

Stop. Right. There. How do you know they were not entitled to lounge access? Or are you making an assumption?

ZZYZXROAD

JW in DC opens a ballroom and the lounge for three weeks for spring break and 4th of July week. Very crowded but we all keep our mouths shut and cope. The staff does an excellent job with the kids and demands placed on food expectations. Hope the Marquis in NYC does the same for all paying customers.

MSPeconomist

Do people really go to DC and NYC for spring break versus points farther south with warmer weather?

VickiSoCal

Spring break is the latest I'd go to DC with the family. It was miserablely hot and humid the one time we went in May.

Not everyone heads somewhere warm for spring break. Some of us appreciate cooler weather when you can do outside tourist stuff without breaking a sweat.

BrightlyBob

Very interesting. I'm there in summer having booked 2 rooms for me and missus and 4 teens. If it's possiblr to buy access it might be worth it bearing in mind NYC prices

Mr. Vker

Very popular time in DC for families. Cherry Blossom festival. Great time to visit the museums and monuments before the miserable heat and humidity.

jtwiz

I was at the Marquis in February 2015 and they were definitely checking the 1+1. It was NBA All-Star week and Ralph Sampson couldn't even get 2 people in the lounge! So yes, they are pretty strict.

joshua362

Kudos to the property for proactively opening a ballroom and not ignoring the problem. Although impossible to prove, I bet they looked the other way if a family of 4 stayed in one room and showed up together as well.

They could have been like the San Juan Marriott (before they shuttered their lounge) and shut it down completely for a week when Spring Breakers were expected...

ZZYZXROAD

JW in D.C. Has been doing it for years. Never had a problem bringing in all four of us anywhere, never. Plus the JW gives the kids hats and sweatshirts for free as well, at least my kids.

sanfran8080

I always grin when I see the employees turn away guests that abuse the +1 guest rule. I pat them on the back when I walk in.

OU812

We were there last week and the guest +1 was not enforced in the mornings or evenings. According to the front desk this was waived because of the number of gold and plat elites there with their families. Breakfast in the ballroom was still insanely crowded (think large convention) and I think they were essentially letting anyone in who showed a room key! Like the OP said, multiple generations of families were seen at breakfast and several times the crowds were so large, even though they were using the ballroom, it was still hard to find a table. The food was terrible (watery runny eggs, burnt bacon) and they ran out of things like orange juice, bagels, salmon and did not replenish timely (if at all). Because of this and the crowds we gave up and ate elsewhere after the second day.

I understand the reason the hotel did this, because on previous trips to the Marquis for Spring Break, the lounge was so crowded they had to limit access and there would be a line of 20+ waiting at the door. But I am not sure the alternative worked either. Maybe they should have moved it to the ballroom, but still enforced guest + 1! We will definitely consider other properties in NYC next time and will never visit again during Spring Break !


Regards,

RIP..

SCEflyer

Yes.

dw

Unfortunately, sometimes it really is worth it to just go elsewhere and pay for breakfast than to endure substandard food being served in a chaotic/crowded "lounge". (No different than how sometimes it's more peaceful/pleasant to just grab a drink at an airport bar than to desperately try to find a place to sit in an overcrowded domestic airline lounge.)

ZZYZXROAD

Honestly, it's not just spring break. Was at Marquis in DC second week of Dec and lounge was mobbed and that lounge always has a gate checker for food hours. Had to be 70 people, breakfast, with no guest or maybe a a few with a guest and gate keeper would not let others in until others left. No kids either. I think in any big city you run the risk of crowded lounges, at any time. Avoid crowds and stay away from the Marquis brand or JW while school is out. Try to find a Marriott away from the crowds and you'll find more choices, space, comfort and lounge food, hotel 101.