The Idiots who Design Marriott Rooms
#151
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, MM, NR; HH Diamond, Bonvoy LT Gold, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Diamond, others
Posts: 12,159
Oh, and I like to listen to the radio when I'm in a hotel room, and those are getting replaced by alarm clocks or iPhone docks (I have an Android). I can have good music in the room these days by filling up a USB thumb drive and plugging it into the newfangled TV set, but I have to rely on my computer to listen to NPR.
#152
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, MM, NR; HH Diamond, Bonvoy LT Gold, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Diamond, others
Posts: 12,159
#153
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: UK
Programs: Hilton HHonors Diamond,Bonvoy Platinum,Shangri-La Golden Circle Jade,LH SEN,AZ Gold,VS Elevate Gold
Posts: 134
must be the same geniuses that designed the room for the horrible aloft and W hotels from Starwood.
drives. me. insane.
PS Gen Y may be cooler than me but they don't spend as much money in hotels as I do (just saying)
drives. me. insane.
PS Gen Y may be cooler than me but they don't spend as much money in hotels as I do (just saying)
#154
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Denver
Programs: DL: PM, MR: Plat, AMEX Plat
Posts: 168
Nope. I'm Gen Y / Millenial, born in 1980 so I'm one of the elders of the generation. Business travelers regardless of generation are looking for mostly the same things. I hate it when I don't have a table or desk at a hotel. Often, I eat and work in the evening at the hotel. I don't like doing either on a couch or on the bed.
Also, to comment on those iPhone docks (30 pin connector) on the alarm clocks. Those are for the old iPhone (4s and earlier) which most people no longer have. The "Lightning" connector was introduced in Q3 2012 for the iPhone5. It's a dumb idea to make a dock for a proprietary connector. Those 30-pin versions are worthless now. Just put a USB input on that or the TV and be done with it.
#155
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Denver
Programs: DL: PM, MR: Plat, AMEX Plat
Posts: 168
The contour and finish of the hotel room desk might be proposed by us but whether there is one or not, and whether the bathroom door is translucent, that's down to the hotel chain and its brand consultants and marketing 'experts', Generation Y to a man. Those that are out of diapers I mean ;-)
.
.
Please don't call those idiots marketers. I'm a marketer and I make my decisions based on data: primary research, secondary research and financial metrics. I also learned how to view a project from the eyes of the target demographic. I've done a number of projects (mostly online) that I don't find personally appealing, but they're right for the demo.
There are too many agency types that just want to push an aesthetic. Good agencies should understand you cannot separate design and function.
#157
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2002
Programs: UALifetimePremierGold, Marriott LifetimeTitanium
Posts: 71,114
#158
Join Date: May 2012
Location: California
Programs: AA LT PLT, UA LT Gold, Hertz PC, 5 MM+ miles
Posts: 106
Hope Marriott is reading this thread
Marriott is my favorite brand, but if I find that rooms are being reconfigured as reported here, I'm moving my business elsewhere. And no, the original posting was not a rant. It was a well-stated posting that avoided sounding like a corporate mission statement or PowerPoint briefing to the board, so thank you.
Speaking of bad remodels, several years ago, I was at another brand -- major property in a major city -- and found that to get into the shower, you had to climb up on the toilet seat and jump to the other side. I'm nimble enough to do this but wondered (a) who did this design, and (b) how many prior guests put up with this and didn't even tell management.
So after I was showered and dressed, I went and found the manager and told him my story. He looked at me like I was some sort of idiot and malcontent but decided to humor me and come see for himself. I wish I had a photo of the expression on his face when I said: OK, show me how you get into the shower.
Those rooms were re-remodeled within a month.
Speaking of bad remodels, several years ago, I was at another brand -- major property in a major city -- and found that to get into the shower, you had to climb up on the toilet seat and jump to the other side. I'm nimble enough to do this but wondered (a) who did this design, and (b) how many prior guests put up with this and didn't even tell management.
So after I was showered and dressed, I went and found the manager and told him my story. He looked at me like I was some sort of idiot and malcontent but decided to humor me and come see for himself. I wish I had a photo of the expression on his face when I said: OK, show me how you get into the shower.
Those rooms were re-remodeled within a month.
#159
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 3
My biggest beef about redesigned hotels is the lack of towel racks! They have taken them all out. And the worst of it is that they want us to hang our towels up for environmental reasons (i.e. don't want to wash them)! So give us a rack to do it already!!!
#161
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Treasure Coast, FL
Programs: DL Diamond, Marriott LT Plat, HH Diamond, Avis Preferred Plus, National Executive
Posts: 4,578
The renovated room pictures are up on the Marriott SFO Burlingame website now.
I consider that to be a desk (albeit a small one) and would be perfectly happy with it. Room reno looks nice to me. To each their own of course. 44 years old and a weekly business traveler for those keeping track of demographics.
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/trave...tt-waterfront/
I consider that to be a desk (albeit a small one) and would be perfectly happy with it. Room reno looks nice to me. To each their own of course. 44 years old and a weekly business traveler for those keeping track of demographics.
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/trave...tt-waterfront/
#162
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SDF
Programs: DL:360/DM/6 MMer; Bonvoy: Lifetime Titanium 10+M pts, 3100+ nights;
Posts: 1,441
The renovated room pictures are up on the Marriott SFO Burlingame website now.
I consider that to be a desk (albeit a small one) and would be perfectly happy with it. Room reno looks nice to me. To each their own of course. 44 years old and a weekly business traveler for those keeping track of demographics.
I consider that to be a desk (albeit a small one) and would be perfectly happy with it. Room reno looks nice to me. To each their own of course. 44 years old and a weekly business traveler for those keeping track of demographics.
#163
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Bangkok or San Francisco
Programs: United 1k, Marriott Lifetime PE, Former DL Gold, Former SQ Solitaire, HH Gold
Posts: 11,886
I was staying at a Marriott earlier this month. The only real design flaw was that the had an el cheapo wall phone on the bathroom wall that if you looked at it real hard would fall out of the cradle and hit the floor. But apparently just to make sure you looked, they parked it directly above the toilet paper roll so that the cord hung down on the metal cover for the roll. The minute you touched that metal cover the phone would hit the floor. And you couldn't just leave it there while you finished your paperwork because it would start buzzing and the hotel operator would come on the phone.
#164
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Mostly living in the basement
Programs: Newly minted free agent; MR LT(!)TE, HH SE, BA SECM, DL MM, UA PS, 2V Fanboi, CBP GE
Posts: 5,110
I drink tea not coffee, and US coffeemakers make tea that tastes like coffee. EU and Asia properties have tea kettles, which I use, except in Portugal where there does not seem to be tea anywhere in the entire country.
#165
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Treasure Coast, FL
Programs: DL Diamond, Marriott LT Plat, HH Diamond, Avis Preferred Plus, National Executive
Posts: 4,578
I have stayed at this hotel about 100 nights the past 7 years and outside of a studio suite upgrade a few times the room always looks the same. Seems the vast majority of their rooms do have a desk though and according to their rooms page on the website they should all have desks:
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/hote...tt-waterfront/
Not doubting your story as an FYI just sharing my experience. If you ever go back at least you know to ask for a room with a desk.
Last edited by apodo77; Jun 18, 2015 at 7:34 am