Dieuwer

You know what is infuriating...? That if there is a desk, the nearest electrical outlet is on the other side of the room! I had that experience in BA.
On the other hand, the desk in AMS was great. It had multiple outlets build-in for American as well as EU plugs.

Pretzelsandpeanuts

Yes, that was the hotel. Will never stay there again. Besides the no desk there was a bar charge to my room that was not mine, I never stepped foot in the bar, that they still have not removed.

keeton

That is certainly not the case for any full service Marriott in the US for the last 15 years (or more). Other countries may have different standards.

dfe

I simply made comments about my dissatisfaction with the lack of a desk or other suitable working surface; along with several other non-relevant complaints-balanced with a few compliments-- in the post stay survey sent out by the hotel. I received an immediate response and apology from their Exec Asst, and to the point of this thread she indicated that they are working on plans to improve the working surface in the rooms (in some unspecified fashion) although it did not sound like it would be a full desk--so apparently they may have received other complaints on this issue. A suitable alternative would be fine with me. I have never worked off the bed or on the couch with my laptop in my lap (perhaps a bit of irony there) and have no desire to start now nor in the lobby since I often wish to watch TV in the room as I work.

It was a nice thoughtful sincere response and I am happy to know that someone pays attention to those ubiquitous "How Was Your Stay" surveys sent out by the properties.

RoadWarrior200

I'm staying at their higher cost Edition Hotel in London later this week and next. Will be interesting if no desk there, either. Here are some suggestions:

1. Post reviews at sites such as Trip Advisor and note the lack of a desk and/or the glass bathroom doors. Individual site managers as well as the company monitor these posts carefully so maybe they'll take it seriously.
2. If there's no desk in the room, call the front desk and ask them to send one up. (Joking, but maybe they'll get the point.)
3. Suggest that Marriott offer its elite customers (I've been Gold the past ten years) free van service to and from the nearest public library so those of us who travel on business can get some work done (again, just joking but it demonstrates how absurd this room concept is).

You wonder not only what idiots came up with this idea, but where was the Marriott family, the other senior officers and the franchisees (most properties are owned by real estate investment companies and not the Marriott Corporation) when this goofy concept was approved?

apodo77

I work in my room every trip I take. I am Director of Sales & Marketing as an FYI.

Not sure what you mean by real work but nothing I ever do requires files to be spread out all over a room. Everything I need is on my laptop and I spend a good amount of time on the phone as well.

On occasion I will go down into the lobby or the lounge and work at a table but that's really just to get out of the room.

apodo77

If you click on room details both Edition hotels in London have desks:

Desk, writing / work, electrical outlet

wrp96

Except that the hotel that started this entire thread also had desks in the room descriptions (and pictures) and no desk when the OP arrived.

SkiAdcock

Maybe we should start a thread that says Hotels with No Desks so people can post & others will know to avoid those properties if they want/need a desk.

Cheers.

RogerD408

I worked for a fortune 100 marketing department. They hired "consultants" to remake our programs. They interviewed the department staff and presented what we suggested. They paid big bucks to do what we had been suggesting as part of our job for quite some time. Prime example of you get what you pay for. My guess is MR didn't pay that much.

Having a desk is important to me even when not working. It's an excellent place to put the laptop/cell phone when charging. Having some common place in all rooms cuts the risk of leaving something behind. I always make a sweep of the desk and bathroom to make sure all items are packed.

BLG

+1

I find having a desk more important for organizing my stuff than for anything else. I like working propped up in bed on my laptop and phone, but really miss not having the desk for organizing. All in all taking desks out of the rooms makes no sense to me.

RoadWarrior200

Saw today in a report that Marriott spent $225,000 on a survey in 2014 that seems to be leading to these changes: http://skift.com. The resulting focus is on Millennials, which may explain the removal of desks. The article says nearly 700 Residence Inns revamped their food service as of June, including these quotes from a Marriott official named Diane Mayer: "One of the insights we got from that group when we were working on this was sitting isn’t social, but standing is. The problem with sitting, such as with the old program, you go to the buffet, pile up your plate and sit down at the breakfast buffet table. . . . "

And this: "First and foremost we stopped putting the offering in the breakfast buffet. In fact, the lights go dark and the doors close on the breakfast buffet. We put what food we are offering out in the lobby and the inside and outdoor communal spaces of our hotel. Most of our hotels have a nice outdoor living room with a fire pit, so we’ve kind of spread the food around a little bit more like a cocktail party. We scaled back the food offering to a certain degree and scaled up the quality of the beverage."

Does anyone know what they've actually done? Just what will this "nice outdoor pit" do during a Chicago winter? If a decent breakfast has in fact "gone dark," this will be the final straw and will push me and everyone who works and travels with me (a sizeable group) to Hilton and Starwood and their regular and extended stay brands. What in the world is Marriott thinking?

sethb

That doesn't sound like breakfast is affected, more like their cocktail/dinner hour.

ssafro1

Adding to this thread - recently stayed at the Renn in downtown Chicago. Recently remodeled and found out that room had no desk. After complaining to the FDM I was told they have received numerous complaints about the issue and are having "work spaces" put in to the room in the next month or so.

I agree though with the sentiments. To me, having a desk in a room is a no brainer and was greatly missed when I needed to work. Why would you take that out of a hotel room is beyond me...

lucycan

+1, this is the most important feature to me in a room, other than the toilet.