KRSW

PLEASE tell me there's a piece of glass between the bathroom and curtain divider in the room. It's bad enough to have light from the bathroom area entering the room, let alone noises, smells, and humidity. I'm not sure who thought these peek-a-boo bathrooms are a good idea, but I hate them. Also on my list of bad designs, the rolling barn door bathroom doors which suffer many of the same problems as the peek-a-boo designs.

I'm not an egg snob, nor do I buy into marketing bullmanure. I'm with @GoPhils on this one -- if I'm doing breakfast I want something quick and inexpensive. Chances are I'm running short on time to begin with. The buffets fill the bill for me. Quick and priced appropriately. If I'm paying for breakfast, especially $8, I want a full-on breakfast. In these parts you can still get a regular 2-egg breakfast with bacon, toast, and coffee for under $5, sometimes under $3.

This is me most of the time. I'm self-sufficient and don't need a bellhop, doorman, valet, nor concierge, not to mention that each one of those will be wanting a tip. After a long series of flights, I just want to go straight to my room and flop in bed. Waiting around for 10-20 people in front of me to check in is not something I want to do. At the limited service hotels, I've rarely had to wait for more than 2 people to check in before me. SHS/RI's are my usual thing. Sometimes a FI. Sometimes the RIs can be nicer than the FS Marriott nearby.

fly2nrt

I rarely stay at Courtyards because most of them are old dumps but currently at a newly built one and while it looks nice, I'm not sure what the point of this brand is anymore.

They are priced like full service Marriotts but built like limited service properties with none of the benefits that limited service properties provide. Room is small, no real elite bennies, no breakfast - there is a SYSCO "bistro" in the lobby I guess.

I guess the model probably made sense when it was first introduced in the 80's so that business travelers weren't stuck at some HoJo in a podunk town but there are tons of better options nowadays. Not sure why this is still a thing.

bitterproffit

Courtyard = Hilton Garden. IMO

I had a nice stay at one in PA this summer, but unlike the HGI, I had to pay 2.50 for a cup of coffee in the AM. Because its a bistro...I guess..

I think of them as a Fairfield Inn with an alcohol license. Similar to how the HGI is a Hampton Inn with a restaurant and lounge.

The big difference is Hamptons and HGI's are often priced similar while (in my experience) Marriott charges a premium for Courtyards over Fairfields.

HGI > Courtyards IMO

TXJeepGuy

Agree- I tend to stay in Courtyards or Fairfields on business travel, they're pretty much the same to me. Free breakfast is a you get what you pay for in my mind so I tend to skip it anyway. And I'd rather go out and grab a drink (plus the Courtyard "bars" all seem to never be open).

I'm curious where the OP is that the Courtyards are priced like a full service property- I haven't seen that.

rylan

My theory on CY is its a way for Marriott to maximize extracting money from business travelers... since you basically get zero benefits and they charge for everything at the overpriced bistro.

Personally I use to enjoy them more when they actually had a restaurant... then it was worth something over a fairfield, since you could get a (usually) decent sit down meal and beverage or go to the bar and relax if you don't want to go out and find a restaurant. Since they killed that and put in the bistro, it is just 'quick-serv' style prepackaged food with crappy hours.

bosman

My guess is that, in COVID times, the full-service properties are highly discounted down to CY rates, while CYs are not or only minimally discounted. That provides a (hopefully short-term) window where pricing may be similar.

Herb687

Free breakfasts are often crap and worth exactly what one pays for them (and that applies to some of those free breakfasts provided in the US lounges that hotel program elites seem to salivate over).

I wouldn't draw any conclusions. I've seen full service hotels priced well below and well above Courtyards. Everything is property, market, season, and day-specific and no sweeping generalizations should be made.

stuartpig

I like the brand new ones in the UK. I agree that they are sometimes a bit expensive for small rooms but if I can get two when they are cheap we get interconnecting and enjoy them. Plus the microwave in the foyer, brilliant with a husband who loathes restaurants. I am jealous that in the US you get the microwave in the room.

DenverBrian

During COVID, traditional pricing models are out the window. It's difficult to know exactly why individual hotels are pricing as they are. Could be anything from inelastic demand to "half of our rooms are booked long term by the government as quarantine rooms."

fly2nrt

Agree with this 100% but I don't eat much for breakfast - just a banana and a yogurt usually so I value being able to grab one in the morning.

brentyb

I tend to agree on CYs. Every now and then you get a good one, the CY in Palo Alto for instance is great, full bar and restaurants, complimentary snacks, etc.

Otherwise, its a place that has coffee attached to it.

Marko123

Volume also. I don't have any hard numbers on this but I 'feel' like there a lot more CY's than full-service Marriotts in the US at least so it might be easier to find one close to where you need to go. It is annoying how they don't really give any benefits for elite members but some of the corp rates I've stayed on include free breakfast. Of course I'm more of a "grab a banana and yogurt" person for breakfast than wait 10 minutes for a made to order meal.

kauppias

I will book CYs if NO better alternative Is available

Having just spent a week at one I was not impressed. Ok value for money, but very little extras...

But in this particular city there are no BETTER ALTERNATIVES so CY wins

DELee

WRT hard numbers, last time I looked (early 2018, pre-SPG integration), 22% or 1174 out of 5220 then Marriott properties worldwide were CYs.

David

drod

I don't get the CY hate. I've stayed at one several times in recent months and I'm regularly upgraded to a suite. It also seems to be the cheapest Marriott (any brand) in the state and I'm getting great value with the current promotions. Cash price is in the $70s/night, 3x the points (the global promo and targeted promo) and $20/day at the market for free beer/wine/snacks. So, daily rate + tax - cash back - value of the points and I'm paying high $50s/low $60s per night plus free food/drink that I would otherwise pay for (but not the inflated CY prices - so let's value it at $10ish). Works for me!