hockeyinsider

This is a beautiful hotel. I really liked that they had some great Mexican wine, including from the oldest winery in North America (Casa Madero).

However, I had to really push back to get the benefits that I was entitled to receive at the time, including an upgrade, despite having a signed contract for an event that required an upgrade. Hopefully, they've improved their handling of elite status guests.

C17PSGR

+1

Like many of these properties, they don't seem to have a clue that (a) Most of us at ambassador level could easily spend another 10 nights a year there if they good experiences and (b) we're the cheapest and best marketing out there -- real influencers, not social media influencers.

For example, I was on a flight a few years ago with a GM who had just taken over the Phoenix Renaissance. I told her I was a Plat Premier but usually stayed at the Scottsdale properties. She told me that they had just refurbed the hotel, had upgraded the lounge to provide above standard offerings, and that I should try the hotel and tell others. Since then, I've definitely shifted a few stays there when it made sense and told others.

Pheenblat

I will tell you that my Suite Night Awards did clear... Corner JW Umey Suite coming my way!

hockeyinsider

The Hotel LeVeque, Autograph Collection in Columbus, Ohio is only giving breakfast vouchers for $12, excluding tip and tax. You can't get anything off the menu with coffee or juice for $12 or less. Coffee is $4 for a cup or $8 for a pot of coffee.

This property is managed by First Hospitality Group, whose Marriott portfolio consists of mostly limited-service properties but includes the Marriott Peoria, Renaissance Toledo and Sheraton Suites Chicago–O'Hare.

dtremit

Sadly, so long as this benefit is defined by the reading of reasonable people, we are doomed to fail.

Just as a counterpoint -- Hyatt's Diamond breakfast benefit reads as follows: "daily complimentary full breakfast (which includes one entrée or standard breakfast buffet, juice, and coffee, as well as tax, gratuity and service charges)"

If the "spirit" of the Marriott benefit is similar, why not define it? Or at the very least, change "restaurant breakfast" to "full restaurant breakfast" or "hot restaurant breakfast"?

I am pessimistic that Marriott actually sees things our way, though -- given that they think $10 is enough to buy breakfast at a Courtyard where entrees are $8-10 and don't include coffee.

hockeyinsider

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The terms and conditions require properties with a club, concierge, executive, or M Club lounge to provide a "continental breakfast" in the aforesaid lounge, when the lounge is open. However, properties without a lounge or properties with a closed lounge are required to provide "breakfast in [their] restaurant."

The deliberate use of "breakfast in restaurant," as opposed to "continental breakfast in restaurant," would lead a reasonable person to conclude that the breakfast provided by properties without a lounge or properties with a closed lounge has to be the breakfast that's sold to other guests.

kaizen7

The breakfast Marriott supposedly provide for their elites should be similar to what hotel sell to their customers. especially if the hotel provide buffet breakfast.
However, if the property provide a la carte breakfast (like StR SF) then a separate menu comprise of some select options would be good.

C17PSGR

Or at least equivalent to what is required in those properties with a lounge, all of which involve at a minimum fresh fruit, yogurt, oatmeal, eggs, meat, breads, coffee, and juice.

hockeyinsider

No. The terms and conditions don't say a property without a lounge or with a closed lounge has to provide the restaurant equivelent of a lounge breakfast, which is described in the terms and conditions as a "continental breakfast." It says the property has to provide "breakfast in restaurant."

Moreover, Marriott's intent was clear when it launched the new breakfast benefit in 2018. This was supposed to be the breakfast that is offered in the hotel restaurant, especially at resort-designated properties where breakfast is a choice and not an obligatory benefit.

I think the issue is the hotel development division and the hotel management division, which respectively determine the standards of brands and the standards of management, have different motivations than the loyalty division, which wrote the breakfast benefit.

Marriott's hotel development and hotel management divisions seek to maximize profits by lowering costs. In the case of the management division, they presumably operate within a budget approved by the property's owner or its asset manager. By contrast, Marriott's loyalty division seeks to maximize revenue through marketing and customer service.

It's unclear what happens in the case of a dispute between the divisions, but judging from how some properties have gotten away with not offering a real breakfast it would seem there is nothing stopping a property from breaking the rules.

WillBarrett_68

Right, so why do you think your personal interpretation of "breakfast" is the only allowable one?

GrayAnderson

I think I can slap the Metropolitan Hotel Vancouver (Renaissance) on this list...their "breakfast offering" that was comped was a meatless continental (pastries, coffee, etc.) that was listed at the mildly insulting price of CAD20 in the hotel restaurant (at that rate I'll just go to Tim Horton's). I would give them a limited pass...they appear to have just converted in from being independent, and they let me take 750 points/night instead (since they lack a lounge and this was in lieu of the lounge) but I don't think the breakfast offering they tried to sneak by meets with the standards they're supposed to offer.

Edit: To be clear, the hotel offered a full breakfast for an additional CAD7 or so, but as far as I could tell it was "take the continental or pay full price". I had actually originally taken the breakfast option (there was no mention of "continental" when it was offered) since there were two of us in the room...but after realizing that they were being cheapskates about this, they agreed to take back the free breakfast cards (unused) and give me the 1500 points in lieu.

I'm wondering if this is worth complaining about since it is clear that they're "cheaping out" on the offering (technically it's "in the restaurant" but it doesn't strike me as a reasonable interpretation of a "restaurant breakfast").

hockeyinsider

I'm an originalist. My interpretation is based upon a plain reading of the terms and conditions as the words are written and generally understood to mean. I don't read anything into the terms that isn't actually printed. My interpretation is supported by what Marriott's loyalty program executives have publicly said was their intent.

hockeyinsider

The more people who complain the more likely it is that Marriott will force properties to comply.

Every lounge breakfast in North America has always had sausage or bacon, hot eggs, yogurt, oatmeal and cereal. If that's the very minimum for what's defined in the terms and conditions as a "continental breakfast" then that's what the very minimum the property should have to provide in the restaurant.

WillBarrett_68

Yes, I understand what your interpretation is based on. That's not what I asked.

Reid

Might as well throw the Sheraton Lincoln Harbor Hotel on the list as well. They will not offer the platinum/titanium welcome benefit for the breakfast in the restaurant. Requested numerous times, escalated to manager on duty, and then escalated to corporate (case was closed by the hotel without response twice). At the end, the benefit was not honored, and the platinum guarantee compensation was not paid out. The hotel is under the impression that if the lounge is open, they do not need to offer that welcome gift option. Even a link to the terms would not sway them.