EDITION and Design Properties - Breakfast included except for award stays?
Jan 11, 2019, 5:49 pm
#16
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 1,394
Correct me if I am wrong, but EDITION and Design hotels do not offer breakfast for Platinum guests, and it is a different issue for Residence Inn. So if I show up at EDITION I do not expect breakfast on an award stay. If they offer it to me, great I am happy and I will note it in my review. If they do not, I will note it as well but I won't complain since it is their prerogative to deny me breakfast. For Residence Inn they offer free breakfast to all guests so it's a different issue, is it not? So if I was denied breakfast at Residence Inn my reaction would not be the same. If my understanding of the rules is off I am more than happy to reset my expectations.
Jan 11, 2019, 6:20 pm
#17
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,196
Nothing matters as long as one can get aircon set to 55 degrees exactly. All other issues are the problem of the OP. Right?
What's up with all the dismissive, arrogant attacks on people?
I am mixed on the OPs issues. I understand why the OP is unhappy if forced to buy breakfast and I would be to; however, Al Maha is different as it is a LC and thus participates in program. Edition does not so they have their own special rules.
Were you allowed to stay free on points and not be forced to buy breakfast or did they force you?
I have never stayed at an Edition and don't plan to unless they give benefits to plats. RC at least give ppes room upgrades now. But as my wife says, she'd rathet have free breakfast than a suite or club lounge access. We all have different preferences
What's up with all the dismissive, arrogant attacks on people?
I am mixed on the OPs issues. I understand why the OP is unhappy if forced to buy breakfast and I would be to; however, Al Maha is different as it is a LC and thus participates in program. Edition does not so they have their own special rules.
Were you allowed to stay free on points and not be forced to buy breakfast or did they force you?
I have never stayed at an Edition and don't plan to unless they give benefits to plats. RC at least give ppes room upgrades now. But as my wife says, she'd rathet have free breakfast than a suite or club lounge access. We all have different preferences
Jan 11, 2019, 7:39 pm
#18
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: NYC,BCN
Programs: DL-PM, TK-Elite, AA-lifetime gold, SPG-Plat
Posts: 453
I saw the same thing for the Design Fresh Hotel Athens - all cash rates include breakfast but award bookings do not mention breakfast. I called the hotel twice and both times they confirmed that all guests receive free breakfast, even on award stays. I will report back in a few weeks.
Jan 11, 2019, 8:16 pm
#19
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DAY
Programs: Rapid Rewards, Skymiles, Hilton HHonors, SPG/Marriott Rewards
Posts: 4,945
Maybe it wouldn’t be “the most important issue on FlyerTalk” if Marriott didn’t make it so complicated.
Jan 12, 2019, 3:01 am
#20
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: SJC/BUR
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, IHG Platinum, Hilton Gold, Club Carlson Gold, Starwood Gold
Posts: 1,088
So much nastiness on this thread. A little civility please, especially as the OP was raising an interesting point. Who wants to stay at a hotel where 2 of every 100 guests are denied breakfast? (the two who redeemed points)
Jan 12, 2019, 6:08 am
#21
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Homeless
Programs: Hyatt Glob; Hilton Dia; Marriott AMB; Accor Dia; IHG Dia Amb; GHA Tit
Posts: 4,838
Maybe because I have not had my coffee yet, but I am not following you. If you book an award stay at Residence Inn, do you get breakfast or not? I always assumed that you do, but I almost never go to RI and I don't recall ever redeeming points there so I might be wrong.
Jan 12, 2019, 6:20 am
#22
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Homeless
Programs: Hyatt Glob; Hilton Dia; Marriott AMB; Accor Dia; IHG Dia Amb; GHA Tit
Posts: 4,838
The fact that breakfast is significantly cheaper than a cash suite upgrade or club lounge access is an indicator that most people have difference preferences than you and also an indicator of what costs more to the hotel. But indeed we all have difference preferences, I can see if someone is not spending much time in the hotel then a small room or big room is irrelevant if you just need a bed, and if you dine out then lounge access is not useful for happy hour for example.
Jan 12, 2019, 6:31 am
#23
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 902
Not all Editions and not all DH offer only rates inclusive of breakfast. A few do. It is not a brand standard. It also happens at a few resort prooerties within other brands as well. For instance, at W Verbier all revenue rates include breakfast, whereas award stays do not. The same with hotels in Costa Smeralda.
There is a slight difference between a hotel that usually includes breakfast with all its paid rates not offering bkfst on award stays and what happened with Al Maha. Al Maha is by design an all-inclusive property: full board is part of the guest experience there and it is unreasonable to expect people to stay there and not having all your meals onsite. With the other hotels only offering bkfst inclusive rates is just a management or marketing option and not a property standard and may even be a seasonal thing.
There is a slight difference between a hotel that usually includes breakfast with all its paid rates not offering bkfst on award stays and what happened with Al Maha. Al Maha is by design an all-inclusive property: full board is part of the guest experience there and it is unreasonable to expect people to stay there and not having all your meals onsite. With the other hotels only offering bkfst inclusive rates is just a management or marketing option and not a property standard and may even be a seasonal thing.
Jan 12, 2019, 6:33 am
#24
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: CLT
Programs: Marriott Plat, AA Gold
Posts: 1,076
I searched for AAA, senior, and my corporate rates and all did not appear to include breakfast, so they’re not treating award reservations different than ALL cash reservations.
Coincidentally the AAA rate was $24 less than the standard rate for the random timeframe I checked (I believe 7/15-7/19).
Coincidentally the AAA rate was $24 less than the standard rate for the random timeframe I checked (I believe 7/15-7/19).
Jan 12, 2019, 8:34 am
#25
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MEM
Programs: Starbucks Green Card
Posts: 5,431
It's clear they're trying to get around the "treat award stays the same as cash stays" rule by folding the breakfast into the rate rather than saying "breakfast included for all guests". It's an angleshoot, they're (probably) in compliance with the letter of the rules but obviously violating the spirit.
Jan 12, 2019, 9:35 am
#26
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: 32.7758° N, 96.7967° W
Programs: AA EXP,SPG 75
Posts: 318
Woah. We are about to stay at a Design property on a reward booking that I knew included breakfast or at least all of the reviews of the place say so. Now that I know this we will just pay for breakfast, but I would have embarrassed myself without reading this thread and me rechecking my reservation. Maybe I’ll make a big DYKWIA stink 
Jan 12, 2019, 10:09 am
#27
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: SFO
Posts: 4,914
IME, the award rate itself should have the same standard language for all properties. Whether the property offers breakfast for all guests, that’s property specific. I would expect free breakfast at Residence Inn, Springhill Suites, and TownePlace Suites because those are BRAND standards. Then there are the one offs. I would not expect free breakfast unless otherwise reported.
This is not just Marriott/SPG. The first one that comes to mind is Park Hyatt Maldives where all revenue rooms include breakfast but awards do not.
This is not just Marriott/SPG. The first one that comes to mind is Park Hyatt Maldives where all revenue rooms include breakfast but awards do not.
Jan 12, 2019, 10:46 am
#28
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: CLT
Programs: Marriott Plat, AA Gold
Posts: 1,076
Woah. We are about to stay at a Design property on a reward booking that I knew included breakfast or at least all of the reviews of the place say so. Now that I know this we will just pay for breakfast, but I would have embarrassed myself without reading this thread and me rechecking my reservation. Maybe I’ll make a big DYKWIA stink
Even for the hotel in the OP, does anyone know if this a recent change or maybe it has always been this way?
Jan 12, 2019, 12:55 pm
#29
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: 32.7758° N, 96.7967° W
Programs: AA EXP,SPG 75
Posts: 318