kaizen7

Maybe we should make a list of which hotel failed to properly adhere to program t&c.
So going forward FTers can avoid these hotels altogether.

Interesting that these incompetently managed hotels making excuses to reduce benefits when they have high occupancy and then now when they have low occupancy, they making more excuses.

margarita girl

Problem is any list would have to be updated weekly. Things are very fluid right now.

ChurnieEls

I think the takeaway is that, at present, if you don't want to spin the wheel on whether you get your published benefits or not, then you need to be picking a different program to Bonvoy.

scubadu

Completely agree with this, but when I say this people seem to get very angry

Regards

Ryno1234

Random update: The Newark Airport Marriot has a version of the concierge lunge open in the lobby. I was pleasantly stunned. Its behind the restaurant and there is a sign saying "elite members". You sign in and then its almost, kinda sort ish like a real hotel lounge. A fridge full of drinks. Hot buffet style food served by an attendant, snacks and then a few tables to sit and enjoy. It darn near felt real. Not sure why they are not using the space of their old lounge on the top floor, but this is the first i have seen of this at any property and I am in a Marriott or Hyatt weekly. have been since my company took the leash off of us last labor Day. baby steps!

DallaStarwooDelta

Local Sat. night stay this past weekend. As a Plat. was upgraded to executive suite. Offered choice of points or breakfast in restaurant (lounge closed on weekends) and offered either 750 points or $10 F&B credit. Breakfast was buffet or order from menu with no $ cap.

I've always had good luck at this hotel

ChurnieEls

That's great to hear, however it just lays out in black and white the inconsistencies in the brand at the moment.

GrayAnderson

I mean, at this point I don't have much of a problem having hotels be on the list until they make it clear they have their act together. Given that hotel pricing is starting to return to normal in many areas (though I can't necessarily speak to occupancy rates), I feel like the "excuse" of being unable to recruit workers who are willing to take poverty wages is running a little bit thin (especially in areas where worker availability isn't still being squeezed by schools being out of session). I'm sympathetic to some of the managers, but (for example) I don't think it is too much to expect a reasonable pace of housekeeping and other "normal" benefits at prices of over $100/night for a CY or somewhat more for a full-service property.

(I realize that business is, well, busier on weekends than during the week now...but I've had to deal with limited-service situations during the week more than I care to think about. As always, I know it's a first-world problem, but I don't feel bad complaining if the restaurant/bar is closed on the night I'm passing through...it is rather annoying not to be able to get a snack on arrival after a day of driving, especially in a downtown area where things might or might not be open "in the area"...)

MikeBOS

As I've been resuming my travels, I've noticed that the larger chains, notably including Marriott, have not yet restored many services that smaller chains and independent hotels have brought back. Particularly egregious examples are: room service, restaurant service, fitness rooms, spas, parking. For example, at just about every Marriott property in NYC and San Francisco, no restaurants are open, except perhaps for some grab and go, no room service is offered, and even basic coffee in the lobby is not available. At the same time, many smaller hotels (e.g. San Francisco Proper, which is affiliated with Marriott), have all of these services available. The Marriott website usually has language that "per city guidelines" they can't serve food, etc., yet there are restaurants open for indoor dining, and other, similar sized, hotels in the same cities offering these exact services. Hyatt is similarly bad in the same ways.

I have stopped staying at Marriott properties that have cut these services to the bone. Am I the only one who's bothered by this? It seems like you should be able to get a cup of coffee in the morning that's better than the near-instant quality of the in-room offerings at most of these hotels, if not much more than that, for $200-500+/night.

puchong

MikeBOS, I think you are quite right in your observations, The hotels have a grand excuse to cut staffing as well as services and Marriott corporate looks the other way. I have stayed at a few Marriott & Hilton properties during the past month and while some Hilton hotels are making an effort to offer usual services, the Marriott hotels are cutting corners like crazy.

escapefromphl

We were discussing similar topic in this thread, labor shortages (or at least at the wages they are offering) are part of the problem.
Ridiculous Housekeeping Situation [Vent/FWP]

DallasEsq

What bothers me most is the lack of transparency. I guess it’s fine if the hotel wants (or needs) to cut certain amenities. The problem is that the information is not easily discoverable. Saying certain amenities may not be available due to impacts of covid is unacceptable because it’s always the case that these could be shuttered due to unforeseen circumstances. If your pool, gym, and/or restaurants are closed indefinitely, this should be noted on the hotel’s website.

Xero

Ultimately, Marriott properties do what they do simply because they can. Businesses are free to use COVID as an excuse for cutting any service. In most industries, there is no regulation on this.

Marriott and its property owners exist for one reason: to make as much money as possible. Providing hotel accommodations just so happens to be how they do it. This means they will try get away with whatever they can, as long as it maximizes their profits.

If people are willing to book hotels as a price Marriott wants without housekeeping, then housekeeping isn't coming back. Same goes for other services, such as restaurants and pools.

As consumers, all we can do is vote with our wallets. If a hotel does not provide the services you need, then stay at a hotel that does. If you continue to pay to continue staying at hotels with limited service, you are showing that you are still waiting to stay at this Marriott hotel even with the cuts.

born sleepy

Hyatts are worse. My last Marriott stay offered daily housekeeping unless you declined it. My current Hyatt stay has it only on request.

However, I've realized that I don't need my bed made every day, and I can re-use a towel, so it hasn't been a big deal. I don't do that at home anyway.

MikeBOS

And that's what I'm doing. I've already switched ~20 nights of stays I would have otherwise booked at Marriott to other hotels. I was trying to understand whether other people felt the same way, or to your point, just don't care, in which case maybe the hotels are actually better off eliminating these services...