raehl311

IF you think missing an amenity is bad, last night I was missing the hotel... Marriott took a reservation for a Courtyard at 10:30 PM, when I arrived at the property 45 minutes later the lot was blocked off with traffic cones and empty except a cruiser from the local PD and one staff member and police officer standing outside the entrance.

Hotel had been closed for quite some time - kicked me over to the Fairfield next door, same rate.

Why is Marriott taking reservations for hotels that are not operating?

Best part was the LEO when I said "I have a reservation for this hotel" and he replied "Looks like you have a reservation for a closed hotel." Ya think?

merrickdb

For a while (and maybe still) the JW Marriott LA was accepting reservations despite being closed, but accommodating all bookings in the Ritz-Carlton LA that occupies the top floors of the JW. I suspect they (rightly) figured that no JW booker would be upset to be upgraded to the Ritz, while continuing to accept bookings under both property names would yield more revenue than just operating under one. I didn't mind!

MSPeconomist

Unclear: Elites get lounge access in JWs but not RCs.

TSTraveler

As most If not all lounges and Clubs were closed, I’m not sure it made any difference.

merrickdb

When I was at the JW/Ritz for 10 nights in late-March/early-April, the Ritz Club was (surprisingly) still open and all guests, including those who'd actually booked the JW, were given complimentary access to make up for all other F&B outlets being closed, so a clear win! I believe they shut the lounge on April 5th.

raehl311

I don't think Courtyard -> Fairfield counts as an upgrade...

sdsearch

During normal times it might for some. At Courtyard, elites get a $10 F&B credit. At Fairfield they (though along with everyone else) get a full breakfast buffet.

Of course, right now, it all depends on the specifics of what the hotel offers. A $10 F&B credit for something you want from the pantry might be worth more than absolutely nothing from a Fairfield which closed the breakfast and didn't even offer small grab & go bags. (I called two Fairfields this week, and one has grab & go bags, they other one has absolutely nothing. I called two Courtyards today, and one has only dry goods in the pantry, while the other has frozen/etc items in the pantry, both have bistros closed.)

LDNConsultant

I know we are in weird times but can't you claim under Marriott Elite Guarantees to get compensation? For Courtyard it would be -$100 as well as additional 90K if you are Platinum/Titanium

TSTraveler

I think you might have missed the whole point of this thread: Marriott suspended all elite benefits and guarantees through July 5 due to the covid situation. They announced that as far back as March 13 but didn't set an end date until more recently. So there is no Elite Guarantee.

(Of course, there never is a guarantee when the hotel is closed or isn't opened/reopened on time, anyway., AFAIK.)

Bravada04

Hate to say it but there is never a guarantee with Marriott. Covid or no Covid.

LDNConsultant

So just FYI - the Ultimate Reservation Guarantee at high level has no requirements on "Elite Benefits and Guarantees".

TSTraveler

At high level? I don’t know what that means.

rylan

I hope you submit a complaint to Marriott Corporate about this. You can start with normal customer service complaint, but probably won't get anywhere or anything.
It is absurd that they took a reservation and never even notified you that the hotel is closed, and then booted you to a Fairfield at same rate when it should be less.

So with the suspension of elite benefits, does this mean its a free for all for hotels to do whatever they want and not provide anything?

TSTraveler

It means that in the midst of this global crisis that the normal expectations and entitlements for hotel operations are suspended. It means that the day to day operations of any hotel—like any business—may be suspended without notice due to circumstances that aren’t always in the hotel’s control. It means that the hotel—like any business—may not be equipped to properly advise at a moment’s notice or to update customers as its circumstances change without notice or due to severe staff shortages and other less obvious priorities (like the health and safety of its staff and customers).

It means temporarily that the onus is far more on us to as customers be sure that a hotel—like any business—will be operational and/or offer the services we want or need.

It means that we should feel fortunate and be grateful that any hotels—like any businesses—are operating at all under these extraordinary circumstances.

It means that—as always—we are free to choose other hotels—like other businesses—if we think that they are better suited to serve our requirements. The fact that the same scenarios are evident with almost all hotels across all chains—like almost all businesses—should be a hint toward how grateful we should be that any hotel might be able to accommodate us.

The suspension began around March 13 and currently is expected to end on July 5. Considering most of us were under stay at home orders for over half that time, I don’t think the onus on each of us is that large considering the extreme and unprecedented circumstances.

Global Adventurer

I just made my first two reservations at Marriott for December and January. I never before saw the benefit of booking with Marriott because the rates are always higher than Hilton. But, since they had cheap package rates for Christmas and the New Year including full breakfast I took the bait. Hopefully by then all full service amenities are back to normal.