Someone on the Marriott Facebook group posted a disaster of a breakfast sandwich at the Westin Annapolis, and it seems like a lot of people are fed up with the reduced brand standards for breakfast along with the high room rates. Those developers are going to find out what happens when customers stop paying for stays at hotels with crappy service.

 

VA1379 - is there a link?

 

I can't link it on FT. Here's the pic and caption:

"Westin Annapolis 7/27/21
Ordered this sandwich this morning using a breakfast certificate (normally $8!). Hotel had three staff working the Cafe, yet instead of cooking something edible, the hotel has them microwaving these terrible pre-made sandwiches with fake eggs, American cheese and something like bacon. Why sell any food if this is the best you can do?"

Tbh, most hotel breakfasts are not worth the opportunity cost/calories even when they're free. Not sure why this benefit seems so popular (outside of business travel, fair enough in that case) when there is usually amazing food near the hotel

 

I started staying at Marriott properties because of their breakfast buffets. The better properties always had a good one, and Crystal Gateway gives all customers with M club access breakfast buffet in their restaurant. From what I saw online, someone said Crystal Gateway has opened their M Club, but food offerings are reduced from before. It is a convenience to eat in a hotel with a good breakfast, and people traveling with small children often prefer that since it is one less trip needed outside to get a meal. Hotels with good customer service often have above average breakfast and food offerings in general. Bill Marriott wrote about it in his Spirit to Serve book that is from ancient history. He made it a brand standard for Marriott hotels to offer oatmeal for breakfast after he showed up at a full service hotel, ordered oatmeal for breakfast and was told apologetically by his waiter that the hotel did not offer oatmeal for breakfast.

 

I dunno, for me it's nice to save a few bucks with a complimentary breakfast. I generally don't find breakfast offerings amazing at any restaurant; I'd rather spend my money on a nice lunch or dinner.

 

That's fair. Usually, when I eat hotel breakfasts, I just don't eat lunch (because it's usually a lot of food or not worth eating at all IME). Otherwise, I'd rather just go with fruit + milk for breakfast and get a full, nice lunch at whichever destination I'm travelling to.

 

Hmm, I'm having some trouble trying to get my Amex offer to trigger. My stay at a Marriott is occurring next month and I tried to call the hotel to possibly see if I can get the rates paid in advance. The hotel was not able to since the rate I selected was not the prepaid stays. If I go for the prepaid stay rates, that negates the whole savings from using the other rate.

I tried looking around if local marriott hotels were able to sell gift cards but currently the northern california marriotts don't seem to offer any physical giftcards. I was hoping to post in the gc thread:
MASTER THREAD: Current Marriott Gift Card, Cash Back, Tricks & Promos

but that thread appears closed.

Any other ideas that I can try to get the Amex discount?

Thanks

 

Currently I am at 25 nights for the year, do I need to stay 25 more by December end for platinum or what is the user used for this?

 

Just seeing this now. There is no reason why you can�t prepay for a room. I have done this numerous times with various hotels. Perhaps you aren�t using the correct terminology. Call again and tell them you would like a �Credit Card Authorization� to make a deposit on your room. Instead of trying to guess what the room will cost just prepay enough to trigger the Amex rebate and pay the balance on check out.

 

Yes, you need 50 nights for Plat. Or if you are in a country that offers the Marriott Amex or Chase cards, you can get 15 Elite nights gifted to you.

�what is the user used for this?�

Don't know what this means.

 

Sadly, that looks inferior to what one would get at a HIX or a Home2 (for free).

 

sorry, I meant what is the year used for this. Whether the deadline is 31 December is varies based on when member achieved the last status update.

 

The deadline is Dec 31, but your new status takes effect as soon as your 50th night posts to your account. You maintain status for the rest of that year, the following year and until Feb 28 of the year after that. So if you achieve Plat status in Aug 2021, you will have Plat status until Feb 2023, assuming you don�t requalify. Note that this only counts as one year of lifetime status.

 

The Facebook group is an absolute laugh. It's like paying for a seat in a low cost airline and watching things burn around you.

 

What do you mean? That doesn't sound particularly humorous.