nacho

I don't know where this should belong. I'm thinking about putting it in wiki part of the breakfast offering FAQ post but the wiki is pretty full - Maybe we should start a sticky that everyone can add in properties that try to get away with breakfast offering to elites.

Let me start:

Aloft Beaverton, OR - $10 instead of a reasonable breakfast (an entree with a drink). The hotel claims that this is the brand standard.

PTahCha

They did offer you breakfast Most Alofts don't have a restaurant anyways, and continental breakfast is the current brand standard. Used to be a hot breakfast sandwich under SPG, but that was SPG.

The breakfast offering should be listed with each property's master thread.

kumarshah

This seems standard for Alof properties or something. Aloft Long Island City gave us coffee/OJ + bakery items as free breakfast. If you wanted to order any hot food, it was paid.

applesauce

It shouldn't be standard, as much as the hotels would like it to be. $10 is explicitly laid out for Courtyard and AC, unlike Aloft which says "breakfast." As a predominantly US brand, I'm not sure anyone would define a bakery item as breakfast. Cold cereal, side fruit sure. Pastry? No.

cfischer

The OP should report the hotel to Marriott. This not getting away with things, this is clearly 'against the published rules'. Sometimes hotels try to define full breakfast as 'a coffee and a bagel' - that I think are sneaky ways around it and we should shame these hotels. Refusing the benefit altogether is another can of worms I think.

Xero

Unfortunately, Marriott doesn't define what "breakfast" actually is. There is just so much variation. I always call in advance to ask what exactly is included.

The only perk Marriott has that has a universal accepted definition is the 4 PM checkout. I consider that the only "real" perk for staying loyal.

PTahCha

To be fair, here's the actual rule:



Most Alofts do not have a "restaurant", while Four Points do. So $10 to spend at Re:Fuel meets the F&B requirement. Whether it is appreciated is in the eyes of the beholder.

nacho

I did write to the lurker but they completely ignored it. They told me to wait for a reply from the hotel. I haven't heard from them since. If I don't hear from them by the end of next week, I'm going to send an official complaint to Marriott regarding the breakfast thing and my stay.

This is exactly the reason why I want to start a thread to shame these hotels.

The front desk who told me that we only had $20 to spend when we went down for breakfast which came to us as a surprise. We then check if we can make up the $20 and call it a day. So we order 2 sandwich ($8 each and a $4 snickers bar).

At check-out I reflected my concerns to the Director of Sales, he said I could take my 2 drinks as I didn't take them for breakfast because I don't want to pay for those overpriced items. The same front desk standing next to him saw me taking the 2 drinks and she said, "would you like to put them into your folio?" The Director of Sales told her it's ok. 90 mins later I got a updated folio with $12 on and I know the drinks are $8 each (naked smoothies).

I wrote back to the Director of Sales, instead of handling it himself he pushed it to that front desk. That front desk said the general manager told her to charge me for the drinks despite the fact that the director of sales offered them to me for free. I wrote back and asked for the email of the GM and hasn't heard back from her since.

nacho

Isn't Wxyz their restaurant? I have seen multiple Aloft have it.

It depends on how much stuff cost there - a breakfast sandwich is $8, no drink below $4. So you can't get away without paying if you want a drink.

As I said they can throw me a bag with 2 granola bars and a cup of yoghurt and call it my breakfast but is it reasonable? I think most people think it's not reasonable. No one is expecting a buffet spread at an Aloft but it should be something more like a hotel breakfast - you get more than a granola bar and a yoghurt in a Super 8/Holiday Inn Express/Fairfield Inn etc.

nacho

The thing is that I stayed at this Aloft in September and back then I was told I could have an entree and a drink, nothing about this $10 crap. I was surprised that it turned into something within 3 months. I use messenger to ask FS hotel whether their lounge is open during holidays and whether they are providing full service.

Why on earth do we have to do this to a chain hotel? The whole point of a chain hotel is knowing exactly what to expect before going there.

More hotels are fighting back the 4pm check-out perks - one said a hotel claims they are convention hotel and refused his late check-out.

PTahCha

WXYZ is their bar, which is not open in the morning. Also, it does not serve food.

I mean, that's exactly what the airlines serve in coach for pre-arrival breakfast. And in the $10 case, it probably makes more sense to take the Marriott points and have breakfast elsewhere. Or just stay at a limited service property with terrible breakfast.

nacho

I think this is exactly what the hotel wants you to do - take the points or pay partly for their overpriced items.

I really don't understand why people think the breakfast at a FFI is horrible - it's the same cereal and Chobani yoghurt. I use the breakfast to reduce costs from eating out, all I need is to get myself something to eat. So the breakfast benefit is better than 500 points. The CY $10 is a lot more useful as we can use the $20 to get a proper burger for dinner.

DutchessPDX

Sheraton Grand Seattle. Twice they try and tell me that breakfast is in the lounge. Lounge breakfast is small offering vs restaurant which is full buffet. Twice I complain and show them the guarantee which the manager claims to have never seen before. I manage to get $100 off my room both times. This actually happened three times, the first time I just let it go. Second and third time I said something.

hotelboy

Setting a defined amount is totally within the rules with Bonvoy and Marriott will not intervene.

applesauce

The rules are purposefully vague, sure, but $10 or $15 at the vast majority of hotels simply won't buy breakfast of any sort. Even by their vague rules, the hotel is violating the rules of "breakfast in restaurant".


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