hockeyinsider

For what it's worth, the Courtyard in Flint (by the airport) no longer has its own newspapers. Until recently, they received a couple dozen USA Today and Wall Street Journals every day, except weekends.

The front desk clerk says the hotel only gets newspaper if there are any left from the adjoining Holiday Inn, a hotel owned by the same company.

mahasamatman

But Fox News doesn't print a newspaper.

Brucemcdou

Thank you to the OP for posting this, as I've been meaning to update my Marriott Profile to remove my request for a daily newspaper. Just did it now. I must have placed it on my profile back in the dark ages when I read a physical paper in the hotel gym or at breakfast! I have dumped countless newspapers straight into the wastebasket since I'm going to read the paper on my iPad anyway. Now that is me being wasteful!

To the OP, I've seen consistent newspaper (WSJ) delivery M-F at full-service brands in the US as long as I've been a Marriott member. Not on weekends, and not in limited service hotels like Courtyard or Townplace suites. Don't believe I've seen them in international hotels either but again, I haven't been looking for them as I read the news (NYT, WSJ, local paper) on my iPad every day whether I'm at home or travelling.

apodo77

Fixed your post for you.

rrz518

Yes - it's an official dictate - paper versions of newspapers are no longer a brand standard. The hotel would presumably lose the bulk discount thus limiting any desire to keep purchasing them.

I think it's a mixed bag - while the physical paper is nice to have, there is a cost to purchase, and a cost to dispose of. (Imagine 1000 papers per day in a dumpster....). Worse, many/most of them go unused.

Fake news commentary aside, USA Today (and WSJ) are both politically polarizing (particularly USA Today). The best use (for me) is to line my cat's litter box....the furries don't care much about the content.

Long Train Runnin

I asked a friend who works at a Marriott. This is right off the screen at the front desk.

SpicyMorale

Can confirm (summer employee).

joshua362

Oh my. No notice as usual. Not even a going green double speak. Another death by a thousand cuts.

SkiAdcock

The screen says no longer required to provide newspapers as of August 1st, but it doesn't say that hotels can't provide them anyway.

Since we've had some reports post August 1st of properties still providing them, this seems like all things Marriott - depends on the property.

Cheers.

hockeyinsider

Just when does a "full-service" hotel become the hotel version of a low-cost carrier when it:

- No longer provides a newspaper.
- No longer offers in-room dining (many Marriott hotels now only offer grab-and-go, even if you order "room service" you get the food in boxes and a bag with plastic flatware).
- No longer provides slippers or a bathrobe as a brand standard.
- Doesn't have shoe shining.
- Doesn't have real bellmen.
- Doesn't have a concierge.
- Asks you to tip for housekeeping.
- Charges you for the fitness room, internet, housekeeping and pool towels, as some/many Marriott "resorts" do.

hockeyinsider

Reminds me of a few infamous discussions on the lounge thread that interpret a breakfast at a hotel with a closed/non-existent lounge to consist of toast, jam heavy on sugar/corn syrup and light on fruit, concentrated juice and industrial coffee.

Because a hotel may not be required to provide newspapers to individual rooms it will likely get away with only having 1-2 newspapers in the lobby or charging you for newspapers that were previously complimentary.

hockeyinsider

Having worked in the newspaper industry I can tell you that most newspapers, national and local, practically give newspapers away to hotels because it boosts the circulation figure and allows them to charge more for advertising. I can guarantee you that the local Marriott is paying next to nothing for the 25-30 copies of the local newspaper or USA Today.

The same is true for airport lounges. There's a reason why airport lounges often have magazines or newspapers (Financial Times, International New York Times) that aren't generally widely circulated. Having 50-100 copies of the Financial Times in every airport lounge really pads the circulation figure.

CPRich

I just picked one up as I checked in at a Four Points. $2 for 26 pages. I can't imagine anyone actually pays for this at a newsstand, or even by delivery.

ryw

Though it also says that newspaper preferences on customer profiles will be going away soon - I suppose that likely means it'll be up to the property if they want to provide them in the lobby, but no more room delivery.

(Maybe I'm being nostalgic, but I still enjoy the feeling of waking up in my pajamas, and opening the door to find the morning paper waiting for me!)

ohmark

It doesn't even say that. It says that the property would no longer be required to deliver (I assume to rooms) according to the member's profile. This is a long way from saying that all properties will no longer be required to "provide" newspapers.