I agree. This seems to be about newspaper DELIVERY, not AVAILABILITY. Notice also that the text says, "Your hotel." That seems specific as well.

I imagine hotels will continue to have a few papers around for us old fogies that like them. Just not worth delivering them.

Except has it ever been required to provide newspapers in the lobby?

Completely YMMV but this isn't a cut to me. Haven't read a hard copy of a newspaper in years.

Certainly couldn't fathom making a hotel choice based on whether I receive a free newspaper.

I think the quote "death by a thousand cuts" pretty much implies that a free newspaper by itself isn't a deal breaker but that it along with 999 other "service cutbacks" does start affecting hotel choice.

OT Newspaper circulation metrics need to be adjusted to take into account digital subscriptions and digital viewing. While I mainly read news in a digital format daily, I also enjoy reading a print paper when staying at a hotel. If advertising rates are supposed to correlate to the circulation than both digital (online) and print (hardcopy) need to be accounted for to get an accurate number. My two cents....

--Jon

I haven't either but know plenty of people (and travelers) who read a paper with breakfast as part of a morning routine. I personally eschew both. Just another unannounced take back, what is next?


http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/24313309-post155.html

As I said earlier:

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.

When mergers have reduced the competition to just a few, cost cutting is necessary to pay for them and still meet Wall Street's expectations quarterly.

I heard this from the GM of a Starwood FourPoints I'm staying at as well. Effective Aug 1, 2017.

Next up....cut back on soap and shampoo,

You joke, but most of the limited-service brands already did this when they switched from the "fat" bottles with narrower tops to the awful cylinder-style bottles. Not only are they much smaller, but the last 1/3 of the bottle takes real work to squeeze out.

You're missing the point that this policy change affects all Marriott properties (from TownePlace up to Ritz). Most of them were never "full service" to begin with.

Having said that, I never got consistent delivery to my room of the newspaper to my room at FS Marriotts long before this change, even though the newspapers were generallly available somewhere downstairs, in the lounge (if any / if open), and sometimes even on each floor near the elevator. And I do have it in my online preferences (still showing as of yesterday).

This is a change in delivery (to the room), not availability (at the hotel). Marriott (well, however operates the hotel) has to pay for people to walk around a big hotel in the middle of the night and drop the right newspaper in front of every room (it might be a different newspaper for different rooms, since Marriott added that option). The newspaper only pays at most for delivery to the lobby, right? The hotel has to pay for all distribution beyond that.

Second, what you said sounds clear in high traffic parts of big metros where these newspapers are also available on newsstands. But a Marriott property (not likely FS) on the outskirts of a small town or in a downright rural area, is it still free for them if it's a long way from the printing press (and no other newspaper customers anywhere nearby)?

Now, this wasn't Marriott properties, but I ran into an issue last week where two different properties in two different programs in the same "remote" suburban location said they didn't get an newspaper delivery that morning. I've had that problem once before at a "remote" suburban Fairfield (that usually does have newspapers in the lobby every morning). So obviously there are delivery hiccups sometimes, and perhaps more likely in "remote" places where it's not worth it (to the delivery company) to send a "replacement" delivery (like it might be in a more "clustered" hotel area with lots of delivery spots next door to each other).

Pay toilets in each room!

(Actually, I don't mind the new newspaper policy, but couldn't resist going Ryan Air on this.)

I agree that this was never done consistently. I admitted as much earlier. But a full-service hotel that doesn't deliver newspapers is full-service in name only.