It's nice to read an actual newspaper but I don't seek them out. If I want breaking news I can check twitter or turn on the TV for 5 minutes and get everything I need to know. It's a little easier to find interesting columns and investigative reports that are a little less time-sensitive in the paper.

But again, if it's there I'll flip through it but I don't seek it out.

Exactly -- the newspapers have interesting articles that are not time sensitive, such as the obituaries, book reviews, and the Mansion section in the WSJ, and the investigative reporting by the USA Today about the short haul truckers at warehouses/ports losing their trucks and homes.

And people on this thread might not have experienced the shift from no delivery to no availability. The Courtyard Rosslyn had no papers at all this morning. I picked the papers up at the Hyatt Centric on the way to the Metro thanks to the kindness of the desk clerk.

As of last week, the Tysons Corner Marriott and Fairview Park Marriott in Northern Virginia get the WSJ, but keep them in the lobby. They don't take any to the concierge lounge, and they don't have any USA Today papers.

Yep.

The J.W. Marriott in Los Cabos, Mexico, and the Courtyard in Flint, Michigan, had no papers.

Flint stopped papers before this policy change, claiming they only get newspapers when the neighboring Holiday Inn (owned and managed by the same company) has extras. The J.W. Marriott is in Mexico, but normally that hasn't stopped a a hotel from having either a local newspaper or a print out of a newspaper back in the United States.

The Marriott in Auburn Hills/Pontiac, Michigan, gets The Wall Street Journal during the week and on the weekend with copies in the M Club and by the front desk. They also have a local newspaper on Sundays as weekend edition of the The Wall Street Journal is normally gone by Saturday afternoon.

The Marriott in Livonia, Michigan, gets a local newspaper on the weekends with copies by the front desk.

The Anaheim Marriott Suites used to have three tables by the elevators, two with USA Today and one with Wall Street Journal.

I just stayed there this week (first time in a couple of months), and those tables are gone, and the USA Today is in two places on the checkin counter, and I didn't see any Wall Street Journals at all.

Do Wall Street Journals "cost" the hotel more? I understand that USA Today is virtually free for many hotels (since Gannett is more interested in the number of people it can claim "read" it than in the cost to distribute copies to city hotels, since I guess it gets advertising income based on the number of copies circulated).

At the J.W. Marriott in Singapore, which before its re-flagging to J.W. delivered the Financial Times, The New York Times, or the local English language daily The Straits Times to rooms, only has The York Times and The Straits Times (a good newspaper) now. No option for delivery. Two or three copies of The New York Times and a half-dozen copies of The Straits Times were available in the executive lounge. I saw another half-dozen copies of The Straits Times in the lobby across from the front desk.

I had thought the same thing about the cost of the USA Today, but it's been removed from two Houston properties I stay at, an RI and the IAH Marriott. The RI still has the WSJ (and a fake news weekly called 'The Epoch Times'); the Marriott still has some FT, WSJ, and local Houston Chronicle laying around, most days, at the front desk and/or in the lounge.

I'll bite: which FS Marriott charges extra for housekeeping and pool towels? I've stayed at lots of resorts and never run into that.

I've also never run into a FS Marriott without a bellman. Granted, this is only a service I need about once a year (mostly at golf resorts), but when I've needed a guy to help me transport a ton of luggage and golf clubs, one's been there.

Most Marriotts seem to have a guy at the concierge desk, although he's not (and never has been) the same as a true luxury hotel concierge. The Marriott version is a guy who hands you maps and writes down directions for you. Maybe tells you where to find a good pizza. Now that everybody has a smartphone, he's less needed.


I guess the pro-Marriott take would be this: Marriott in 2017 has a lot more "interesting" (and very good) hotels in the portfolio than it did in 2007. Genuine leaps forward, for people who like full-service hotels, are Autograph, a rejuvenated Renaissance, and the whole addition of SPG. I've been staying at quite a few Autographs that have great food and interesting bars, whereas 10 years ago I always felt Marriott restaurants/bars were tired and predictable. The lobby bar usually produced a solid burger and 3-4 craft beers, but you didn't really *want* to be there. So there are some things that are definitely better than they were.

In addition to the resort properties, the Sheraton in Old Town San Juan, Puerto Rico, (not a resort) charges a housekeeping fee.

Outside of marquee properties, I never see a concierge desk.

Very few properties have stationary anymore to write a letter (doesn't cost the hotel anything, but it's free advertising if the guest writes home or someone else on hotel stationary) to say nothing of bathrobes, slippers, umbrellas and other staples of full-service properties. Some properties at least have bathrobes and slippers upon request.

Don't get me wrong. I like Marriott, but I few the domestic properties as unfortunate and only a commodity to get points for international trips.

Ahhh...the Facilities Fee. Sort of a resort fee for places that aren't really "resorts". Agree with you that's a nasty little scourge, hopefully one that does not proliferate or spread into Marriott-land. There appear to be a handful of Starwoods that do it.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...ities-fee.html

I still see them at a lot of places. As in...the stand and a guy trying to look helpful. Again, not that I ever need to talk to the guy or have found out with the skills/knowledge to outgoogle google.

Hmmm. My house is full of pens and paper from various Marriott brands. We sometimes joke that Marriott is really a big notepad and pen company that uses hotel rooms to distribute their product. :D

Perhaps you'd like Ritz? Most of the things you describe from your original list are things I believe they still do pretty well. In-room service with a luxury feel to it, shoe shining, a nice robe, a professional concierge with deep local knowledge, etc. I book Ritz about twice a year...sometimes they pop up in our corp portal at a Marriott-like rate, so I book it just as a change of pace even though I'm passing up elite benefits. Always an enjoyable stay...

It actually appeared as "housekeeping fee" on my bill, if I recall correctly.


I generally like J.W. properties, too.

My issue is hotels constantly reducing services and amenities while raising rates. There is very little that separates average, supposedly full-service hotels from limited-service hotels. A restaurant or bar seems to be the only difference anymore.

I find it fascinating how often I check for papers reasonably early in the morning (e.g., 8am-9am) and they are already out. Clearly, there is actual guest demand for paper versions of newspapers. I'm sure this varies a bit by market, but I am hoping that properties note this and start ordering more papers and/or delivering them to guests who request them.

The Renaissance, Hotel Majestic (Autograph Collection) and J.W. Marriott in Kuala Lumpur still deliver newspapers to guest rooms. English language choices were The Star or New Straits Times, two local English newspapers; The New York Times (international edition); and the Financial Times.

I'm fine with newspapers no longer being delivered to my room.

I'm not fine when newspapers (USA Today and WSJ) are no longer available in the lobby.

At many of the properties I stay at (even nowhere close to the airport) that have a complimentary breakfast (Fairfield, TownePlace, SpringHill, Residence, etc), the breakfast is often from 6-9 or 6:30 to 9:30 on weekdays (the days there are weekday newspapers). So to me "8am-9am" is relatively late, not relatively early.

Obviously, if you're only staying at full service properties where the lounge breakfast runs longer or the restaurant breakfast runs longer, you may not have the same sense of 9 am being "late" to get a newspaper.

IME many people get the newspaper while (or right before) getting their breakfast, so that's why I tie it in to breakfast hours.

I consider it uncouth to take the newspaper out of the common breakfast room if there are only a couple of copies. If there are a stack of a dozen or two dozen then it's first come, first get in my opinion. But one or two copies? That's just plain rude. And shame on the hotel for not ordering more copies.