Just went to make a reservation - website is completely different that it was when I made last reservation yesterday or day before. Did I miss some announcement?

I'd say its trying to support a boutique/stylish image. Lots of floating boxes you click on and come to the front. Once you click on the box, the one you were looking at goes back in the floating boxes. Actually, its very confusing and I preferred the old website which put all the information right up front.

Quite a mess actually� Floating boxes aside (looks like an intro page, where's "skip"?), why lose the navigation menu on the left side? When I go to my account details there's just empty space on the left. Used to be quite a lot of frequently needed links listed.

Just plain horrible. Actually I did like the website how it was 3-4 years ago. It seems that whenever they "upgrade" their website the less functions there is left.

Luckily doesn't really affect me because I have not booked a Marriott hotel for the last 6 months and no plans for further Marriott bookings at all.

Oh wow! Why? The whole left side of the page feels empty. Where did the navigation go? This I don't understand as I used Marriott's website quite a lot actually! I really thought it was a well done website compared to Hilton, USAirways, etc.

I'm at a loss.... Why?

Edit: Hate is a strong word, yet it comes roaring to mind here!

Maybe I just don't like change (can talk to my SO about that), but can we get a "classic view" or something? This is actually pulling me away from watching football right now, and it takes something DRASTIC to do that!

I'll grade it a C minus. It's obvious the marketing people have had the last word on the new site. The moving windows surrounding the booking box have titles like "Packages," "Member Exclusives," "$50 Renaissance Offer," and so on. All designed to separate you from your money. Oh well.

On the main booking box, there appears to be a slider for choosing booking a room, or a "deal," or meeting space - but no amount of clicking on the words or trying to move the slider has any effect.

It's got worse usability over the old site (and no improvements) and it seems to act "funny" with the Opera browser I primarily use. I guess we'll never get that "classic" site option, though.

This is the New Coke of websites. It won't let me search for a hotel, preferring to educate me on "greenness." How do they make decisions like this? A complete disaster.

BLECH!!! Makes me dizzy......

what were they thinking?????

I guess its a pointer, rather than a slider. But ... I'm not trying to find a hotel; I'm trying to make a reservation. It actually took me a minute trying to figure that out. I think the average person will be confused about how to make a reservation.

As for the marketing piece, it was actually better marketing when it had a bunch of specials listed on the page that would catch my attention (however brief). Now I won't see any specials unless I click on deals.

Plus, I seem to have to click the stupid plus sign so I can put in my MR info.

This has to be the brainchild of whoever is trying to create the new Marriott boutique concept.

Usually when there's a new improved web site my first reaction is to dislike it. Then I finally come around after I'm used to it. But this web site is, by far, the worst web site I've ever seen.

There is no window close or skip button for starters. In the past, a special, on the home page, would catch my eye (when I wasn't even looking for anything in particular) and I'd check it out. Now, you don't even know what specials or packages are available unless you click on the correct floating window where these specials are located.

IMO, this is bad marketing. Maybe I should say it's no marketing at all. Nothing tempts me to search for something fun to do for the weekend. There's no information at all that grabs my attention since there's no information at all when you open the site. This is minimalist, to the max, but yet it's busy looking with all those windows.

I never thought I'd hear myself saying that I'd prefer Hilton's web site but that's where I'm at.

This site is not fun to look at. Maybe the site is not completely finished yet so I won't give up hope.


Bobette

The new site is a mess.
First thing that bugs me is anything that moves. The carousel slide show approach is so in-your-face, its pathetic!

Where is the hotel directory?

Floating boxes would have been justified (at least somewhat) in past when people had little screen real estate�.nowadays with big screens there's no need to stack the info if you can display it all at once and without a click. You just have to arrange it cleverly.

Indeed Marriott is not an independent boutique hotel in need to impress with an animated website. It needs to be primarily functional. Somebody forgot that.

This is exactly right. Even if the boxes were all lined up with information on each of them it would be much more user friendly. I feel like I need a pop-up blocker.

Bobette

You have to click plus more on the bottom of the Find a hotel page. Then you click on Explore and Plan and then click on Destinations.