Gregor

I stay at Rens and full service Marriott's exclusively for business travel 11 months of the year. The other month, I am traveling with my family on points and have historically stayed at RI properties.

This summer, I have spent a lot of time at Spring Hill Suites properties and I really like them for family travel. Once I came to terms with needing two rooms since I couldn't get an upgrade (the rooms are all the same!), I realized it was worth it. I've stayed at two of the new "hip and cool" style ones and it's amazing what a few hundred yards of gauzy curtains can do for a place. Sure, its no Hotel Delano, but that's not a Marriott property and there is NO WAY I would bring the kids there. (but it is a cool hotel.)
These new style Spring Hill's (I think there are 5 so far) are very airy and calm. The entrance was identical for both that I stayed in, but thats what happens when you have a formula... in this case it works.

The Spring Hill in New Bern, NC served hands down one of the top 10 free breakfasts I have at any Marriott property in 5 years of Platinum.

Yea, I know this is crazy talk. But it's true! Try them out.

matchbox20_is

SpringHill Suites is my favorite MR brand. They have everything: Good suburban locations, great free breakfasts, free parking (most of the time), free internet, nice spacious rooms. I haven't had a chance to try one of the redesigned ones yet, but your point is absolutely well taken.

sophiegirl

Doesn't seem so crazy; you aren't alone in loving the new ones....
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marri...-i-81-new.html

kennycrudup

5 or 10 pts/$ at SHS? (Please don't make me look it up on the MR site!)

The FI I'm spending every week in now is very close to the office, and they take good care of me, but they've got the SLOWEST internet in existence (I have to pull out my not-much-faster 3G card most nights to be able to get anywhere) and 1980s-style jackless tube sets. If the SHS brand is 10pts/$ and any better (for what I'm assuming is the same cheap price as an FI) then I'm leaving.

carsonheim

I was just at the CLL SpringHills Suite today

sophiegirl

10 points, I have found then to be the same or slightly higher rates than FI, w/ no consistency in i'net speeds - some are great, some not.

Jazzop

I'm on board with the SHS brand. They tend to be cheaper, better, earn more points, and are located near FF properties, so I can't understand why anyone would stay at a FF anymore.

travelexpert

Hmmm. I too am getting excited about the idea of taking my family on a vacation to an SHS.

Now tell me where they have some properties in desirable destinations.....

CJKatl

VA Beach, right on the beach and across from a really good Italian restaurant. (Although it's not the new, cool bluish green room interiors.)

SHS has become my go-to brand in the last couple years. (Although I just looked at my stays so far this year, and I've actually done 9 Ren nights, 8 FS nights, 7 SHS nights, 6 CY nights and 4 FI/RI nights, so maybe it's not as go-to as I thought.)

jredknapp11

Great brand... try out the new one in downtown Chicago, very nice, also had some good experiences in South Florida as well. I believe the original concept SHS's are in the South Florida area, 5 were built about 10 years ago as a trial run for the brand.

DenverBrian

It only took Marriott 15 years (!), but SpringHill Suites is now the preferred non-full service brand in my opinion, as Courtyard slips to "oh yeah, we have that brand too" status.

If you have a CY and SHS at the same intersection, and both are updated to the current spec, there is no possible reason to choose the CY over the SHS. At SpringHill you get bigger rooms and free breakfast, and virtually every other comparison point is the same.

SpringHill's breakfast isn't as extensive as a Staybridge Suites and doesn't have any "signature" items like a Holiday Inn Express, but it's quite adequate.

elll

I have tried the SHS at IAH and really liked it so much better than the FI I have stay in the past. SHS is now one of the MR properties I will consider when I travel.

CMK10

I stayed at the SHS Galveston two years ago and wasn't impressed. But after all the posts in this thread, I think I should give them another try.

sophiegirl

Most of these posts are about the newer, glitzier, "aqua" prototype. If you find yourself in an older, non-renovated property, you could still be unimpressed. I never liked this brand at all until I hit the aqua model...

matchbox20_is

The new prototype photos look wonderful, but there was nothing wrong with the old prototype either. It was standard Marriott fare in the same vein as its RI/FI/TPS/CY sister properties. 10 points per night, free breakfast, larger rooms. What's not to like?