From a reward perspective, is there a points difference between Courtyards and Springhill Suites? Or the others even?

Im not a huge fan of the Bistro either. For one, its nice to be able to order room service. However, i also enjoyed the custom made eggs.

having said that, the one thing i do like is that they have the nutritional data on everything and it is easy for me to find healthy options without being tempted to do a whole buffet.

Not really, but w/ SHS you'll get a suite & you'll get brekkie, something you won't get at a CY.

Cheers.

Obviously this isn't brandwide, but the GRR (downtown) CY has a room service menu.

Cheers.

I actually like the Bistro better then the "resturant"

At the CY I normally stay at the only place to get food or drink after breakfast was the "market" YUCK! Frozen Stouffers

So now at least you can get a glass of wine and some basic food.

The breakfast is better for me then the buffet they had before which I never ate (and I stay here well over 100 nights a year!)

The rest of the lobby remodel they did is a joke, but.. (Do they really think a "remodeled lobby" drives customers?)

The only thing I have ever ordered from the bistro is breakfast.

It was one of the egg dishes and it was still cooked to order like the buffet (came with toast, meat choice and potatoes).

I stay about 60% of the time at CY's because of their location to where I need to be and really like their updated rooms so will continue to frequent them.

Don't own my own company so not paying for it out of pocket anyway and my per diem is pretty high.

I do wish they would give a voucher for platinums for a %off or $ amount off for breakfast. Makes no sense to get free breakfast at every other brand (FS CL when open) and not the CY.

The worst thing, IMHO, about the Bistros is the amount of time it takes to order and receive your food. With the old buffet, I could get a seat and have food within 30 seconds or so. With the new Bistro I have to wait in line to order, then order, then wait for the food to deliver. The last time I was at a Courtyard (King of Prussia, PA) this took about 8 minutes total. Sounds like a minor complaint but, especially for the quality of their cr*ppy breakfast sandwiches, just isn't worth it.

I think the bistro food may have started out better than it is now. Several years ago I ended up at the BWI Airport CY, which I believe was one of the first properties to have the new lobby and the bistro concept. I had the blueberry pancakes for breakfast a couple times, which were freshly made and quite tasty. They did take a while to come out, but they were good enough that I looked forward to them each morning. No doubt they decided such things were too time consuming to make and decided to go with easier (if less appealing) fare.

Yes, ^
I had forgotten about this as I don't stay at CY much anymore, but the first time I tried to grab breakfast / coffee at the Bistro, it took forever.

What's wrong with a _successful_ coffee shop? The one and only advantage the new CYs have over a coffee shop is they have a "grab n go" case, which I will concede, is a cheap and convenient way to make up for lack of room service.

I just stayed 11 nights at a CY and I didn't buy anything from the Bistro even once. That sure isn't driving revenue.

To be fair, that was a CY that had orderinn.com

I always fail to undertand how these chains justify the new lobbies as something that raises room rates. Now HGI is embarking on the same thing: telling the franchises to put in the new lobbies, by explicitly telling them it will drive higher room rates. Call me a skeptic.

What the heck is the matter with a beef and cheddar sandwich with barbeque sauce for dipping or a buffalo chicken sandwich topped with Franks hot sauce and cole slaw made from scratch? These are a couple of the selections that I enjoy at the Bistro/ They cost under ten dollars - less then most sandwiches found at full service Marriott properties. The Thai chicken soup is great. So I, for one, do enjoy the Bistro. I'm not much of a breakfast eater - if the buffet was superior to the Bistro, I'm not an authority on that. I have enjoyed yogurt, fruit, and granola parfaits that I've purchased at the Bistro in the morning.

I think the reason the Bistros are there is for the liquor license. Booze is a massive profit earner. I would bet that the average Courtyard makes more money selling drinks at night than the breakfast buffets ever did.

It sucks, but it is what it is I guess. I'm at a CY now and luckily there is a Denny's right across the street.

I am not disputing your claim; however, the old buffet breakfast and having a bar are not mutually exclusive. Pre-bistro many CY's still had small bars in the lobby. That was the best of both worlds for me. The only think I like about the bistro breakfast is the Starbucks coffee. Everything else I have tried is overpriced and mediocre. I haven't and have no desire to try dinner in the bistro.


--Jon

I just completed my 6th stay this year at a Hilton Garden Inn over a Courtyard located in the same area. I will continue to avoid Courtyards with Bistro breakfasts until they change them. Since I usually travel with 4-10 other business travelers, Marriott has lost the revenue of over 50 room nights from our group that they had prior to the Bistro conversion.

I also think they now use a poorer grade of complimentary coffee now that they sell Starbucks in the bistro.

Since I am a lifetime platinum, I don't care about room nights and actually now prefer HGI's over Courtyard. Buffets just make better sense for the business traveler who wants a fast and healthy breakfast at a fair price.

Ok, what am I missing? IIRC, incidental spends at CY get you zero points. Therefore, unless there's no other option, it will be a cold day in hades before I spend a dime at CYs for unavoidable incidentals.

Cheers.