Courtyard Bistro...
Apr 6, 2012 | 7:51 am
#16
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: MCI - Lee's Summit
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From a reward perspective, is there a points difference between Courtyards and Springhill Suites? Or the others even?
Apr 6, 2012 | 7:59 am
#17
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Jersey
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Lifetime PLT
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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.
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.
Apr 6, 2012 | 11:05 am
#18
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Apr 6, 2012 | 11:08 am
#19
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Apr 6, 2012 | 12:44 pm
#20
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 3,801
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?)
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?)
Apr 6, 2012 | 1:27 pm
#21
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Treasure Coast, FL
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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.
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.
Apr 6, 2012 | 1:43 pm
#22
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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Posts: 1,354
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.
Apr 6, 2012 | 3:23 pm
#23
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: ROA / CLT
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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.
Apr 7, 2012 | 4:47 am
#24
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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 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.
Apr 10, 2012 | 11:52 am
#25
Join Date: Dec 2010
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I know that Bill Marriott used to always complain that people treated the restaurants at his hotels like coffee shops. Breakfast and that was about it, unless you were attending an event in the hotel. Well, I would rather have a nice coffee shop with a good breakfast than the Bistro concept, which is in some no-man's land between an overpriced coffee shop and a bad, overpriced limited-menu restaurant.
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.
Apr 10, 2012 | 3:53 pm
#26
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 149
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.
Apr 10, 2012 | 6:51 pm
#27
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Dulles, VA
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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.
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.
Apr 10, 2012 | 7:32 pm
#28
Join Date: Mar 2003
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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.
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.
--Jon
Apr 10, 2012 | 8:52 pm
#29
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: CMH/CVG
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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.
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.
Last edited by Armani; Apr 10, 2012 at 8:59 pm
Apr 10, 2012 | 9:56 pm
#30
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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.
Cheers.