What Would You Do???
 

Long time SPG Plat, but no SPG hotels even close to my next project. Don't ask for the specific location. Just curious what you would do in your situation.

Choices:

B&B: Two minutes away from project site. Great hotel. Everything you need.
BW: Three minutes away from project site. Piece of junk.
Holiday Inn: 20 minutes away from project site. OK. Express.
Fairfield Inn: 35 minutes away. OK. Nothing special about the place, but a relatively new hotel.

What would you do???

I have a hard time deciding, especially considering the really nice place very close to the project site. Close, nice hotel, great staff, great rooms at the B&B. I have a harder time deciding considering I have a hard time giving up my 100+ nights at a chain with a great points program. This would leave me with nothing and no free vacations in the future. What would you do?? Is the commute worth it to be a Marriott preferred?

Additionally, will Marriottt match my SPG status, expecially considereing my 110 nights this year and 150 nights last year? Would you do the daily commute???? If not, is there a fast track to your top level.

And I know about the seach function.

Thank you.

I'm already spoilt my the programmes: I'd go for the Holiday Inn (2nd choice) or the Fairfiled Inn (1st choice). IMO, the earning of points "consoles" for investing more time to reach the office (Having a distnace to the office can sometimes be a plus, too).

Holiday Inn / Priority Club / Six Continents Club
+ earning of points for future stays at InterContinental hotels
+ transfer of points to airline possible. Bad rate
+ many promotions
- not many benefits during a stay

Fairfield Inn / MarriottRewards
+ earning of points for future stays at Marriott or Renaissance hotels. Transfer of points to airlines possible. Best deal are the travel packages (= airline miles + hotel voucher) or the 3 properties on Hawaii voucher
+ AFAIK, MarriottRewards celebrates 20th birthday next year. So there's some hope for a nice promo (but don't expect anything similiar as the Free Weekends @Starwood. Just my guess ...)
- benefits at the high end hotels are much better compared to the lower end hotels. At least it is fair to give more points/better amenities for hotels with (assumed) higher rates.


Getting a comp from Marriott seams to be difficult according to posts on this board. Asking never hurts and a Gold status would also be a nice start (at least more points compared to no status. Silver status can be reached quickly and gives also more points). Some also reported about Platinum challenges ...

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Pictures from hotel stays
Basic Hotel stays/nights/points calculator
Short overview: KLM FD, LH M&M

I'd go for the BB number 1. If it helps you travel, it's worth more than any free hotel stays you'll get in the future.

Go for the B&B. If the chain hotels wanted your business, they would build a closer hotel that wasn't a piece of junk.

[This message has been edited by fried (edited Dec 10, 2003).]

I'd do the FI or HI.

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Sharon

i think you have to decide what is worth more - comfort or points? since you travel a lot, comfort might be a bigger concern? FI are okay but nothing like a full-service Marriott or Sheraton. Sheets are thinner, beds harder, towels smaller, etc... Are the points that important? I'd just get a SPG AMEX or something like that so at least you'd earn some points even though you'd loose some status. Hotel status can always be regained and you'd most likely only loose 1 level for not staying with them for 1 year.

I would probably try the B&B and the FF INN. See if the commute bothers you. If you are working long hours that commute might get to you vs. 5 min away.

I think of all the times I was on long term assignments and had a corp apt or was required to stay somewhere that did not earn points. Certainly I would rather have had the points but sometimes your comfort is worth forgoing them.

I think it would also depend upon how long the assignment will last.
1 month -definitely the B&B.
6 months -probably the FF Inn (I spent many long term assignments @ FFI- it too was a new property at the time. Worked fine for me.)

You might also see if the B&B participates with the idine hotels program. If not, ask them if they would consider it.

[This message has been edited by CMW (edited Dec 10, 2003).]

More questions:

Provided that I have the same exact rate, what hotel chain am I more likely to earn points faster for free hotel stays at high-end hotels, such as hawaii and the carib?

Do both chains upgrade on award stays, like SPG?

I found out that the holiday inn I may stay at is full service. One more plus on the HI side. Thoughts?

While I'm normally a points whore, I'd say B&B hands down.

Assumptions:

Let's say you do 100 nights at the FI next year at about $65 a night.

100 nights x $65 night x 10 pts/$ = 65,000 points. Depending on whether you get comped or not, that might rise to as much as ~85,000 points.

Sure, 65,000-85,000 is a nice chunk of points, but think of it this way:

Option A (B&B):
Bed and breakfast that has everything you need
Location is within a few minutes of your client site
You'll probably build a nice personal rapport with the people who own the place (may or may not be a plus for you)

Option B (Fairfield):
Drive an extra 70 minutes a day
Stay some place that isn't that great
If you stay for 100 nights, the most you'll earn is enough for 4 opoint saver nights at a top level (Cat 6) Marriott resort.

Is it worth it? Would driving an additional 70 minutes a day be worth a ARV of $1000-1200 in hotel nights for future redemption? Maybe for some people, but not for me.

As a side note, I wouldn't even consider the BW and the HI. The BW sounds like a dump, and I feel like you need to spend five years at an HI before you get a free night.


P.S. What's the area around where you'll be working like? I suppose I might change the above approach if the B&B is in the middle of nowhere...it might get kind of old after a while. (Then again, I suppose you could drive to civilization if you needed a break.)


[This message has been edited by snorkmaster (edited Dec 11, 2003).]

Well, if it's a long term assignment, why not try a week at each for the first month & then decide?

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Sharon

Terrific advice from SkiAdcock! I would think long and hard before staying at the HI! Priority Club is terrible, IMHO. I agree with Snorkmaster completely about how long it takes to accumulate anything worthwhile.



[This message has been edited by paradocs (edited Dec 11, 2003).]

Fellow Marriottites: Ask yourself this question honestly: Would you willingly put up with, say, three consecutive months at a Fairfield?
Mark

Good point about testing the waters. I'm sure that's what I'll do.

The B&B is in a town with not a whole lot. Maybe a couple of fast food places, a chinese restaurant, a pizza place, and that's about it. The HI and FI are in a place that has a small airport and plenty of places to eat. Still not that much of a happening place. All have rates at about $80/night. Trust me, I've been spoiled my current project site and I'm not looking forward to this new location.

The HI is full service which also may benefit, but now that I'm hearing it will take quite some time to build up a good enough points balance, I'm not liking it.

I'm guessing that switching to the FI is just as bad as switching from a Westin to a 4pts. I'm getting more and more excited by the second.

I'll update you in a couple of months (FEB) with my final decision. Any more advise on Priority Club vs. Mariott Rewards will be much appreciated.

Thank you!

IMHO, I would go with either the Fairfield or the Holiday Inn. Granted the B&B would be nice, but I personally would prefer the HI or the FFI. In terms of programs, I'd also go with the FFI over the HI because there are more redeption opportunities in nicer places with Marriott (in my opinion). 35 minutes is NOTHING in terms of a commute - I imagine if those are your only options, you're in the middle of nowhere and the commute isn' 35 minutes in traffic, it's probably decent driving speeds. Your company is probably paying for your gas (at 35c/m that's a decent profit your making right there alone!). I personally would go with FFI over HI. I am sure that you could get Marriott to do a status match when they see what your stay is. Just tell them that you have an option between HI and FI & the HI will match status (which I'm sure they will) but you'd prefer to stay at the FI. Talk to the GM of the FI as well, I'm sure that he or she may be able to help you out in getting it done if you need it. Doesn't hurt to ask...

I probably do HI or FI.
I would chech which has high speed Internet.

I actually like the Fairfields and find friendly folks during the breakfast.