Are "Airport" properties expected to have shuttles?
 

My take is YES.

If there is no airport shuttle to/from the airport then Marriott Corp should not allow a hotel to use the word "Airport" in its name.

I think there is an implied assumption that "airport" means shuttle. Otherwise just call the hotel by the name of the town it is in.

Example - Manchester Airport Marriott in UK - no shuttle - have to take taxi.

Also - if a hotel has a shuttle but does not operation the shuttle during some flight times - should the hotel be responsible for providing transportation when "airport" is used in the name.

Example - Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport Marriott Hotel
Runs from 5:40am til 10:30 but doesn't work for early flights (of which there are many at CDG) and for late arrivals. Taxi is 20Euro.

Marriott has been on a big expansion in Europe - picking up many hotels that may not be the most convenient - but paying Marriott to use the Marriott name to get MR customers.

Marriott needs a standard policy on "airport" hotels.

Of course personal opinions will vary. But I do not presume just because they have airport in the name that round-the-clock airport services are offered. They should be very upfront with listing what services they do offer in their webpage so there's no confusion. Any "rules" for naming a property will always have exceptions. Who would know to look for SFO hotels in Burlingame, who even knows where Burlingame is located?

I understand the frustration, but full, prominent disclosure by the property and taking the time to research your needs is the real solution to this problem.

Show Marriott property with no shuttle be allowed to use "airport" in its name?
 

No heathrow hotels of any brand have a shuttle, I still find calling them the heathrow Airport hotels helpful,.

It would be nice if MI made that a standard so one could rely on it without having to do research) but they can't even enforce uniform standards about breakfast to Elites, so don't count on it!

No, don't think just because it has airport means it needs a shuttle. It's the individuals responsibility to check the website or call the hotel to determine if they offer shuttle service should that be desired. Also, what about the Marriott hotels connected to the airport - why have a shuttle service for something you can walk to?

The LHR Marriott and LHR Ren do have a shuttle with a schedule - but you have to pay for it. It is about 4L. But it is a shuttle and the site says there is a fee for the shuttle. The shuttle goes to two hotels but it is still a shuttle - just not operated by Marriott. Exactly the same arrangement as LAX - Ren and Crowne Plaza share - but at LAX it is free - and the shuttle is not operated by Marriott.

The SEA Marriott now charges for their shuttle - a distance that can be walked in 15 minutes. But there is a shuttle.

Saying airport without any kind of shuttle arrangement - to me is not an airport hotel. If you have to pay $30 taxi to get to/from the airport from the airport hotel then not an airport hotel.

BTW - I believe all the hotels in Burlingame at SFO have a shuttle.

Also - I read the site and did not stay at the hotel without a shuttle. So not disappointed - and thus no business to the hotel.

I guess there are enough people that don't read the website that get taken.

The Hotel Hoppa is a paid service for all hotels in the area - not exclusive to the Marriott/Ren. And isn't even that good an option, considering that a taxi for 2 or more would be a similar price and the local buses are free to LHR.

From the Marriott Manchester Airport's transport page:

So not much more than your Hotel Hoppa example, and you get a private taxi to boot.

I would never assume any hotel had a shuttle, regardless of their name, especially outside the US. Actually, not assuming is a good policy in most aspects of life.

At first blush, I agree with you. I always check the transportation tab on the Marriott site for each hotel when I'm depending on a shuttle...

BUT....

I'm siding with the OP on this one. A qualified siding, and not for the same reasons the OP has written...

To find out that the hotel does not have a shuttle, you have to click a few times through a few pages On those pages, you learn the hotel has day rooms because it's only five minutes from the airport, and that you can pay to park at the hotel when you are flying out from the airport. These things make it seem as though there is transportation. The hotel could be a little clearer that there is not when it is touting these options. It does seem deceptive, as if the hotel knows that if they were as up front with the information as they with the options to rent a day room or park and fly people would be less likely to want either.

Does an airport hotel have to have a shuttle? No. Is this particular hotel acting deceptively? Yes, IMO.

Just how far do you want to take this?

Should Airport Hotels be renamed to SomeHotel Airport Walking Distance if they are, and SomeHotel Airport Free Shuttle if they have a shuttle, SomeHotel Airport Paid Shuttle if they have a shuttle but it's not free, SomeHotel Airport No Shuttle if they have no shuttle, SomeHotel Airport Cheap Taxi if they have no shuttle but the taxi is as cheap as a shuttle could be?

(There's a much finer gradation than just whether a hotel has a shuttle or not.)

Btw, sometimes it's nice to able to just walk, and not have to take a shuttle.

(Now, I don't offhand know if Marriott has hotels in easy walking distance to airport terminals. I've seen that with Hilton at FCO, Hyatt at DFW, SPG 4Points at YYZ, Scandic [but now indie] at HEL, etc, but I don't yet recall running into an in-terminal or adjacent-to-terminal Marriott.)

Oh, and some people don't care about a shuttle but do care about a lounge. Should FS Marriotts be forced to rename themselves Marriott Somewhere Lounge 7 Days or Marriott Somewhere Lounge Closed On Weekends, or Marriott Somewhere No Lounge??? :rolleyes:

Ie, if you extrapolate it, everyone has a different feature about a hotel that they care most about, and it's nonsense for the hotel to name itself after what you care about rather than what the next person cares about.

Me, in the case of shuttles, the perennial problem I have is not whether the hotel has a shuttle, not even necessarily when the shuttle runs (but what use is a shuttle if it runs all day but starts at 6 am and you have to leave for the airport at 5:15 am?), but do they have enough capacity on the shuttle for you to always get the next one? (One tour group can take up a whole shuttle and more, and there goes your availability for the next run or two of the shuttle if you didn't reserve the shuttle far in advance!)

There are many, IAH has it between B&C Terminal, EWR is right across the parking lot, PHL attached, Montreal attached, TPA attached, ATL - to an extent by tram to rental car center if you consider that airport property....I could go on, but these are ones I have been to.

And that's fine because it's your opinion. My opinion differs, so guess we cancel each other out.

Cheers.

The difference is that the word "Airport" is already in the name of the hotel, meaning the hotel is using it as an advertising or branding token to suggest something about the location of the hotel in order to get people to book there. No hotel is called anything like the "Marriott London Executive Lounge" or the "New York Courtyard With a Pool".

So I think the question is what is implied by this. IMO:

• Hotel is part of the airport - yes, can use the word "Airport" in the name
• Hotel is walking distance to airport - yes
• Hotel offers free shuttle* to airport - yes
• Hotel offers shuttle to airport at nominal (a few dollars) fee - probably
• Significant expense is incurred to get to the airport (taxi, high speed train, 20 minute drive, whatever) - no, should not use "Airport" in the name

* And the shuttles should serve all flights, even the earliest and latest, even if only on demand at off hours.

Even then, it's not that simple. What about a shuttle that serves all flights that arrive on schedule, but is not available for flights that arrive late at night due to IRROPS? Or a hotel that has a shuttle to the airport with limited seating that you must book the night before, but it's already booked up by the time you check in? I have experienced both.

Rather than decide who gets to use airport in their name based on this criterion, it would probably be enough to have a hard to miss "airport transportation" button on each airport hotel's main page on marriott.com, as well as on the property list page that is generated by a search. Clicking that button should take you to a detailed description of the property's airport transportation options, including limits on hours, capacity, etc.

I also find it irritating when resorts do not use the word "resort" in their name. Not being a resort provides certain benefits. I think if you are a resort, you should say so. Doesn't happen often, but there are several in Orlando like this.

My opinion is that a hotel using the term "airport" in its name will probably be somewhat close to the airport. Beyond that (i.e. services like shuttles, free or even paid, etc.) nothing is guaranteed.

As stated by others, if I want to find a hotel that has shuttle service to an airport? I will check the hotel's website (and possibly even call the hotel directly to verify.)