hockeyinsider

I'm at a property right now that was "renovated." Great new room design. They replaced everything except the old wooden doors that are scratched and chipped, the yellowed switches and door knobs, the telephone, and the alarm clock-cum-radio. Mind you, they spent the better part of 10 months renovating everything from the lobby to the 11th floor, including the construction of a new M Club lounge, but couldn't replace the little things. I also think they didn't get new linen, but bought new mattresses for the new-style Marriott beds because the sheets don't cover the mattress on the sides.

hockeyinsider

Here's an example from the Marriott Centerpoint in Auburn Hills/Pontiac/Bloomfield Hills (Detroit suburbs), which was just renovated. Why wouldn't you replace the doors, door knobs and light switches?

DJ_Iceman

Penny-wise and pound foolish. It totally takes away from any sense the room is truly refreshed.

hockeyinsider

What's annoying is that Marriott allows this to pass brand standards for renovations. What the heck does a guest think when their first impression of their room is that guest door?

Kacee

So they've millenialized the rooms here. This means:

1. No desk. A shelf under the TV, with a weird stool that's way too high to use with the shelf:


2. A round table and a chair that could be okay, except the ergonomics don't work at all (you sit too far away from the table). Plus the table's no good for working because there's no room to the sides of your computer to put things (like a binder, for example):


3. An "easy" chair that looks kind of cool, and will probably look good for decades because it is so unbelievably uncomfortable no one will EVER sit in it for more than 10 seconds:


Idiots indeed.

CJKatl

Hysterical. The FS around the corner is a nicer hotel IMO, so at least there is an option for those of us who like our desk areas functional and our chairs comfortable.

goodeats21

Wow. That would be pathetic for a Fairfield Inn....can't believe that is in a JW Marriott !!!

Kacee

Apart from the furnishings, the room here is pretty nice. Very quiet. Service is pretty awful. I still like it better than St. Regis, where I had one of my worst stays in a long time recently.

They offer a nearly identical stool at le Meridien SF. I agree, it's almost comically poor design.

silverthief2

We don't want these "enhancements" either. Love, Millennials.

(and I'll tell MR so in the properties where I find them)

hockeyinsider

San Francisco hotels, in general, suffer from awful service.

Kacee

I was thinking the same thing as I checked out this morning. I think they're all having trouble getting quality staff for what they pay given the high cost of living and competition for labor in the bay area.

DJ_Iceman

Which is balderdash given the rates they charge for rooms, parking, etc. They can easily afford to pay more to hire better staff.

EuropeanPete

If I understand the JW Marriott branding correctly, it generally aims at being a 4*/ 5* business-friendly property. So pretty much the very last property to do away with desks. Terrible.

Signed, a millenial.

arlflyer

Taking away desks would probably be enough to get a property pulled from many companies' preferred hotel lists. I know that if I opened the door to my room on business travel and saw that, I'd be on the phone to my corporate TA and headed back to the elevator. Unbelievable.

bhrubin

^^^

This reflects one of the many reasons that I'd never been a big fan of the JW brand in many locations. it's less luxury and more business upscale to me. Particularly this SF property, which always seemed 4* to me at best.

I have had great stays for work at the nearby St Regis (sorry @Kacee, the StR SF is one of my all time favorites in the world), the W, Westin Union Square, and even the Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf. There also are the nearby Palace Hotel and Park Central (former Westin), not to mention the Marriott Marquis.

I've had very good service experiences in San Francisco at all of the StR, W, Westin, and even the Sheraton. As well as the FS, though I like the StR more. (I've also had good service at the nearby Grand Hyatt FWIW and even the Hyatt Fisherman's Wharf). I think those looking for better service may be more inclined to trust the StR, the Palace, and even the W (as well as the GH) more than the JW. Especially if you have Plat or Ambassador status.