general45

Yes, and it's a great property to stay at from arrival to departure. I really missed not staying there this year.

SkiAdcock

To answer the OP's question. Yes, it is common to close lounges during low occupancy - usually around holidays (and for FWIW - it usually more the Turkey Day/Xmas/NY holidays but others can be included).

This happens across all chains & may be property specific, but is not specific to Marriott only

Getting back to Marriott, even if the lounge is closed you'll still get free brekkie.

Cheers.

Kacee

That's so not true. Many properties will just give you 750 or 1000 points.

Just happened to me at Marquis San Diego last weekend. Lounge closed for weekend, 1000 points (i.e., about $8 worth), no breakfast.

Oh, and they didn't give me the points, either.

SkiAdcock

Out of the 900 FS properties where one is guaranteed lounge access or free breakfast, only 14 are exempt from the weekend policy & offer 1,000 points instead. Yes, the San Diego Marquis is one of the 14 & is listed as such in the exec lounge sticky.

Executive Lounges Open/Closed on Weekend

The 750 points is an elite's option - choose breakfast or take the 750 points. That's different than the 14 properties of 1,000 points only & no breakfast.

It's unfortunate your 1,000 points/day didn't post, but a quick call to Marriott CS will get them posted easily.

The 14 where it's 1,000 points only on the weekend & no breakfast.

* Boston Marriott Copley Place
* Boston Marriott Long Wharf
* Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile
* JW Marriott Washington, DC
* The Lexington New York City, Autograph Collection
* JW San Francisco Union Square
* JW Marriott Essex House, New York City
* JW Marriott New Orleans
* New York Marriott Marquis
* The Algonquin Hotel Times Square, Autograph Collection
* Renaissance New York Hotel 57
* Renaissance New York Times Square
* San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina
* Monterey Marriott

Cheers.

joshua362

Nice, except that in my very limited personal travels over the last few years, I've gone to 5 of those 14 and blown 40-45k per night to do so. This carve out is absurd. Plus I don't think JW Marriott Essex House, New York City belongs from reading here on FT?

rylan

Those exemption properties should have to pay more than 1000 points per day on the weekend. Or make it 1000 points per person per day.

SkiAdcock

Essex House has officially been on the exempt list for a long time but has chosen to keep the lounge open anyway, which is mentioned in the exec lounge sticky.

Cheers.

joshua362

Or why should there be exemptions in the first place? To force your best, often captive guests into an overpriced $50 pp breakfast?

Kacee

It's a pretty significant list of properties. I've been hit with this at two, Marriott Monterey and Marquis San Diego. Monterey only gave me 750 points.

I agree with everyone's comments about this exemption. These hotels are getting off way too easy, particularly given the room rates they typically charge.

SkiAdcock

I agree that it's a pain that some of the major city properties are part of the 14, but disagree that 14 of 900 is a large amount. I also think that since the 14 aren't resorts they shouldn't be on an exempt list at all. I'm just glad that the 14 has stayed consistent & not increased, & that occasionally you get one like Essex House which keeps the lounge open anyway.

When you call MRCS to get your 1,000 points from the SD Marquis added to your account, tell them to add the extra 250 the Monterey stiffed you.

We're drifting away a bit from the original topic, which is about lounges closing during holidays/periods of low occupancy. That is not unique to Marriott.

Cheers.

jr1202sr

One thing I noticed is the wording has changed:

In Europe, hotels without a Lounge offer a daily choice of breakfast for two in the restaurant or 750 points. This benefit is not applicable when breakfast is included in the rate. In the U.S. and Canada: any time the Lounge isn't open, Platinum and Gold Elite members are entitled to a daily choice of continental breakfast for two in the restaurant or 750 points. A limited number of hotels in the U.S. do not provide free continental breakfast in the hotel restaurant in the event the Lounge is closed, but do offer 1,000 points in lieu of breakfast. These hotels include:

Boston Marriott Copley Place
Boston Marriott Long Wharf
Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile
JW Marriott Washington, DC
JW Marriott New Orleans
JW Marriott San Francisco Union Square
The Lexington New York City, Autograph Collection
JW Marriott Essex House, New York City
Monterey Marriott
New York Marriott Marquis
Renaissance New York Hotel 57
Renaissance New York Times Square
San Diego Marriott Marquis and Marina
The Algonquin Hotel Times Square, Autograph Collection

This is used to only say weekends and the other days the lounge would be closed you would still get breakfast (cont).

I am sure these hotels have EVERY incentive to close the lounges as much as possible. 1K points is not equivalent to a free breakfast as we all know.

I was going to stay at the San Diego Marriott Marquis and Marina over Dec 31- Jan 4th, but won't know b/c 1K points vs 2 Continental Breakfasts each day is not worth it. On top of no free water or an occasional soda.

pinniped

I've run into holiday-week closures a couple times. In those cases, the hotel was more than accommodating...free breakfasts (obviously), appetizers, as much bottled water as we needed, and on at least one occasion a couple bar chits to enjoy adult beverages with the appetizers.

Since U.S. lounge offerings aren't spectacular to begin with, I didn't complain.

But I'd be pissed if a hotel tried to offer a paltry amount of points in lieu of breakfast. I got burned once on that exception list (Chicago Mag Mile - an unimpressive hotel to begin with) and now check it regularly before booking a FS city hotel to see if there have been any sneaky additions.

joshua362

Me too there as well in 2015, horrible place.

And the JW SF last year. My fault for not checking but never again! The JW actually told me the breakfast exclusion was to bring them in line with other JW's in the US since I was there before with the weekend breakfast. GF spent $40 and wasted an hour for the barest of breakfast.

rylan

Absolutely agree. In the case of the Marriott Copley, the breakfast isn't even that outrageous... Champions bar and restaurant and the full buffet is 21, or continental is 16. But even so it is the principle... and those 1000pts are not sufficient. I've been to other FS Marriott where the breakfast costs more and is included.

flyerCO

I've reported as bait and switch to State Attorneys General offices in a couple states. I know at least in TX (my home state) they've taken action on one of my complaints. I've also been told by Marriott, Hilton, and IHG that hotel is supposed to stop selling these when lounge closed, or place a note saying the lounge will be closed. However I don't think they really care.