bruce....maybe close this one and start over?????

(of course, we don't want to get any property in trouble for overachieving!?!?!):rolleyes::)

I agree. Otherwise, this thread will keep reappearing as random FTers throw posts up.

lol..when i first read this i skipped over "posts"..i read it as

.......'random FTers THROW UP!!!!"....... not enough caffeine today...:cool::D

sign of the times with Marriott when you have to take this thread down from the sticky board and thats not a good thing but what is lately with this program

Changes weekly, monthly, or at least too often to chart?
 

Some of the hotels change their Concierge Lounge arrangements as often as some of us pack and unpack our luggage! As much as I would like to have a chart to be able to consult with reliability, sometimes it seems futile, or almost futile, especially when it comes to smaller market hotels or hotels with less competition. While I was in San Francisco recently, staying at the JW Marriott (500 Post Street), they were playing with the hours of the lounge while I was there, and made two different changes to the hours during the 9 days I was staying there. (Oh, and FWIW, a bit off topic, even though it is supposed to be one of the criterion to be a JW Marriott, that particular JW Marriott has discontinued 24-hour room service, I know it bothered me. So if you are expecting that as a feature, it was not available when I was there.)

A smaller full service Marriott or Renaissance with little or no competition for full service business or serious business travelers is OFTEN (but not always) not going to be very flexible on being open on weekends or offer coupons, because they feel they do not have to. A larger full service Marriott, such as the San Francisco Marriott (4th Street) has offered weekend breakfast for years (but is not open on the weekend evenings), and similar is true for the smaller of the two large Marriott's on Canal St. in New Orleans, where they give out coupons on the weekends to their Shula's restaurant, but no weekend evening service. Simple, right? I have been to other full service hotels in smaller markets a couple of months apart, where on my first visit coupons were offered, and two months later at the same hotel, no more coupons.

For that matter, I have never understood why there are generally no lounges in "resorts." MI makes the excuse that these are not business destinations, but I think that is very faulty, because I have been to many conferences for 1,000 to 2,000 people at these so called non-business resorts, which have conference and meeting facilities! The great breakfast exception, and one of my favorite places to stay, WAS the Renaissance Scottsdale Resort. I say WAS, because I used to stay there anywhere from two to five times per year, and they always gave me breakfast, even though they did not have to under Marriott rules, and it was always breakfast cooked to order, no matter what it was and no matter what time of day I rolled in, it was great. BUT, unfortunately, they are no longer part of the chain, as of several months ago, they terminated their franchise or management agreement.

Anyway, bottom line, if it is important to me on any particular trip, I just ask when I make the reservation, if it is a telephone rez, or even better, I call the hotel directly, and ask the questions I want answers to.

Thanks for your input. But until recently (before Marriott started its not 'over-achieving policy'), this thread had value & thus it was a 'sticky'. Because Marriott has decided to go to the lowest common denominator it was 'unsticked', and hence people asking.

But your comment that you now have to ask on the ressie or call the hotel directly is a direct example of how far down Marriott has come. Before - you knew the answer, and/or for crikey's sake, could ask on the stickey thread & get an answer. You didn't actually need to call, especially overseas.

Personally I think this thread should be re-named 'which hotel is doing great by its guests', but that would be 'outing' those hotels who do & setting them up for Marriott's ire/drop down to minimum standards, so we'll keep it as it is. ;)

Edited to add: Bruce unstickied one but he might have unsticked the wrong one. Will PM Bruce.
Cheers.

..or too much alcohol last night. Either way, we both just bumped this thread back to the forefront. Perhaps, we can rename the thread as SkiAdcock recommended.

I propose that we have a different thread, one listing all the properties that have decided to cut benefits to the bare minimum. This list could warn people in advance of the reduction in benefits.

+1. That technique won't out the "over achievers" but still be very helpful in planning which FS properties to stay at.


--Jon

While I agree - wow, how sad is that that we're thinking of such a thing. Just wow...

Cheers.

Front post update - one last time.
 

To prevent confusion of anyone who may stumble across this thread, I have updated the front post to reflect:

if I stay a Marriott on Sunday to Monday, would I eligible for Monday breakfast with gold?

As long as it isn't a CY, then you should have breakfast Monday morning. Note that everyone gets free breakfasts at non-FS (and non-CY) hotels. Gold/Plats will receive CL access and breakfast through there at all FS hotels. If the FS hotel doesn't have a CL, then they will provide you with breakfast in the hotel's restaurant.

FS hotels aren't very appealing for weekend stays anymore.

which has spilled over to weekdays for me; my weekend frustration is now being taken out on MR during the week as well.