Renaissance Sao Paulo open on weekends ^

Renaissance Suites in Charlotte, NC: CL not staffed but one can grab few sodas/water from it (not restocked however). One also gets breakfast coupons!

^

I'm typing this from the Executive Lounge at the Prague Marriott. The website said the lounge was closed at weekends, Marriott Customer Care said it was closed at weekends but in fact it has been open fully the whole time I've been here (since Friday).

That must have changed very recently, I was there a month or so ago and it was Closed..... did get breakfast coupons though.

I am begining to agree with you.

Nearly all my stays are at weekends, and that is how i get my Gold Card, I pay full rates myself for leisure only............ the status is now worth nothing except a few extra points because almost every stay this year the lounges have been closed or non existent! :mad:

This year,

Amsterdam Marriott Closed
Brussels Marriott Closed
Monte Carlo (Cap D'Ait) No lounge
Houston Renaissance Closed
Marriott Harbor Beach Fort Lauderdale (twice) No Lounge
JW Marriott Phuket No Lounge
JW Marriott Bangkok OPEN YAY!!!!!!
Boston Waterfront OPEN!!

Future bookings (also for weekends) Newark Airport, Bangkok, Singapore, Phuket, San Francisco.............

Perhaps it is time that Marriott Group Hotels had a consistent system, so we will know for sure what we are going to get.

Either and open lounge with a standard service (which hopefully would be to Asian Standard rather than the lower US or Europe level).

OR

A guaranteed breakfast voucher and a drink in the bar. It costs nothing, and lets face it once in the bar we are very likely to buy another!

Just a suggestion, and I would at least feel a bit valued for my loyalty. Oh and not once NEVER ever ever ever have I had an upgrade to a suite or any kind of special room..... I know right now they alot of empty ones around..... why not do a promotion for Elite Members only...... pay a few dollars for an upgrade, or use a few points for an upgrade. It would increase revenue, and create some goodwill.....

I know the suite next to me is empty this very night....... and I would have paid a bit more for it!

Does JW Marriott Phuket still offer free breakfast for Plats?

They still did as of last December. It was fabulous and so much variety that even after 9 days we were not sick of it.

Actually it does............ and I agree, its probably the best breakfast buffet I have ever seen. Those fresh juices to order and the Salads and stuff are amazing!

Going again in a few weeks, can't wait. Its a fantastic place all around! Rumour there is a Renaissance opening just along the beach in October!

Have you ever ASKED for your upgrade? Or do you just get to the front desk at check in and expect the desk clerk to know you should have an upgrade and give it to you at check in? I ALWAYS ask for my upgrade, sometimes I even call in advance and speak with rooms control to ask for what I want. My attitude has almost always been if I don't ask, I won't get. Sometimes they have it blocked out for me already, but they don't always, and sometimes asking for what I want gets them to check on suites or larger corner rooms or similar and I get something really nice. Does it always work? No, but it works most of the time, with a smile.

No I havent ever asked because I thought they would just think I was being very cheeky and then give me the worst room available!:D

I will try tonight at my next stay............ wish me luck;)

Please let me know. I am taking my wife there in November for our 10th anniversary. So any good advices and info are always welcome. (Staying at JW in Bangkok and JW Beijing as well.

You will love it..... and the JW Marriott in BKK is great too. Make sure you get an Exec Room, because the Lounge there is really good! Breakfast and Snacks are very good quality.

The JW Phuket is very romantic..... lovely sunsets, and a beach that you can really be alone on! Three pools, and great bathrooms in all the rooms.

Not sure about the details of the new Renaissance but will be there next week so will see what I can find out.

No, they would not do that. Keep in mind that some of the front desk clerks do not even know what Platinum and Gold status mean. Other times, no one has paid attention, and it is not a right, it is based on availability, so if the hotel is full or close to full, you may not get it. However, if the hotel is full, and no one is paying for the suites, then they have to put someone in the suites, so they might as well put a Plat member there, which is why I get suites so often when I am at Marriott for a conference. There is a reason for your status, it is because you are the best customer, but sometimes they need to be reminded to look at that line on the computer screen, or they might miss it. So ask, it can't hurt, and it might help! ;)

Very well put TrojanHorse^
I agree totally with one small caveat=I,and others I am sure,do ocassionally travel on weekends for business.And those weekends it really would be nice to have a quick(free)grab and go option since I rarely have time for a proper sit down breakfast and do not want to waste my per diem on an overpriced room service breakfast.

I too have pretty muched moved on to other chains-but still fun to drop by this forum now and then.

I have been getting great rates on the weekends: $95 at Stanford Court; $103 at SeaTac; $119 at Mayflower and so on and so forth.

Maybe we'd all like "free grabs" on the weekend. I would think, however, at these rates we'd all be able to afford a "grab" at the hotel Starbucks or even a nice breakfast at the restaurant.

So how would we have it? Many of us enjoy the weekday perks when on business travel - presumably, in many cases, someone else is picking up the tab.

On weekends, how would you like paying something between the current weekend rates and the regular weekday rates? Worth a "free grab"? I think not.

The argument about comparability between chains, as pointed out before, is not absolute. Many Starwoods, for instance, have no lounges. Some Marriotts over perks throughout the weekends - i.e. a few have lounge access, free internet, discounts in the restaurant, free movies, etc.

For MY money (and I stay almost exclusively on weekends), Marriotts are a great value on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Maybe some of the perks are gone, but the rates are down as well. When business can support higher rates, perhaps the perks will return.

For me - and I suspect for others as well - there is nothing wrong with the current situation. Everyone is entitled to "shop around," of course, and I'm certain there are great deals to be had elsewhere from time to time.

For myself, and others, I will continue to have great stays at the properties listed above and others and will continue to earn points. I recently turned in 70,000 points for a value reward worth four nights at the Royal Aurora in Moscow - $900 per night rack rate. It featured a fantastic lounge but, whoops, no oatmeal or hot dishes at breakfast. (Remember - it was only introduced and always promised to be no more than a continental breakfast.)

This "debate" will never be resolved; there will never be a meeting of the minds. We will each do what works for us best. I simply feel obliged to give my view from time to time to counter the naysayers who seem to dominate the postings.