Exactly GF-I have been in enough bars (in NICE hotels) where the people in them are, for lack of a better word, pigs. I certainly do NOT like to hear the f-bomb thrown around constantly, nor do i want to hear sick, disgusting Michael Jackson jokes. People need a modicum of decorum in public...especially when there are ladies present...although I doubt that some of these so-called "gentlemen" would know a lady if she slapped them in the face.

And the bartenders need to spend less time watching the game and texting, and more time paying attention and politely telling the aforementioned pigs to watch their language...

Stepping down off soapbox....

Yes, I am in total agreement here about the CL's in FS hotels. It is not just breakfast, it is also getting water or other soft drinks out of the cooler during the day, or evening or weekends at many of them. And, to me, one of the most important features, at many of the hotels, such as the Park City (Utah) Marriott, where I stayed last week, the offerings in the lounge every evening were quite nice, and I just filled two small plates two out of the three nights I was there, one with the hot dish, and the other with veggies or cheese and crackers, and took a soda and went back to my room to do some work and get ready for the next day with my new client. Since I was traveling alone, I had no real desire to go to a restaurant myself, and it is always nice to have that choice to either make use of the offerings in the lounge, or go to a restaurant, in case I am tired or whatever. Even when I do go out to dinner, it is nice to be able to not pay $6 or $8 for a dessert at a restaurant, and just stop into the lounge to pick up a chocolate chip cookie or a piece of cake or whatever. Another benefit of the lounge is for meeting a friend or client, since as a Plat member it is permitted to bring in one guest, so better than sitting in the loud lobby bar of most hotels, especially since there are free 'hor d'oeuvres' and couches instead of stools, etc. It is just a much nicer setting. There are many, many benefits to the CL, and it is a vast oversimplification to just say it is about breakfast!

I agree. A lot of the full service properties are pretty sterile environments with the Lounge completely shut down over the weekend. Opening them just as a place to relax and pick up a cup of coffee would be a lot better than closing them down completely and the cost to the property would be relatively minimal; I bet the good will and increased business down the road generated would exceed the cost as well.

I'm also thinking of those ticked off customers who get suckered into paying a $100 or more extra for a CL room and find out that all they get for their money is the same room with a bathrobe stuck in it.

I hope Marriott is listening.

Dont get me wrong here as I agree with you

but how does this affect what you wrote? I assume your std work week is M-F which in essence would still allow you to do this as lounges are open during the week

No, Trojan, actually, I am often traveling on the weekends, and frequently stay at FS hotels F, S, S, and appreciate it very much when the CL's are open, even just for water, soft drinks, fruit, and a quiet place to read the newspaper. In some locations, the CL's are open for service on the weekends, such as the Renaissance Las Vegas (at least it was the last time I was there), and many hotels in Europe and Asia, and I find this very helpful and pleasant. Of course, depending on the hotel, I always appreciate the other hotels, who do not provide weekend service in their CL's, who do provide breakfast coupons, even if they do not have to do so.

Marriott Portland, ME: lounge closed. Breakfast coupons provided ^

I think I'm in the minority here.. Don't get me wrong, If I had my druthers, I'd rather have it open all weekend with b/f and the evening digs.. but on that note, if all lounges were closed AND B/F coupons were given. preferably a full b/f.. then I'd call it a wash and probably not complain.

Part of this reason is that many of the lounges when they were open on the weekend did not offer anything in the way of drinks etc anyway during the non b/f or non evening hours.. heck often you couldn't get into a lot of the lounges so to me its not a huge loss

As I have posted and implied elsewhere, the applicability of BOGO Weekend Night certificates more than offsets lounge inaccessibility and/or the lack of a complimentary breakfast. YM (and complaining) MV.

Marriott has used BOGOs for quite a while now. I do agree that Marriott's use of BOGOs is definitely something to add in when deciding where to spend one's money. But I don't know that I would agree that their use "offsets" lounge changes given that BOGOs were already around and used by Marriott. Marriott has to give something "more" than they were doing to provide that offset, otherwise it might be considered a net "decrease" in their total benefits offerings.

BOGO's Ive used but not a lot; why, the rate that must be used to apply the BOGO is often less than stellar. So for me, this really is a non-issue (BOGO) and doesn't apply to having a lounge open or some sort of b/f coupon. when I multiply b/f times (family of 4); times two weekend days.. theoretically (If one were to purchase in the hotel restaurant, which I personally would never do) , the cost of that b/f is significant

This discussion about breakfast is interesting and constructive, but it seems to me that it belongs in the "cutbacks" thread rather than this one. Please continue the discussion there and leave this one to the subject of lounges open on weekends. Thanks!

Bruce
Moderator

LOndon Grosvenor HOuse cutbacks
 

Staying at the Grosvenor House in London this week, Effective a few weeks ago they are now charging for liquor in the lounge. ALso don;t know if it is any different but the cnapes are the same every day- 1 hot dish.

Definitely appreciate the update, but had to LOL when I saw you posted re: cutbacks directly after the mod saying they should go in the cutbacks thread, not the lounges open on weekends thread, which is this thread. I've got a few questions for you re: the GH cutbacks, so I'll pull up that thread & post there. Cheers.

Baltimore Marriott Waterfront
 

Just returned from the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront and the CL was closed all weekend including Monday (Labor Day) and Tues. (until 5 PM).

At the front desk they told me it was closed for the weekend because of the holiday weekend and also because the occupancy rates were down.

Edited to add that since CL was closed I (gold status) was offered breakfast credit ($29 for two people) in the restaurant, Grille 700. Breakfast buffet was excellent, $15.95 per person, plus tax & tip.

Calgary Marriott
 

Went to Calgary marriott and lounge closed on weekends, however they gave me vouchers for both Sat and Sun breakfast at Trader.

Friendly staffs and clean hotel, I rate this hotel for 5 stars for hotel and its location (closed to everything)