Weekend Breakfast coupons are going away?
 

I just got gold status and am staying at a Renaissance for 8 nights. When I checked in I asked for breakfast coupons and they gave them to me. When I went to breakfast this morning downstairs I gave the waitress the coupon and she charged me 9.00 instead the usual 16 for the breakfast buffet. I went back up stairs and looked at another coupon I had and of infact it said complimentary. Ill called down stairs to explain my situation. They called back a few hours later to tell me I got lucky getting the coupons as all Marriotts are doing away with them and credited me the 9.00 back. Has anyone else heard of this?

Weekend breakfast coupons are optional. Hotels are not required to offer them. I have not heard of them going away across the board, but one never knows. But like I said, since it is not official policy to offer them, I doubt that Marriott Corporate would do away with them as they don't control them.

Sounds like you got an excuse from the hotel, not an accurate answer. It's the alternative some service-challenged customer service folks use to avoid, "I'm sorry."

By the way, some Renaissance (and maybe Marriott) properties provide breakfast coupons (or breakfast credits) as an allowance to whatever breakfast items you choose from the menu or towards a buffet. For example, the Renaissance Vinoy (a resort with no lounge) provides a $20 breakfast credit (everyday) to platinums (but not to golds), and the Renaissance International Plaza in Tampa (a non-resort with a lounge closed on weekends) provides (at least a few years ago when I stayed there) an allowance towards breakfast in its restaurant on weekends.

Which Renaissance were you at?

IME, Most non-resort properties are pretty good about comping weekend breakfasts to elites. Every now and then a little persuasion helps.

I havent encountered anything to suggest that they're tightening the screws on this. Given that the prices of weekend stays are trending up, it would be most disappointing if this started happening.

Weekend complimentary breakfasts are still a fact of life due to "Stay for Breakfast" rates. Coupons will still exist at and be used by hotels that don't used a preprinted comp list or verify eligibility electronically.

Whether they are made available to Plats and Golds is an optional decision made by each individual property.

Washington D.C. Convention Center Renaissance
 

I recently stayed at the Renaissance Washington DC Convention Center. I got a nice upgrade to a junior suite and the platinum gift - but when I asked about the lounge being open - they informed me that it isnt open on the weekends. I asked about breakfast coupons - and they said that they arent offered. I went to my room and thought about it - and called and asked a different person - and the informed me the same thing.

So, I guess at that particular Renaissance they arent offering breakfast coupons on the weekend when the lounge is closed.

I'm finding that, as a plat, more often I'm getting comped breakfast at Courtyards now than I had been in the past. The last three different CY's I've made reservations at all had breakfast coupons given to me at check-in. One had even given me a $10.00 gift card usable at my choice of four local restaurants for dinner. I will say that all of these CY's were near a FS Marriott, so it may have been an attempt to add value for a Plat to stay with them versus the FS Marriott with a CL. Given that CY's have free HSIA, its a no-brainer for me. I will add that these were all weeknight stays, so I'm not sure if the same applied to a weekend.

There is technically no reason to have coupons...the computer systems can handle them---infact MI encourages all hotels to use a paperless system

Im at the Renaissance in Richardson, TX. Its just north of Dallas. Maybe its not a corporate wide thing, but just what the management company over this hotel is doing. I'll ask someone else before I leave about it.

In my experience, I rarely get comped breakfast (via coupon or otherwise) at Ren's; even as a plat. The opposite is true at FS, I am almost always comped.

Last week at an FS it was almost embarrassing - I was at the FS GSO on a $99MEB rate, they comped me breakfast, gave me free HSIA as a plat - and gave us a $40 gift certificate for the restaurant. (It was Mom Day, I had Mom out for a weekend of shopping debauchery :D ) Great staff and service!

This is odd. I recently stayed at the Renaissance Washington DC hotel as well on a weekend stay but received free breakfast coupons for a full breakfast buffet for both mornings for all three people in my party.

I see you did go with the property in Greensboro :)

What a bummer! I even emailed customer service when I got back - and they said the same thing to me! Oh well, based on their responses to my concerns I mentioned to them - I don't think I will be returning. But I am glad to hear atleast someone was able to get breakfast comped!

Who is eligible to receive such breakfast coupons? Is this just for status sleepers?

Markus

Generally many FS hotels offer Gold/Plat members coupon for free breakfast (not full with hot meal but next tier down) when their CL is closed.

Which makes me wonder. Does anyone get coupons in Courtyards? You ask and receive or?