When will CY wise up?
 

I understand I'm re-hashing an old wound (and subject), but

When will Marriott wise up and offer free breakfast for elites at CY? I consistently, over 50 times/yr, choose HGI or Hampton over CY because of this. Sometimes I can choose a SHS if there's one in the area, but the CY brand suffers because of their breakfast policy.

Who needs room upgrades or other elite bennies when you have such a lovey lobby to not spend time in?

Redesigned Courtyard Lobby Experience

--DD73

I guess they figure we'd rather have the 200 points?

To answer your question, never. Or when its too late and the rest of their (I don't understand how) loyal customers wise up and flee.

I'll never stay in another one again and have gladly stayed in new RI, FI and TPS instead this year. I think the marketing genius who came up with "designed by business travelers, for business travelers" are truly geniuses since somehow they've brainwashed Corporate America into blindly accepting this dog of a brand instead of paying up $10 and getting into a FS instead (where available in the same market)!

From no comp breakfast, tiny TV's, bed bugs, "non smoking" smoked in rooms, noisy hallways with your head against the tiny bathroom, etc., I've had it all at this brand. No more no matter how "pretty" the lobby is or what's for sale in it.

and which rocket scientist came up with the new armoire/desk combo and decided to lose the actual closet....try using that armoire thinggie...i always hit my head on the shelf or hangers! yuck.

Well, someone is choosing the brand. Personally I agree that anytime there is a Hampton Inn nearby that it isn't even a thought to choose Courtyard.....but at the very least if CY is the only branded option somewhere then its better than staying somewhere and getting no points.

But for people that aren't in hotel programs I can understand how CY competes with Hampton as Hampton is self serve limited breakfast (which I actually like most of the time). And they have a solid marketing campaign....

It is what it is and in the US there are enough choices that if desired you rarely have to be choosing a CY.

Hence the genius of their marketing! Treat them shabbily, give them next to nothing room wise, yet they keep coming back for more. Perhaps by giving huge discounts to the Companies in the Office Parks next door they keep occupancy up - but my very generous, world wide corporate discount barely saves me $10 over a FS and that's blown away paying for breakfast.

My CEO used to go around saying how much he liked Courtyards. My translation, he LIKED US to stay in Courtyard due to some notion that they were somehow cheaper than FS's since we are a company of constant travelers (not billable to clients).

My guess is that corporate travel departments are roped into the same misconception and huge amounts of mid to lower level IT project implementers make up a huge part of their clientèle. No offense, just perhaps they are not in a position to complain or do their own thing.

Why should they "wise up"? By all accounts they're doing just fine, thank you very much.

Sure I'd like to see the free breakfast....at least a continental or "fast start" version thereof....for elites. And yes, I don't think the value proposition is as good as the other Marriott brands.

But most of 'em are still pretty good.

Wow! Bedbugs happen only at Courtyards! I never knew. :rolleyes:

Evidently smokers only smoke in non smoking rooms at Courtyard as well.

I stayed at a Courtyard in Denver about 2 months ago because I needed to bounce between hotels to get nights to meet a promotion. I had planned to go back and forth 2 times between a Marriott and CY. The Marriott is one that I frequently stay at and I had never stayed at the CY. But, I really wanted the extra points.

Yep, the lobby at the CY was nice. But after that it was downhill. Elevator slow and dirty, the hallways were very narrow and needed to be painted and have new carpet and the room was just not what I expected. The end of it for me though was the poor internet connection. I could barely navigate and I had a great deal of work to do that night and 2 nights later when I bounced back to this hotel. Needless to say, I stayed the one night at the CY and the next day changed the rest of my trip to the Marriott. I won't be staying at a CY anytime soon.

I find that for cleanliness, quality of service, and a host of other criteria Courtyard is no worse or better than the other Marriott brands. If I'm staying for business by myself during the week I will often pick a Courtyard because I can expense the breakfast although if a FS is available near the same price I will opt for the FS.

On weekends I'm usually traveling with my family. On these occasions I can't remember the last time I stayed at a Courtyard. When selecting a hotel on my own dime I'm looking at the total cost of a stay, which includes breakfast. For a family of four, breakfast alone (with tax and tip) is close to $70 per night. I can always find another hotel, Marriott preferred but non-Marriott if necessary, that provides me with a better value.

Now if Courtyards were to comp me breakfast on weekends I'd have another option to consider.

I've had different experiences at Courtyards. I've found most of them to be quite reasonable and on part with the HGI and Hampton overall. I do wish that they would provide breakfast. Basically I just factor in the cost of breakfast in deciding which property to stay at.

The difficulty though is that I am trying to remain plat at Marriott. Therefore I will often choose a Courtyard for no other reason than to help with my requalification.

I have stayed in one courtyard this year.

They are getting better by now offering the free internet.

Limited upgrades ( ihave gotten an occassional jacuzzi upgrade) and the breakfast is a deal killer.

I also will choose Hampton or Homewood suites. I prefer HS over RI as they are newer, better meals and 10points/dollar

Add me to the list of people who don't like Courtyards but they definitely have a market and seem to be doing quite well in that market. My parents, who aren't big travellers and generally travel with me are perfectly content in a CY despite it's lacking in general perks and amenities.

Yeah, I have stayed at one CY in the last five years (all as PLT) for the reasons mentioned. I LIKE the new lobby. That will make up part of the difference. Now if they offered BF as well, they would get me sometimes.

Greg

You seriously hang out in the lobby?

--DD73

Actually, Hampton is the lowest-end of the Hilton branded properties and is supposed to compete with Fairfield Inns in the Marriott lineup. Hilton Garden Inns is the limited-service Hilton brand that is supposed to compete with Courtyard (and HGI blows CY away, IMO).

The fact that you feel that Courtyard is equivalent to the Hampton Inns is yet another insult to the CY brand (and I agree).

CYs in and of themselves are not terrible, unlike some FIs I've stayed. They are just poor value and there is little incentive for the Marriott Elite level traveler to choose this brand.

If a guest is going to choose another hotel brand over a $10 breakfast, then I suspect Marriott is happy not to have that person's business anyway.

Not really sure how that logic follows. If you have two hotels to chose from, all things being equal, it makes sense to chose the hotel that provides the better value, whether its free breakfast, free internet, etc.

These numbers add up quickly. Last christmas my family of four spent 6 days in Paris. Each Marriott comped the entire family breakfast which average 20 euro per person. That ended up being a savings of over $700.00

The actual price of the breakfast depends on the market. It may be $7 at a CY in Mississippi or $20 for the same buffet at a CY in San Francisco (based on actual experience) plus tip. The breakfast is generally priced 40-60% above what you could find in a local diner (if one was nearby). Don't forget that you do not get points for any incidentals charged at a CY.

The benefit of a included breakfast has already been discussed for leisure travelers. For a business traveler, the breakfast may be expensed depending on the company's travel policy. Some companies offer only a flat per diem so any savings on breakfast can be applied to a bigger dinner (or pocketed ;) ). A complimentary breakfast is a big incentive in that scenario.

courtyards are often well located for me and in a quieter location. However, I rarely stay as they are not usually a good value (all costs in). HGI and Hyatt Place are better values in the cities I visit.

No, of course not but they only seem to happen to me in Courtyards! What's more telling is Management's response (or lack of). They couldn't have cared less about the bed bugs in KC and I got a ear full of how they know a cash paying, no credit card guest is going to smoke but they are powerless to do anything (Alabama).

I mentally counted the number of CY's I've stayed in over the 20+ years and its about 12. Just such a bad batting average of problems experienced obviously shewing my educated opinions.

BTW, I didn't listen to your tag line and came to Denver anyway for the first time. 43 degrees and rain today! So I hate Denver based on this one experience?:) No of course, its beautiful anyway. 10 times in a row, maybe. Boulder Marriott treating me very well.

Get out while you can! Hailstones and blizzards on the way! Katabatic winds will lay you out flat!

Glad to hear the Boulder Marriott is treating you well.

If Courtyard was doing as bad as the posters in the Marriott forum claim, they'd be gone as a brand. Instead, they have a huge penetration in some of the best locations in virtually every market in the U.S. Somebody must like them - and evidently, there are people for whom the "free" breakfast issue is, well, a non-issue.

I do think that with their penetration has come some complacency, and HGI and Hyatt Place are both nibbling away at CY's dominance in the upscale segment.

Rather than breakfast, I would prefer they add a reception or concierge lounge type amenity. I believe it is Hampton that offers a managers reception every night. I have seen one or two courtyards offer this but otherwise not. It is a nice touch to be offered a glass of wine or cold beer with some light snacks after coming in from a long day.

I really can't stand Courtyards. Often I stay in full service Marriotts and it is a shock to go back to a CY (and often the price is not much less than the previous FS stay). On my most recent Courtyard stay in Sacramento I was given a 3:45am wake up call that I did not order! I've seen Fairfields that are nicer than Courtyard. Why do I keep staying? For the points.....

im at the fairfield in coventry, rhode island at the moment and it is nicer than 80% of the CY's i have stayed in.

they have free breakfast and free wi-fi. the staff is very friendly and hotel is spotlessly clean. I saw the manager walking around with one of the cleaning staff instructing them how to clean the hallways properly.

also pre-packaged jimmy dean sandwiches at breakfast kick ... compared to hard fake scrambled eggs in every other joint.

also pre-packaged jimmy dean sandwiches at breakfast kick ... compared to hard fake scrambled eggs in every other joint.[/QUOTE]

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As my grandfather used to say..."Its the little things in life that count" :)

There have been at least a couple of posts in this thread noting other hotels' "free wifi" as if Courtyard doesn't.

Courtyard has had free HSIA for years.

I've been staying at CY's all over the US in the last 18 months, and in general, I've been quite pleased with the remodeled ones. As a Platinum, I've been comped free breakfast about 95% of the time (you have to ask the manager politely - they will often do it). Many corporate rates (think "HAL") will often include free breakfast.

My personal gripe is that FS Marriott's "free breakfast" (ie, the lounge) is quite skimpy when it comes to breakfast... ie, not a whole lot to eat there. The FS lounge also doesn't offer free beer/wine either.

Other than having a "prettier room", why would I want to spend an extra 30-50$/nt for the lounge breakfast, a non-free-booze lounge at night, pay for parking (which many FS do, but most CY's don't), etc?

HTSC

This is exactly the problem many of us have with them - you should not have to "ask politely" or even impolitely. The breakfast should be a benefit and should not be up to the whim of the manager on duty at the time you check in.

Again, compare it to the Hilton Garden Inn. Same type of breakfast as far as cost and quality, but no begging required to get it.

And this week the Denver CY Downtown is treating me well. I normally stay at FS but occasional when visiting Denver I'd like the 16th Mall experience and my company has an excellent rate at the CY. Today the nice Denver weather returned and it was warm enough to drive top down...

The one and only thing I have against CY is that you earn points on room rate only. :mad:

You do have a point :D

HTSC

Some Marriott lounges have nice breakfast offerings - Renaissance LAX, LAS, Marriott Waterfront Seattle, NYC Marriott Marquis, Philadelphia Marriott West, Cambridge Marriott and Tysons Corner Marriott come to my mind.

Most of the ones I listed either don't charge for parking, or they are in areas where I would not want a rental car (NYC, Boston, Seattle). The Renaissance LAX often offers a special weekend package with internet and parking included for less than parking alone. Philadelphia Marriott West does not charge for weekend rates, and the weekday parking is $10. However, they have a great concierge, Luigi, and one of the nicest lounges in the United States.

I like having lounge access for free water, especially on trips where I plan to walk a lot and don't have a car.

Marriott properties without a lounge are sometimes a good deal. The Washington Dulles Marriott Suites in Herndon offers a full breakfast everyday for free to gold and platinum members. They also offer a free gym pass to Sports & Health which is a few hundred feet away. The Westfields Marriott in Chantilly offers platinum members free breakfast everyday and HSIA.

For me, it has been extremely rare for me to have been offered a breakfast at a CY. And, yes, I have worked for a technology firm that has a business relationship with "HAL" and have used the rate in the past.

And what's the grousing about free booze in a FS concierge lounge? Very few CYs offer any bar service period and a scant few more may offer beer in a self serve cooler. None of it is free.

My rant was that few (if any) FS offer free adult drinks in the lounge. HH's lounge often has 'em.

My point is that I don't find the 30-50$/nt upcharge from a CY to really be worth it.

Oddly enough, most of my reservations with "HAL" always have a packaged set with free breakfast coupons thrown in.

JP

you're right i was confused with FS and ren marriott's charging for wifi while CY and FF do not - i did not mean to imply that

been in a different marriott every week for months and am losing track