the problem with this arguement is that I can get the same thing

fair price for a good room, good service and good amenity AND MORE for the same price.

To me that makes one foolish to spend money on an inferior product. Product includes the entire package which if it includes b/f.. then thats part of the product

So let me get this clear. According to this poster there are not any FS Marriotts with inconistent service or dumps for properties

comparing Hyatts & Sheratons with Ritz.. well not quite apples and apples. If they are trying to emulate the Ritz.. they have flat out failed.. just b/c one charges for something doesn't make it high quality

Were you drinking when you made these statments?

Marriott's directive not to overachieve, is alive and well at the NY Marriott Marquis (Times Square). Haven't been there since summer '07. Talk about downgrades:

Regular bottled water no longer offered. If you don't want sparkling water (Pellegrino) you must get water from a water dispenser! According to the attendant, they no longer offer individual bottles of regular water and the Pellegrino will be discontinued later this Spring. Sodas will also be discontinued once contract with Pepsi is up this summer. Attendant indicated they may install a soft drink dipenser as the cost per beverage is a lot cheaper than the 12oz cans they offer now.


Breakfast - scrambled eggs, no bacon or other meat. Now, Mini-bagels with large tub of cream cheese instead of individual packets. Mini croissants and mini muffins. No hot oatmeal, instant only. Fruit only consists of Honeydew Melon or canteloupe. No strawberries, pineapple etc. (Apples and bananas were available.)

Lounge very busy Monday and Tuesday (4/6 & 4/7) due to Spring Break. Long Line (10 min) for eggs, bagels, etc. At 9:25am while there still was a line of 10 people, lounge attendants walked through lounge stating, "Last call for breakfast, breakfast ends at 9:30am, if you want breakfast please get in line now!" Really uncalled for considering how crowded the lounge was at that time and the fact that there was not one open table in the lounge, people were standing up eating, etc...

Evening - appetizers consisted of one meat and one vegetarian item, brie, a swiss cheese block, and crackers. No veggie tray or other items offered. No chips, nuts or other snack type items offered.

Dessert - cookies and brownies only. No cheesecake (which was offered every night during my last stay), no other type of cakes or dessert items. offered. (Cookies and brownies are the same as those offered to conference attendees during the afternoon break.)

Basically, there is nothing to set the NY Marriott Marquis CL apart from any other FS Marriott CL in Kansas City, Dallas, or any place else. I would be very disappointed if I paid $70 per night to upgrade to the concierge level and access the CL as some foreign visitors from the UK had.


Regards,

RIP...

How do all the spring breakers get access to the CL?

Thanks very much Ira and the rest of the Marriott team for lstening to our concerns and carefully considering them. we hope to see positive changes on the ground in the near future.

Hey DJ - there is nothing wrong with trying to control costs. I'll bet you most customers do so (and should). Sure, if you are managing billions of dollars you just don't have the time to personally try to book the best deals, but hopefully your PA does.

And there's nothing wrong with making a business decision to not steer more business to a hotel chain and pursue elite status because the benefits are no longer worthiwhile enough to you (I have not made such a decision, I'm sticking with Marriott).

If only RC type of service is acceptable to you (you didn't exactly say that but it at least sounds like that's what you would prefer), then that's where you should concentrate your stays.

I am at SFO Marriott, and am quite disappointed in the number of cutbacks I see on Concierge Level:

1. No mouthwash
2. No body wash
3. Tiny bottle of water
4. No glasses for use with ice bucket (i.e. only 2 glasses in bathroom). Normally 2 in bathroom and 2 next to ice bucket.
5. Concierge Lounge no longer open on Saturday and Sunday mornings - excuse given is that they need to be consistent with other Marriotts - heaven forbid they exceed guest expectations.
6. No WSJ

Meanwhile, I was recently at Sheraton Gateway SFO - not even on club level, and got mouthwash, shower gel, etc.

I don't blame the property itself - I blame Marriott Corporate for encouraging these cutbacks.

Is this sort of event a one time thing or is it happening throughout Marriott

I'm shocked that a property could do this!!!!!

From what I have heard Marriott is no longer allowing individual properties to offer above and beyond on the concierge levels. That means standardized lower level offerings at all properties.

I don't know because this is the first time I have been at this property in about 1.5 years.

Do I detect a bit of sarcasam in your response? (i.e. I know this is going on throughout Marriott)

Seriously, I am switching to Starwood starting tomorrow. The Sheraton Gateway SFO has 42 inch plasma TVs with great channels.

Same in the SEA Marriott although I didn't stay for the weekend, but I do know the lounge is closed Friday nite - Sunday nite.

Let's talk apples to apples. I am staying at the San Francisco Marriott on June 27 - rate is $125 for that Saturday night. Rate for Sheraton - Fisherman's Wharf for that evening is $199. The difference in rates could purchase one heck of a breakfast (not to mention a bottle of water and a newspaper). Sheraton Gateway is an airport property. Don't bother coming back at me comparing the San Francisco Airport property amenities with those at the Gateway. I'm simply responding to the first report and indicating that while Marriott may have made cutbacks, relative bargains are there to be had. I just don't buy the "hunch" offered by many here that Marriott is at low occupancy because they have raised the hackles of Platinum and Gold members. It seems just as plausible that a $125 rate in downtown San Francisco would draw more people in that a $199 rate even if it included lounge access and a bottle of mouthwash.

Can't anyone just accept that Marriott may simply - in its own considered way - be trying to make the best of a bad situation? In another posting the attack is being directed towards the breakfast buffet. Speculation is that fruit may be cut out.

I doubt that will ever happen. Still, some fruits may be taken off the menu. My favorite Marriott - up north - took watermelon off its buffet line about a year or so again. Can't blame corporate for that one. As watermelon is one of my favorites, I was not pleased but did consider that the expense to bring in watermelons on top of the other fruits was simply not cost efficient - just "cutting back" on the amount of watermelon served was not going to achieve the efficiencies that the property was trying to achieve.

Bring the watermelon back and lace it with Vodka and everyone will be happy

Probably since this has been discussed extensively in this thread since December: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marri...es-limits.html

Perhaps Mods can merge your thread into that one.

I've been staying at the Pittsburgh Renaissance M-F's since January. The changes in the evenings in the CL are as follows:

1) The soup is gone.

2) The meat tray is gone.

3) There are no longer any hot meat appetizers.

4) And no more nuts in the afternoon.

The concierge floor no longer has mouth wash and toothpaste and the 2 bottles of water are now smaller. Just been wondering what cuts are coming next?

this all stinks!

BUT...the RI i am in out near Dulles had for breakfast...scrambled eggs, sausage, taters, biscuits and gravy, yogurts, 3 kinds of juice, 2 kinds of moo juice, donuts, muffins, bagels, bread, English muffins, some other pastry, oatmeal, a few kinds of fruit AND plain AND raspberry waffles...and i probably missed something.....

Soooooo......this Corp hotel has their stuff together..(they even hauled me-twice-to Best Buy as my laptop died last night..and i went to get a new one this morning! It's a .shame the FS hotels do not have their stuff together! Wish I could have gotten a decent rate at a Hyatt...well, there WERE, but then they charge 10-20 bucks to park so the rate then stinks!

Maybe i will stop by and see Bill on Monday...wonder if he's going to be at the office!

WHen will the suits learn??!!!!