I checked out of the Renaissance LAX earlier this morning. This was the first weekend where the lounge was not open seven days a week. There have been some cuts in the lounge offerings, but it was somewhat less than I had expected. Room rates have also come down with the best available rate at $99/night. Last year, it was usually $109-129/night.

I am being somewhat vague because I am afraid that Marriott HQ might ask the hotel to cut even more. Now, the Renaissance LAX has a better offering in the lounge now than the Marriott Marquis NYC and probably 80 % of FS Marriott properties in North America.

The CL is open on the weekends for free internet, and you can use the coffee machine and take cold drinks out. The water bottles are now the 10 ounce ones used at all Marriott properties. They used to have their own 12 ounce water bottles. CL rooms do not have free water placed in them, and I did not get any turndown service the first night. I kept the DND sign up for the second day since I did not need any service.

You will see signs by the thermostat where they encourage you to keep the temperature at 74 when you leave the room. They also have a sign in the bathroom encouraging the conservation of water by reusing towels. I kept my temperature relatively cold at night (since it is still winter on the East Coast).

If you want more details, PM me.

Just checked out of Renaissance Downtown Toronto.

For breakfast.. the lounge removed the automatic coffee machine and replaced them with two thermal dispensers serving Starbucks coffee. Once imported Fuji bottled water now replaced with local Nestle water.

During the afternoon no more freshly baked cookies

In the room.. only 1 bottle of water instead of two. Mouthwash, shower gel & shower cap removed from bathroom.

LOL, I just checked out of the Gateway Sheraton where the lounge was open with food ^ this weekend

just curious; why would you stay there on the weekend (Ren LAX); I've dumped all weekend stays at that property and moved them to the Sheraton Gateway LAX

I had two opposite experiences in the last 7 days. 1) Crystal Gateway FS. Their offerings at breakfast were sub-par. They had eggs but no bacon or oatmeal (not even the packaged variety). I was told management had directed the reductions and the attendant encouraged me to complain because management wasn't listening to her. 2) Hunt Valley FS. This was my first visit and I was impressed. They had eggs, bacon, hash browns, assorted berries, pancakes and real oatmeal. I took the time to submit a comment card expressing my appreciation. Absolutely a fabulous job!

Hunt valley could not have been the weekend.. it was closed when I was there

I wish they would survey their elite population on where to cut. For me, breakfast is king. Free water is second. I like an option for coffee in the room. Newspapers are appreciated, but picking them up in the lobby/lounge is ok.

After that I could do without any bathroom amenity except soap, shampoo, and conditioner. I could lose the robes. I would be happy to skip the turndown service. Scales and hairdryers aren't needed (although I am sure many use the hair driers). I read all the new emails and look at their networking website, but these could be scaled back as well.

Anyway, rant off.

Keep the hairdryers Agree w/ a # of other items, especially the scales.

Cheers.

Hmm. Thinking ya'll can "save money" but cutting already paid for items such as scales and bathrobes? Haven't seen any suggestions about cutting the operating budget - don't know how much money is saved by moving "free" newspapers from your room to the lobby. Hey, if you're all so steamed about the "meager" offerings in the lounge, how about closing the lounge altogether in favor of a credit in the dining room? Seems to work at the Stanford Renaissance - they give out $15.00 credit plus a free in room movie plus discount on appetizers. Gee, its gotta be better than what you're all describing in the lounges. With this program, the property is able to manage costs better. The downside is that, instead of walking a little ways to the lounge, one has to actually (gasp!) travel to the dining area. And (gosh!) you'd have to mingle with non elites. Really, given the layoffs we read about every day (and the employee pain I'm sure we are all observing at Marriott), many of the postings have an air of "let 'em eat cake." Is it really all that important? If the economy improves, perhaps we'll all get "real" oatmeal again and we'll know that all is right with the world.

Or do as I do, and stay at Starwoods/Hyatts!

At least for me, you're missing the main point. The CL meets a business need for me, a quick reasonably decent breakfast and quick access to coffee/soft drinks while I am working in my hotel room. I could adjust to lack of soft drinks, though I really do like the coffee. The in-room coffee is not an acceptable substitute. Without these perks, there is really no reason to go full service over a limited service property like CY, SHS, FI, etc. The delta in the quality of the room furnishings doesn't justify the price differential.

Besides missing the point, rln needs to spare us the sarcasm.

Also it would help if his example was based on more than one property. Marriott has thousands.

And he evidently missed the part where we all stated that if GMs were able to meet their budgets & still keep lounges open (or whatever other perks they chose to offer, ala Stanford Ren) they should be allowed to do so. Marriott's taking that option away.

But with rates staying the same & offerings being cut, as Jon Maimon said, the price differential isn't necessarily worth it for FS. And as others have said, since - in the same economic climate - other hotel chains are keeping their lounges open on the weekends, they're changing their stay patterns to go to those chains on weekends now, whereas before Marriott would have gotten the revenue.

Now, about that $140 bathrobe OVMV.

Cheers.

I do not stay enough to juggle status with Starwood, Marriott and Hyatt at top levels. Hyatt's properties don't fit my needs that well in LA. Starwood is not a good fit for my other travel. Although, LA might go down on my list as a travel place since it seems the car rental fees, taxes and assorted crap keep going up.

I used to love the Ren LAX. I will try out the Gateway Sheraton next time.

+1

The FI Charlotte I stayed at last night actually has a better brekkie selection than the FS Marriott Copley last week. Two different towns and properties but I was underwhelmed by the few FS that I stay in to justify the price difference

Dulles Airport is down to one hot item in the evening. No mixed nuts, only pretzels and goldfish. Breakfast is extremely skimpy now. No more complimentary breakfast for platinums on the weekends. Apples are gone at the reception desk. The two 500ml of Vasa water in the room has been replaced with one 296ml Vasa water. Restaurant and sundry shop were closed late Saturday afternoon for the day. Food was available only in the bar. Swimming pool on weekdays is open only from 6 to 9 a.m. and reopens early evening for a few hours.