Hi guys! Happy Holidays!

I just recieved an email from the St. Louis Marriott West, offering me to select special amenities for my upcoming stay (from early check-in to a $30 cheese tray).

I noticed that they were also offering Concierge Lounge Access for $25 a day!

Is this for real?? You either pay rip off rates for a Concierge Room or you are a Gold or Plat. member!

Hotels have been offering guaranteed lounge excess for "X" $$ for years. You really have never seen this before? I think it is great. If you do not have the status, paying $25 a day could be a very inexpensive way to have drinks/cont breakfast/snacks/water/cookies.

I know it is not the JW Marriott in Cancun, but they have a lounge that will cost you $81 (or $91 not sure) per day, per room, whether you have status or not.

Actually, I like the feature and if I were staying for leisure travel with my husband and I did not have status w/Marriott, that would be money well spent.

Dawn

I have never heard of this before, either (perhaps because I have been Platinum so long, they have never offered it to me).

This doesn't seem like a very good deal for a place like St. Louis, but, of course, everyone's valuation will vary, so I am glad that it works out for you.

I wonder if they place an upper bound on the number of offers they make to limit the number of people who have access to the lounge? Not a huge deal, but, theoretically, if everyone in the hotel took them up on this, then it would defeat the purpose of the lounge.

Perhaps a nice next step would be offering a $25 per night refund to Platinum members who promise not to use the lounge? That would be me much of the time.

Even for STL, I think its too good a value. Soft drinks for three, snacks for three, and some breakfast for three, will surely cost more than $25 outside the hotel.

And I don't think that it is targeted. Its likely send you to everyone booked at the hotel. Otherwise, what is the point of offering a Gold Elite payed lounge access?

But, I mean, I book Marriotts beacause I get the access.

Now $91 is another story and much more acceptable.

If everyone offers $25 for lounge access, than you can pretty much toss the loyalty programs.

I'm pretty sure this is standard, you just have to ask. As I was approaching Gold one year, I had gotten used to lounge access and but a few Desk clerks would not give it to me without paying a fee.

Sadly, I doubt they care how many they can pack into a lounge in this or other manners.

Whether its worth the $25 is very subjective, in my opinion - certainally the more travelers, the better. But solo on a weekday...

A good property with a conscious effort in keeping it stocked well (a rarity outside the West in my recent opinion) might be worth it. Sure, if you compare prices to the gift shop the math might work but I'm not buying $4 waters and soda's anyway!

Most hotels offer lounge access to all members with either a lounge charge or the ability to book a CL lounge room with lounge access. This is not new at all.

Of course, they all sell Club rooms.

However, the charge of $25 is pathetic!

With the Concierge Lounge cut backs that have been reported by FT members, I don't think it's worth the $25.

As a Platinum member I would expect that only Elites and C room guests would be allowed to use the lounge.

If people want lounge access book a C level room or attain Elite status.

Yeap ^

What next an annual Lounge Membership Fee that buys lounge access at Marriott Hotels worldwide

My first taste of a CL was many years ago when we booked a concierge level room for some reason that came with lounge access. Found out what I was missing and it factored into my loyalty w/Marriott years down the road...

I must be missing something. If someone wants Concierge access and doesn't have status, then they should pay for the privilege. What's the issue here?

+1
$25 is a very reasonable price for a Concierge access.

+1

Its okay to pay for the access, as long as they book a Club Level Room at a much higher rate.

Its like Ritz-Carlton, they don't have status, their Club Level Rooms are usually twice the rate of the non-club.

With Marriott status (as with many other hotel programs) the most valued perk is lounge access. If they all chose to sell it for $25 a piece it would make loyalty programs worthless.

IMHO

This should not exist. It is just another lame way for them to generate revenue. 5 years ago, I obtained gold and have been since. I hit platinum this year.

A few years back, one of my contracts took me to an area with a Hyatt across the street. I discussed club level and my Marriott status. They comped me lounge access and it was horrible. Snotty misbehaved obnocious brats in the lounge, touching all the food and putting crap back.

2 years ago, I started to burn through my points. I threatened my kids. I told them their behavior in lounge needs to EXCEED their behavior in church (mute now as most are closed on weekends!)

Ideally, lounges and club level should be for elite members only. I think they should also be offered to silver before the general public. The redneck hillbillies that purchase up have no manners and no etiquette in the CL.

So... everybody who "purchases up" is a "redneck hillbilly."

Does it follow that everyone who exhibits "no etiquette in the CL" must have purchased up?

You begin "IMHO..."

Nothing sounds particularly humble in your stated opinion, as you seem to regard yourself as vastly superior to those you are talking about.

"Elite"... just a few letters short of "elitism."