Booking Concierge level on weekend when lounge closed
 

With more and more CL's closing on weekends, I suggest that Marriott change its website to make that clear when booking.

For eaxmple, I just tried a dummy reservation at the JW in SF for Saturday night. They were quite willing to sell a room on the Concierge Level, with the rate rule promising lounge access, and if you cliched through on the correct link, they disclose that the lounge is only open during the week.

Am I crazy to think that a reasonable, unsuspecting, person will get quite upset to find a closed lounge when the Concierge Level was booked?

It just seems Marriott could do a better job with its disclosures.

Agreed, I think Marriott Concierge should provide an answer on this one. I noticed the new SF Union Square Marriott is doing the same. (Incidentally they have a BAR of $149 on lots of night which is good)

Let me add to that

In my room the Marriott book where they have the hotel amenities etc inside of it..

this has CL open Daily (as in 7 days a week) when in fact it is not

if they are going to change this.. they need to change everything..

this is the Renaissance LAX

The reason several hotels offer concierge floor rooms on weekends at an, other than standard rate, is because the rooms themselves generally include amenities not available in standard rooms. These amenities are what you are paying extra for when you book a concierge level room when the lounge is closed. It is also why the rate for these rooms is generally much lower on nights when the lounge is unavailable.

With this said I can appreciate the concerns you have raised and have passed them along.

Ira

Ira, not to be mean and dont take this the wrong way...BUT to pay, what at least $20-50 bucks more for mouthwash, body wash, a scale and a robe and a bottle of water????:rolleyes:

Sorry...I know you don't make the rules, and you are nice enough to come here and try to help us....just venting..........

I agree though......operating hours of the CL should be disclosed somehow if they vary...just as when a hotel is renovating, THAT info needs to be on the hotel homepage, and on the page where you select a rate....thus avoiding a BUG surprise upon arrival!

stepping off soapbox and going back to perusing....:p

What "additional amenties" are we talking about these days. I have been staying at the Birmingham, AL Marriott (FS) for the past 6-months. Before, on the Concierge Floor, there were extra toiletries such as Q-Tips, Shoe Shine CLoth, more water, etc. These were taken away around the end of December.

I asked the Manager and was told that this is a Marriott directive, and even if that hotel wanted to keep handing them out they could not without running afoul of Marriott.

So why does it state LOUNGE ACCESS? When in fact the lounge is CLOSED?

And what amenities are you talking about?

Mouthwash? GONE!
Slippers? GONE!
Shoe shine? GONE!
Sewing Kit? GONE!
Cotton balls? GONE!
Q-Tips? GONE!
2 Bottles of water? Now only 1!

Mr. Concierge,

First, thank you for taking on the rather thankless task of being the face of Marriott on a forum that seems better designed for complaints than kudos.

A colleague and I have checked into the JW San Fran in the last couple of hours. I am in a small room on the 20th (the apparent Concierge Floor, although the CL is on 21, where there are no guestrooms) , she on a lesser floor. I find no difference between the rooms at all. (I might add, this room has pretty sorry drawer space given that I will be here a week, but that is for another post . . . )

I, of course, knew that the CL will be closed this weekend, so I cannot, and will not claim that I was in any way misled (especially given that I did not book a concierge level room).

And I can only imagine that one day a less aware, but reasonable, person will pitch a fit when they have paid an additional $50 or more for the Concierge Level, and the provision of superior amenities will likely not matter to them.

- Jim Scott

You are kidding, right? As I mentioned in another thread similar to this one, the Dulles Airport Marriott lists a Concierge Floor at $279.00. That lounge is closed on weekends. A Leisure Rate is available for $89.00. An advance booking rate is avaialble for $79.00.

The only way you would find out about the lounge closure is if you click on room details, something that I bet a lot of people don't bother to check. The first words under the room details tab are "This room features Concierge lounge access". Only if you read on will you find the words 'Closed weekends".This not only isn't right, its deceptive.

I can't imagine the disgust one must feel when they book this rate and arrive at the hotel only to be told that the lounge is closed, but not to worry,you do get "enhanced" toiletries. Not bad for an extra couple hundred bucks.

And you actually believe what your puppet masters tell you. It is obvious you have not personally recently compared the CL rooms to standard rooms, or you would not have come to the above conclusion. Blindly following the puppet master's directions undoubtedly helps retain your job, but I would use a bit of common sense when they instruct you to pass on BS like this and try to convince them that doing so is foolhardy at best.

Please thank the puppet masters for insulting our intelligence and if I were you I would ask them for an apology for the egg on your face.

Of course I must say you have a thankless job, and posts like yours just reinforce our growing image of Marriott being way out of touch with its customers and soon to be former customers.

FYI, it looks like Marriott Customers have implemented a new enhancement to compliment recent CL changes. Many are now staying at your competitors properties. Please pass that message on to the puppet masters and tell them to have a great day! :)

Hi Ira,

I'll start off by joining the others in saying thanks for being on this forum, and passing on our concerns.

Just to add to a recent experience ... I checked into the CLE Airport Marriott. I was about to pick up some bottles of water from the mini-mart area when the front desk agent told me, "You are on the concierge level, there is complimentary water in your room". So I get to my room, and find 1 (one) mini bottle of water (must have been around 6 oz at most). Now, granted, I was alone, but 6 oz is a joke (if it had been 3 oz, I could at least have taken it through security at the airport ;) )

Cheers,

GenevaFlyer

Dear Ira:

As others have mentioned, the wording is indeed deceptive because it says many times access to executive lounge but it's not until you click through that you find out it's closed. Some might not do all the click throughs & will indeed be upset to discover, in some cases they're paying $140 extra, for the concierge level when the lounge isn't open, and often the extra amenities you mention are no longer available (per a Marriott directive).

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marri...140%2BBathrobe

During the week, the differential between a normal room and an exec level room might not be that much so worth it for lounge access & the 'hopes' of some extra amenities. But during the weekend, it's ridiculous and insulting.

And as others have mentioned, since other hotel chains do have their lounges open on the weekend at similar pricing to Marriott - which does not - they are talking w/ their $$ & booking at your competitors.

But back to a main point - Marriott needs to update its booking verbiage so that it is not promising something that is not true. I'm no lawyer, but I've got to imagine that someone could indeed make a case for a bit of false advertising or expectations. And that doesn't even include the people who are getting emails from their virtual concierges offering a 'buy-up' to conceriege level - with lounge access, when the lounge is closed. That's doubly-insulting.

Cheers.

Ira,
Appreciate your no-win position here in the forum. I am, like others, venting not at you personally, but at MR corporate.
I do think the selling concierge level rooms (at extra cost) on weekend when lounge closed is not limited to SEVERAL hotels. This practice is wide-spread, affecting properties in Europe, USA and Asia.
I agree with prior posts that MR should clean-up and clarify the description on the web site.

Agree with the above, including the part that Ira is in a no-win situation. But the selling at an extra cost when the lounge is closed is more widespread than Ira believe. Marriott needs to get it sorted.

Cheers.

I'm not sure I recall a single occasion over 25 years of occasional concierge floor rooms at Marriotts in which the in room amenities were of extent or lavishness to offset a closed CL, first encountered a dozen years ago over Christmas at the Renaissance Parc 55, SF. I expected a coupon good for a free continental breakfast then. I expect the same now.

Reduced rates on weekends? You'd better offer them, CL's open or not, because in most big city hotels, on weekends there will be fewer potential guests to occupy rooms. It's called competition, and my loyalty to Marriott extends no farther than the perceived benefit ratio.

I find, no matter the rate, an exclusion from normal benefits on weekends extremely offensive (and quite discriminatory to those of us, like hotel personnel, who are called upon to work on weekends).

I'm an unhappy camper, and with a couple of stays coming up in Vienna (Rewards) and Prague also expect the same sort of breakfast as is provided as part of the tariff in far more modest hostels. That's another "tid bit" which those of us who have traveled in Europe "Pre-Marriott" find a bit off-putting. After seeing how many AMEX Reward points six nights (including a weekend) in Prague were costing me, a boat-load, I'm expecting some accentuated level of amenities including a modest breakfast. Anything less will leave me leaving feeling ripped off.

Projecting hard times at Marriott with current economic conditions? Well, the best way to reduce occupancy levels is to treat long time patrons in a fashion likely to cause them to look elsewhere (especially those who pay their bills from their own pockets).