Problem at a Marriott – Warning Rant
Jul 27, 2009 | 12:51 pm
#76
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: SNA
Posts: 18,599
Your manager friend is mis-informed. Marriott has way more say than that in franchisee operations. My husband used to work for a company that franchised Hiltons, Marriotts, etc. and the agreements really weren't that wildly different.
Also if you choose not to stay in franchised hotels, you are goign to find yourself limited to a very few Marriotts.
Also if you choose not to stay in franchised hotels, you are goign to find yourself limited to a very few Marriotts.
Jul 27, 2009 | 12:53 pm
#77
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: AMS
Programs: A number, but no status no more
Posts: 3,050
freeflyin,
Vicki is right. From a 2007 article:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,288253,00.html
So yes, feel free to limit your Marriott stays to a handful of hotels.
Whatever the franchise contract says, Marriott retains the ultimate power: terminating the contract and thus the flow of worldwide Marriott customers.
Cheers,
GenevaFlyer
Your manager friend is mis-informed. Marriott has way more say than that in franchisee operations. My husband used to work for a company that franchised Hiltons, Marriotts, etc. and the agreements really weren't that wildly different.
Also if you choose not to stay in franchised hotels, you are goign to find yourself limited to a very few Marriotts.
Also if you choose not to stay in franchised hotels, you are goign to find yourself limited to a very few Marriotts.
While the Marriott name is on more than 2,800 buildings, the corporation owns only about a dozen hotels. The rest are owned by franchises, lessening corporate control over their activities
So yes, feel free to limit your Marriott stays to a handful of hotels.
Whatever the franchise contract says, Marriott retains the ultimate power: terminating the contract and thus the flow of worldwide Marriott customers.
Cheers,
GenevaFlyer
Jul 27, 2009 | 12:56 pm
#78
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: DCA, EGE, IAD
Programs: MR LTT, BA Gold, AA LTP, UA Silver
Posts: 6,093
Well then I believe you will have about 10 Marriott properties to choose from as most are franchises. Socrates can probably give a more accurate number, but 10 is close if my memory serves me well.
Jul 27, 2009 | 1:10 pm
#79
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: GNV which is not where we would like to be :)
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Hopefully you took pictures of the dirty bathrooms and any other deficiencies to backup your documentation
Jul 27, 2009 | 1:16 pm
#80
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 8,142
After learning this, I do plan to continue staying at the Renaissance, and possibly other Marriott's, but I am always going to ask first if they are a Franchise or not. If they are, I will not be staying there.
Like I mentioned before this was an isolated incident, and the first real problem I have had. I am still shocked by Corporate not explaining this to me, and am still going to shop and share my loyalty far more than I have been in recent years.
Like I mentioned before this was an isolated incident, and the first real problem I have had. I am still shocked by Corporate not explaining this to me, and am still going to shop and share my loyalty far more than I have been in recent years.
Bobette
Jul 27, 2009 | 1:30 pm
#81
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: RTW
Programs: MR Ag, LH FTL
Posts: 947
10 was the number of hotels owned by Marriott. AFAIK Socrates did not reveal how many of the rest are franchises and how many are managed by Marriott.
Jul 27, 2009 | 2:23 pm
#82
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: DEN
Programs: Recovering after 7 years of UA 1K, Still UA Silver (Which means nothing), Marriott Lifetime Plat Pre
Posts: 1,950
To clarify, I am talking about Private Franchises, these are different than most of the franchises. Private franchises are not managed by, or use anything provided by Marriott, but have their own rules and are not technically part of Marriott other than by name. Most of the hotels do not fall into this category.
Jul 27, 2009 | 2:29 pm
#83
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Baltimore, MD
Programs: Marriott Platinum
Posts: 92
Are the elephants still at the Phuket Marriott?
Jul 27, 2009 | 2:38 pm
#84
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: IHG Spire Elite, Marriott Titanium, AA Plat, WN A-List Preferred
Posts: 267
Again, it's not the problem that occurred but the official policy of the brand to refuse to correct the problem. You can't get far in a hospitality based business by making it your policy to be inhospitable
Even if contractually they can't force their franchisee to do something the CEO can surely provide points or a coupon to compensate for such issues using the corporate budget.
Jul 27, 2009 | 2:40 pm
#85
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan USA
Programs: Marriott lifetime Titanium, Delta Platinum
Posts: 5,485
Jul 27, 2009 | 2:43 pm
#86
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan USA
Programs: Marriott lifetime Titanium, Delta Platinum
Posts: 5,485
I was able to talk to the Manager of my home hotel today. He explained that Marriott has a different than usually policy regarding private franchises.
The Private Franchise is not required to follow any rules or policies set by Marriott, and they set their own policies and rules. They simply pay Marriott a percentage of their income, and can fly the Marriott Flag.
The Private Franchise is not required to follow any rules or policies set by Marriott, and they set their own policies and rules. They simply pay Marriott a percentage of their income, and can fly the Marriott Flag.
Jul 27, 2009 | 2:46 pm
#87
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Finally back in Boston after escaping from New York
Posts: 13,684
Your manager friend is mis-informed. Marriott has way more say than that in franchisee operations. My husband used to work for a company that franchised Hiltons, Marriotts, etc. and the agreements really weren't that wildly different.
Also if you choose not to stay in franchised hotels, you are goign to find yourself limited to a very few Marriotts.
Also if you choose not to stay in franchised hotels, you are goign to find yourself limited to a very few Marriotts.
Mike
Jul 27, 2009 | 3:04 pm
#88
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: DCA, EGE, IAD
Programs: MR LTT, BA Gold, AA LTP, UA Silver
Posts: 6,093
Source: http://www.jwmarriottphuket.com/efactsheet.pdf
Actually I believe most of the Marriott properties that are franchises are not managed by Marriott. TTBOMK most, if not all, of the FI, CY, SHS, and RI franchises are separately owned and operated. I know the Vail Marriott Resort and Spa is owned by Diamond Rock Hospitality and managed by Vail Resorts.
Jul 28, 2009 | 1:50 am
#89
Join Date: Mar 2007
Programs: US Platinum, Marriott Platinum, Hertz 5-Star
Posts: 923
A few years back, I had a problem with a SPG brand hotel that I used to stay at on a regular basis since it was 'next door' to our divisional headquarters. The manager told me want I wanted and I asked for 25,000 points and he gave it to me without hesitation.
Jul 28, 2009 | 3:53 am
#90
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I was able to talk to the Manager of my home hotel today. He explained that Marriott has a different than usually policy regarding private franchises. Basically, when a location is a private franchise, they have an exclusive contract that Marriott has no say over their operations, and Marriott cannot intervene in any customer service issues.
Edited to insert: This is basically a privately owned and operated hotel, not associated with Marriott, paying a percentage to be able to use the Marriott name. This is different than a normal Marriott Franchise. Most normal franchise have private owners, but are managed by and/or subject to Marriott's Rules, vendors, etc. They are required to respond to corporate. As they are part of Marriott.
The Private Franchise is not required to follow any rules or policies set by Marriott, and they set their own policies and rules. They simply pay Marriott a percentage of their income, and can fly the Marriott Flag. They are required to address everything themselves, and Marriott contractually cannot intervene. This does not apply to most Marriott's, who are corporately manged franchises.
It seems like a strange policy to me, and I used to work in franchise operations. But this does explain why Marriott is simply doing nothing, contractually they can't.
The Manager of my hotel said he is still shocked that the hotel would behave in the way they did. He wishes it was a corporatly managed location so that they could be forced to respond.
After learning this, I do plan to continue staying at the Renaissance, and possibly other Marriott's, but I am always going to ask first if they are a Private Franchise or not. If they are, I will not be staying there.
Like I mentioned before this was an isolated incident, and the first real problem I have had. I am still shocked by Corporate not explaining this to me, and am still going to shop and share my loyalty far more than I have been in recent years.
Edited to insert: This is basically a privately owned and operated hotel, not associated with Marriott, paying a percentage to be able to use the Marriott name. This is different than a normal Marriott Franchise. Most normal franchise have private owners, but are managed by and/or subject to Marriott's Rules, vendors, etc. They are required to respond to corporate. As they are part of Marriott.
The Private Franchise is not required to follow any rules or policies set by Marriott, and they set their own policies and rules. They simply pay Marriott a percentage of their income, and can fly the Marriott Flag. They are required to address everything themselves, and Marriott contractually cannot intervene. This does not apply to most Marriott's, who are corporately manged franchises.
It seems like a strange policy to me, and I used to work in franchise operations. But this does explain why Marriott is simply doing nothing, contractually they can't.
The Manager of my hotel said he is still shocked that the hotel would behave in the way they did. He wishes it was a corporatly managed location so that they could be forced to respond.
After learning this, I do plan to continue staying at the Renaissance, and possibly other Marriott's, but I am always going to ask first if they are a Private Franchise or not. If they are, I will not be staying there.
Like I mentioned before this was an isolated incident, and the first real problem I have had. I am still shocked by Corporate not explaining this to me, and am still going to shop and share my loyalty far more than I have been in recent years.