marriott

Tag Archives for marriott.

249 Hotel Nights Later: How Marriott, Hyatt and IHG Get It Wrong

by Gary Leff on December 16, 2022

Dec 16 2022

An anonymous reader captures something in a guest post that I think is important, based on some pretty extensive experience on the road. Hyatt is great if you can stick to full service properties not owned or managed by bad actors, but there aren’t enough properties and too many limited service ones. So where you going to go? You’re stuck with Marriott, so Marriott can get away with failing to live up to promises and expectations. It’s still better than the alternatives.

Review: Aloft Dallas Love Field With No Shampoo Or Hot Water

by Gary Leff on December 1, 2022

Dec 01 2022

Aloft isn’t one of my usual brands. In fact I hadn’t stayed at one in nearly six years. I needed a one night stay near Dallas Love Field for Southwest Airlines Media Day and the Aloft seemed like a reasonable choice at $144, while reacquainting myself with Marriott’s brand.

This one is a combined Aloft and Element in the same building, with separate entrances. Aloft is a limited service, lower-scale chain with modern aesthetic that was dubbed ‘a vision of W Hotels’. Element is an extended stay chain with Westin branding tie-in.

Marriott Calls The Cops On Guest Who Asked For Elite Benefits

by Gary Leff on November 25, 2022

Nov 25 2022

Marriott Bonvoy offers breakfast to Platinum members, but the benefit is confusing. At Courtyard hotels in North America and Europe it’s actually a choice between 500 points (total for the stay) or a $10 food and beverage credit (x2 for two guests registered to the room) that can be used any time of day – not just in the morning.

But as I’ve documented extensively, hotels seem to do what they want with impunity, published benefits of the Bonvoy program notwithstanding. One customer found this out when the hotel called the cops after they asked for their $10 credit – and when it was refused they invoked Marriott’s guarantee of $50 cash for having the benefit denied.

Marriott Raises Spend Requirement For Ambassador Status, Will Bring Back Personal Ambassadors

by Gary Leff on November 16, 2022

Nov 16 2022

Marriott has the most exclusive top elite tier with published earning criteria. The Ambassador level requires not just 100 nights in hotels but also a minimum of $20,000 in spend, nearly impossible to achieve in many parts of the world with low hotel rates. Marriott is keeping the 100-night level, but increasing the spend requirement to $23,000 for 2023.

With that they are bringing back dedicated Ambassadors.

Marriott Hotel In Louisiana Charging More Than The Maximum Legal Room Rate?

by Gary Leff on November 12, 2022

Nov 12 2022

A review of Marriott’s Autograph Collection Watermark Baton Rouge flagged an interesting issue. On a peak demand date – LSU football against Mississippi State, which LSU came from behind to win in the fourth quarter – the hotel was charging higher room rates than the posted maximum on the back of room doors.

Two Marriotts Introduce New Employee Protection Surcharge

by Gary Leff on November 7, 2022

Nov 07 2022

Surcharges have exploded at Marriott hotels, as well as other chains. Whether it’s fees to cover the light bulbs in your room, extra charges to cover a hotel’s property tax or gotcha charges for paying a bill by credit card (even Marriott’s own credit card).

Still a fee per night that guests now have to pay to protect housekeepers at the Marriott LAX still surprised me.

Marriott Markets Your Memory Of 9/11 Back To You – For A Hefty Upcharge

by Gary Leff on November 4, 2022

Nov 04 2022

In 2013 the San Diego Marriott Mission Valley found its own way of remembering 9/11: 30 minutes of free mini-muffins for guests. I remember thinking at the time at least it wasn’t a Marriott in Manhattan. Context matters, and surely New Yorkers wouldn’t trivialize the event.

Only the Marriott New York Downtown now takes the memory of 9/11 and sells it back to us – at a hefty markup – in the form of a 9/11 Remembrance Package for weekend stays.

Marriott Adds A 31st Brand, And It Looks “Hideous”

by Gary Leff on October 19, 2022

Oct 19 2022

Marriott has acquired the ‘City Express’ hotel brand an “affordable mid-scale” chain with 152 hotels across 75 cities in Mexico.

Best Western, Quality Inn, and Ramada are often considered midscale. But these hotels aren’t just midscale, they are affordable midscale.

If Your Flight Gets Cancelled, Marriott Will Charge You Cash For Your ‘Free’ Award Stay

by Gary Leff on October 9, 2022

Oct 09 2022

A Marriott Bonvoy member writes about a recent award redemption experience – a flight delay caused them to miss the first night of their award stay, so they got the free night certificate back and the hotel charged them cash for the missed night. They were fortunate the cash amount was only $153. I’ve seen it as high as $2000.

Marriott Rebrands Fairfield Inn, Introduces Muslim Prayer Rooms

by Gary Leff on October 7, 2022

Oct 07 2022

Marriott is no longer referring to the Fairfield Inn brand, instead calling it Fairfield by Marriott. I only saw this in the news that Marriott is expanding Fairfield to Europe and the Mideast, from its existing footprint of more than 1230 hotels.

A company built on Mormon values, that distributed the Book of Mormon, will be putting Muslim prayer rooms in hotels in order to gain access to new markets.