Reports that a Marriott-affiliated hotel has just committed the cardinal sin of arguing with a straight face that “free breakfast” for eligible elites does not include juice or coffee may be premature. That doesn’t diminish the important trend we’ve observed of hotels cutting back on elite benefits wherever they can get away with it.
Can A Marriott Hotel Now Say That The Free Elite Breakfast No Longer Includes Coffee And Juice?
Saying that coffee and juice is not included with breakfast is like saying your hotel room does not include a bed…
In a post-pandemic world in which hotels are looking to squeeze even more from their guests, Marriott exercises little management over the hotels that use its name. That creates a perverse incentive for hotels to derive immense benefit by joining the Marriott family but not dispense the commensurate obligations that come with such a partnership. Marriott is a management company, not a hotelier. Even so, its powerful brand image draws immense loyalty. Hotel owners which use the Marriott brand are given far too much latitude, it seems to me, to slash elite benefits.
View From The Wing reports that The Hythe in Vail, Colorado, does not offer free juice and coffee for elite members with breakfast. He even posted a menu which seems to demonstrate this by showing an uncharge for the buffet, which includes juice and coffee (the clear implication being that coffee and juice is not included with the other a la carte items)
Even so, I thought the menu looked a bit ambiguous, so I called the hotel and spoke with the restaurant, called Margie’s Haas. A hostess answered the phone and claimed to be very familiar the the special Platinum menu. She confirmed that Platinum members receive free coffee and orange juice with anything they order.
Just to be sure, I called again and spoke to a front desk associate who confirmed the same policy. Just to make triple sure, he transferred me to room service, who also confirmed that the Platinum and Titanium guests receive free coffee and juice with their breakfast.
Now it could be that all three were wrong…but I tend to think that is not the case. Instead, I tend to think the menu was created in such a way as to be deliberately ambiguous, perhaps in a manner in which to discourage elites from ordering coffee and juice for fear it would carry an extra surcharge or encourage guests to upgrade to the buffet.
So hopefully a false alarm here…at this Marriott hotel, coffee and juice are still part of the elite breakfast.
Even so, it would have come as no surprise had my investigation revealed a different result. Indeed, the fact that the term “bonvoyed” is now a widely-understood word meaning to encounter cutbacks or miserliness is a sad testament to the current state of the hotel industry.
CONCLUSION
Fear not, breakfast still come with coffee and juice if you’re a Platinum at The Hythe. But don’t be surprised when the day comes when “breakfast” no longer includes coffee or juice. We do seem to be moving in that direction. And when that day comes, we can thank View From The Wing for giving them the great idea. 😉
image: Marriott
Platinum and Titanium members only? LOL What’s really sad… Coffee and juice cost them pennies….
Matt,
It is not clear from the menu at all. In fact, to me it’s simply a reassurance that if one orders the self service buffet option, a sever will still bring coffe or juice.
This was sloppily reported by VFTW (for clicks) and at least one other blogger that tagged on. Kudos for taking a more measured approach yourself and reporting FACTS.
Titanium Elite for many years. Lifetime Platinum.
Last stay at a “proper” Marriott property, I asked (1) about the lounge (still closed); then (2) about Elite breakfast. I was told that breakfast wasn’t included in my room rate, and that Platinum Elites get free breakfast and since I’m not Platinum Elite, I wasn’t entitled to it.
Hello Hhonors….
Surprise, Surprise: This hotel is owned by DiamondRock Hospitality Company, the same company whose Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach was charging credit card surcharges until (and even after) Marriott cracked down:
https://liveandletsfly.com/marriott-credit-card-surcharges/
Glad you are reporting FACTS here, unlike the MSM.
Someone needs to create a database that outlines elite recognition and benefits at each hotel
Marriott has that – go to whattoexpect.marriott.com/XXXXX, and replace the X’s with the hotel’s 5 digit Marsha code.
Is the free Elite breakfast hot or cold? We just stayed at a St Regis and there was a $30 upcharge for the hot breakfast. Full price for hot was about $50.
Did you get coffee and juice?
Don’t give them ideas–the beds might be the next thing to go.
My post was prompted by a guest who was told on property they’d have to pay extra for coffee. And they pointed to the menu, which I reproduced.
I have also been told by two guests that they weren’t actually charged for coffee, which I put as an update at the very top – not the bottom – of the post (prior to the publication of this post).
I experienced this coffee/orange juice question for the first time about six months ago at the Royal Hawaiian in Honolulu–I am entitled to a free continental breakfast with my Platinum Status, and when I ordered the Continental Breakfast the waiter said I only get coffee OR orange juice and I said I’ve been ordering continental breakfasts for 40+ years and it comes with both. He was EXTREMELY apologetic and whispered to me that the food and breakfast czar had decreed that it would be one or the other and no longer both. I brought it up in comments, on their website and they never even responded. I think that in the Marriott system—they had a sales meeting with all the food and beverage directors about how to increase breakfast sales after Covid—-and this was one of their BIG ideas — decoupling a juice and a coffee and making it one or the other. Seriously.
I’m a long time Bonvoy elite (reached lifetime gold) and I was informed by AC in Aventura, FL on arrival that I would not receive the otherwise included complimentary breakfast because I had booked with points. Cheapskates. Nice property and I would stay there again but next time I’d make a stink about it.
so…they have coffee in their rooms right. If I went down for a breakfast and they told me coffee wasn’t included, i’d march back to my room, make a cuppa coffee, and proceed to drink it at the breakfast table. it’s just the principle. I’d love to see the look on all their faces. Jerks. I’m starting to hate Marriott hotels. A lot!
Like the trash coffee they serve Costs them a ton of money
To all the grumbling elites, every example I’ve read about is in North America with most in US where even bs resort fees result in little consumer pushback. Consider the coffee upcharge a cultural experience in a country that has truly lost its way and now has zero service culture. If Bonvoy starts trying the same thing in SE Asia then I’ll blame the brand rather than American corporate bottom feeders that have latched onto nearly all brands.
I was a loyal Marriott customer for 30 years but dropped my Marriott CC and am getting rid of my points as fast as I can.
You’re correct that Marriott is now a management company and is no longer in the hotel business.
Bill Marriott would be appaled.
I no longer look to Marriott as my first choice in hotels.