I am currently staying at the RI in Norfolk and was notified today that starting Monday, their breakfast would not start until 6:30 am. These hours are, quote, "required by Marriott to create consistency amongst the Residence Inn brand". They had been offering breakfast starting at 6:00. Although I do normally see a 6:30 time, this location is the nearest one to the airport, so I would suspect they started early due to the number of people flying out early. I am sure there are others that start early for the same or for other reasons.

So once again Marriott has taken away or reduced something based on consistency, in this case the number of hours that breakfast is served. I fail to see how a place serving breakfast earlier then others can be considered a negative.

A small point, I know, but the evening social changes also started out rather small and ended up with some major changes.

 

Some CL lounges start serving breakfast at 6 am (for example Renaissance LAX). I doubt they will change to 6:30 since this property is guest friendly.

Actually, I would rather see all Marriott properties near airports start serving breakfast at 6 am (including concierge lounges).

 

A few weeks ago. I wrote about my stay at the Birmingham Marriott and a 7:30 am Friday flight. The CL sign said 6:30 am breakfast. I made an (almost fatal) decision to hit the CL exactly at 6:30, grab some take out and run for the airport (yes, it was penny wise and pound foolish but I can't pay for food when its available for free). Imagine my surprise when the Lounge attendant told me that she was fully stocked and open for business at 6:12 am because she knows people take early flights on Fridays! Had I known. Contrast this with the CL at the Tampa Waterside Marriott where the Lounge was open at 6:30 but it was 7:30 before the fruit arrived on Friday AM.

 

Wow for a second I thought I completely missed a change here however upon researching this change was implimented in 2005 (yes 3 years ago) At that time the hours were standardized, Weekdays 6:30am-9:30am, Weekends 7:00am-10:00am, this change was dont to create consistancy throughout the brand so travelers would know what to expect (you wouldn't believe the amount of issues created because things arent consistant, ie see the credit card hold thread)

 

Totally agree. Frankly, all CLs should open at 6 am - but especially the airport hotels.

 

it totally baffles me how those properties that call them selves airport properties can't serve a cup of Joe by 6:00 a.m., totally ridiculous. If I'm staying at your property, odds are I have an early flight otherwise I'd go stay at a nice place

 

For business travel, I would like to see breakfast start at 6:00AM at all locations. I like to get an early start on my day....

--Jon

 

I'd love to see 6 AM, too.

Plenty of times the later start has meant that I missed breakfast. It's not just flying out (though that's the major issue) - it comes to play when staying in the suburbs and having to commute into town (I spent several months staying at properties in the suburbs of DC before I found a house to buy) - the DC commute is so bad from Bowie, Gaithersburg, or Woodbridge that it mandates being in the car and on the road by shortly after 6 AM to assure an 8 AM start time.

 

I represent the Residence Inn Norfolk Airport, and your concerns about our breakfast hours are important to us. We do understand that guests traveling in the morning want an early start to their day, especially at an airport hotel. We tested our breakfast hours for several weeks but had a very low volume of guests making it to breakfast between 6 and 6:30 a.m. We do offer grab-and-go bags between 6 and 6:30 a.m. for your early morning flights. If you have any other questions about our breakfast hours, please give us a call.

 

It always makes me smile when a property representative responds to a thread mentioning the property. It says good things about the property. Welcome to FT.

 

This sounds like a nice feature.

 

+1

 

Yes it is, but I wonder if the Hampton Inn's have a trademark pending on the term "grab and go"

(I do have to admit, thats where I first saw it implemented.)