Marriott on the Move

Posted By: Dennis Y (5/2/2007)
Comment: 5-2-07 Dear Bill:... We recently had a 3 day stay at the Ottawa Marriott.... My comments:... Pro:... 1 OM is a good no-nonsence Hotel... 2 Housekeeping-Great... 3 Beds-Great... 4 Porters-Great-In particular a very pleasant man named Justin ******* who helped me unload my car top carrier. What a smile! Have him teach desk personall to smile... Cons:... Parking-Yechhhhhh The $25.00 a day for outside parking left a bad taste in my mouth... Bathrooms-you need work here. Please install larger exhaust motors to pull fumes and steam from the bathrooms faster... Thanks....Dennis

Posted By: Joe (3/1/2007)
Comment: I just wanted to say I enjoy staying at Marriott hotels. But the last few stays have been horrible; the hotels were very outdated and run down.

Posted By: tim (2/20/2007)
Comment: Why do the post not all make it to your blog? It seems only the positive ones are listed and nothing that is negative. To me this looks to be a one sided blog and not a very honest or accurate account of the true feelings and experiences of the customes.

Response: On behalf of Bill Marriott, we wanted you to know that we do post negative comments. Check out the smoking post for example. Comments need to be relevant and within the guidelines listed in Terms of Use.

Posted By: Mike Shaheen (2/16/2007)
Comment: As a frequent guest, I appreciate the renovations made at the full service Marriotts, especially the new beds and pillows. That being said, I'm amazed at the poor quality of the phone service. I would say in about 50% of my stays at the full service Marriotts, the phone service is either off, the speaker phone doesn't work, and/or there's so much static on the line the phone is rendered ineffective. I usually don't complain as I can use my cell phone and generally accept this as 'life on the road'

Posted By: Edwin Cahill (2/13/2007)
Comment: Mr. Marriott, I recently stayed at the Irvine Marriott. I was very impressed by the hospitality of the staff and the overall quality of the hotel. I found a much worn copy your book in the night stand drawer. I was so impressed with my stay that I took your book home to read! I hope you don't mind? I will bring it back when I am finished. I am hoping to find that the espoused corporate values I assume are written about in your book are the practiced values I hope to experience in each of your locations. So far you have won back my trust and I will be staying at Marriott again soon. Impressively yours, ~Edwin

Posted By: Yolanda Zorio (2/12/2007)
Comment: Dear Sir, First of all, I'd like to thank you for the opportunity to communicate with you, associates & guests alike. I'm a great admirer of the "Marriot's Way, The Spirit To Serve" and the enormous knowledge that it has infused in me. Regarding your wonderful program, I'd like to give a couple of ideas that ocurred to me while reading your article: to provide course takers with .mp3 files of the classes, so the youngest ones can listen to them on their iPods and incorporate the English language by using the new technology. Interactive PC software with write, read and pronounciation can also be a great asset for those computer savvy. Of course, I understand that there are lots of restraints in trying to apply these ideas, I didn't want to let me pass. Thank again for caring & for sharing. Regards from Buenos Aires, Argentina!

Posted By: Maureen Malone (2/8/2007)
Comment: Hi Bill! As a longtime Marriott Vacation Club owner, I have always been aware of Marriott's high standards, especially in the area of customer service. I have come to expect superior customer service as the norm. However, on a recent trip to Newport Coast Villas (we just missed your visit) even my high standards were surpassed!!! To make a long story short, upon arriveing home from my trip to Newport Coast Villas, I discovered that I had lost a pouch containing some very expensive jewelery and several irreplacable sentimental items. I immediately called the front desk at Newport Coast Villas. Holly ********* at the front desk answered my call and immediately went to work to track down my missing pouch. Ultimately Yupa ********, the houskeeping manager, discovered that her team member, Lupita *****, found the pouch and turned it in to lost and found. After politely and professionally establishing that I was the owner of the pouch by having me identify the contents, Yupa quickly and effieinctly facilitated the return of my pouch via next day mail and then she followed up to make sure that I received my pouch. She professionally protected Marriott from the liability of releasing the pouch to the wrong owner while still making sure that her customer remained happy. Holly, Yupa and Lupita have my deepest thanks for their customer focus and integrity. Their immediate supervisors, Amy ***** (Holly's supervisor) and Eric *********** (Yupa's boss) have my respect and congratulations for attracting and retaining such a great staff and Marriott has a lifelong customer and fan. I have worked in the customer service field for most of my career and I would be proud to have had all of these good people as a member of my team!!! Well done, Marriott!!!

Posted By: Joan Eisenstodt (2/8/2007)
Comment: When I saw the headline on this part of the blog, having just read about Marriott's new program - Sed de Saber ("thirst for knowledge) - for its Spanish speaking employees, I was hoping you'd speak more about that. An excerpt from an article at mimegasite.com says: >>"...Marriott International yesterday announced plans to roll out an English language training program to its Spanish-speaking employees nationwide, beginning Feb. 15.<< Terrific! I hope too that you will offer Spanish language programs for those who are English-only speakers - it helps to be fluent in both, esp. for those who deal with customers for whom Spanish is their first (and sometimes) only language.

Posted By: Jim Rinaldi (2/8/2007)
Comment: Mr. Marriott, next time your in the LA area, I hope you visit the recently updated Huntington Ritz Carlton in Pasadena. It is a wonderful property that fits in to the area such that locals like myself are frequent visitors for brunch and other social events. As I former employee it gives me pride to "show off" that hotel when friends and business associates visit.

Posted By: AJ (2/7/2007)
Comment: Hello Bill, I have stayed at a number of Courtyard properties over the last year after their renovations were complete and each one is like a brand new hotel. At one location in Colorado they replaced the heaters facing the courtyard. Now when I stay there in the wintertime I can heat the room in 10 minutes instead of 3 or 4 hours. Plus the new heaters are much quieter. --- I'm going to post a suggestion or two. --- I'd like to see the housekeeping folks at all Marriott hotels be trained on how to clean a room in a quiet manner. I tend to work late at night so sleeping in is the norm for me when traveling and staying at one of the Marriott locations. My number one pet peeve, when the housekeeper uses the security latch as a door jam, then goes in and out of the room letting the door slam on the latch over and over. There are a few others like banging the vacuum cleaner into the walls of a room, slamming dresser doors shut, etc. --- For the late spring and summer times of year I'd like to see all Courtyard hotels adopt a policy of not allowing lawn care companies on the property, except between noon and 4pm. I've had a number of experiences where between 8am to 10am you have the lawnmowers and leaf blowers out in the courtyard. It may as well been a jet airplane. --- Anyway, thanks again for writing your thoughts here.

Posted By: Beth Stallings (2/5/2007)
Comment: Bill, I agree with you, the makeovers are great! I particularly like the Courtyard property on Century Blvd. (LAX). Not only are the rooms great, but your staff there is one of the most pleasurable I stay with on a regular basis. In fact, my family has exchanged Christmas cards with Christian and the rest of the bar staff for a couple of years! The upgraded suites are fantastic and the bathrooms great! I also love the fact that you put mags in the rooms that would appeal to women (Shape Magazine). A very pleasant respite from normal business travel and normal stays at Courtyards. I am a platinum member and you have my loyalty obviously. I will be in South Beach this week, so maybe our paths will cross! (but, I am not using my points to redemn a stay at the Ritz since they apparently don't like to participate in your program!)

Posted By: Amy McCune (2/4/2007)
Comment: Bill, Glad to hear interiors are getting redos. I am a very loyal marriott user (check nights stayed last year)and I must say that some properties are very tired and very in need of it. Many times lobbis look good but rooms are worn out. Just because there are new bed linens does not solve all ills. If i think some place is particularly worn out will telling someonemake a difference? thanks

Posted By: Jim Engwall (2/3/2007)
Comment: Bill, after making a comment on the blog a few weeks ago, it was a pleasant surprise to see you at Newport Coast Villas last week. It's great to know that the CEO is a down-to-earth person who is approachable and who really does value his guests and employees (or as you call these wonderful folks, your associates). Over the years, I have never encountered a Marriott associate who does not hold you in their highest esteem. Happy employees lead to happy guests. Thanks for being visible and available, and for taking the time and interest to tour the properties first hand. Jim Engwall

Posted By: betty (2/3/2007)
Comment: I think its wonderful that you have computerized English language prgram for your employees to learn English. That is a win/win for both your company, the employee and we the customers.

Posted By: David (2/2/2007)
Comment: Mr. Marriott, While in Arizona recently I heard a rumor that the JW in Scottsdale will soon no longer be a Marriott. I hope this isn't true? I'm a lifetime Platinum and I stay at Marriott hotels several nights every week, since 1981.

Response: Bill Marriott asked me to respond that there's no need to worry. The Camelback Inn, A JW Marriott Resort & Spa in Scottsdale will not only remain within our family of brands but it's going to get even better. The resort is undergoing a renovation, including a new restaurant, main lodge and ballroom.

Posted By: Eugene Barnes (2/2/2007)
Comment: Mr. Marriott, I'm so happy to hear about the computer program that will teach many of your foreign language employees English. I hope that it bears fruit wherever it is used. On another subject, my wife is a regular Marriott customer, and she has amassed a large number of Marriott Reward points. Marriott used to offer stays for reduced points on its website by clearly listing the "sales" by hotel and quarter. Then about a year or two ago, this listing disappeared, and we were told to just call up where we wanted to go to see if there were any points "sales" available for that location. But what if where we go is not important? It seems to me this defeats the purpose of the "sales," which should be to fill hotels that cannot be filled any other way. How can I help you fill your hotels if I don't know where the "sales" are? If your sales aren't visible, who can respond to them? I'd ask that you re-institute the listing of reduced point stays. Make it specifically date-sensitive (unlike the last time when you listed by quarters of the year, which I understand was too broad for the hotels listed). Where do we want to go? I don't know, but put a bug in our ear by telling us what's on sale, and we might choose something we hadn't thought about yet. We get to see someplace new for a few points less, and you get to fill a room on our points where it hurts you least. As it stands now, this hidden "sale" accomplishes nothing for either of us. Thanks for hearing me out.

Posted By: Ken (2/2/2007)
Comment: Thank you for taking the time to share with all of us your insights and opinions. I enjoy reading what you think and what is new.

Posted By: mc pvc (2/2/2007)
Comment: Great idea to use a computerised language learning system. I allows the people who work for you to learn something and it makes the service better.