Marriott’s Courtyard Beaumont appears to be selling rooms even though they are not open?
A Marriott guest booked a room at the property. When they showed up, the parking lot was empty – and the hotel was closed. They had a confirmation number, but we all know making a reservation is the easy part. It’s actually delivering on it that is hard.
The guest reports that hotel’s direct phone number was disconnected. After about ten minutes, someone emerged from the open front door stating that the hotel was closed and that canceling the reservation—even late—would incur no charge. How could it possibly incur a charge? Eventually they found a room at a Residence Inn in Port Arthur, stuck with a rate of $300 per night.
Credit: Courtyard Beaumont, Texas
Many guests comment that the property had appeared unmaintained, suggesting it was “in desperate need of repairs and a deep cleaning.” It may have been better off closed! But clearly the hotel should have contacted all guests with reservations – and kept contacting them!
I note that the Beaumont property is franchised and run by InterMountain Management. Remember, just because you go to Marriott to book a Marriott doesn’t mean you’re staying at a Marriott (or in this case, not staying).
It occurred to me that the Marriott Bonvoy member should have invoked the ‘Ultimate Reservation Guarantee’ for cash compensation, however the fact that the hotel is closed lets them weasel out of it,
4.3 Elite Membership Benefits at Participating Brands
iii. Ultimate Reservation Guarantee. To be eligible, Member’s Loyalty Program Member Number and a valid credit card number must be included with the reservation. If a Participating Property is unable to honor the reservation, it will pay for comparable accommodation nearby for the Elite Member that night and compensate the Member for the inconvenience. A Participating Property must be open and operational for the Ultimate Reservation Guarantee benefit/compensation to apply
Surely Marriott and the property should cover the cost difference between the original booking and the Marriott property they moved to, however?
This reminds me of another recent story: Marriott hotel in Canada appears to be fully booked by the government to house homeless. But they sell rooms to Bonvoy members through Marriott channels, and just move them to a non-Marriott property. The Marriott reservations guarantee is claimed not to apply because the hotel isn’t open and operational for guests even though it holds itself out on Marriott’s website to be open and operational for guests.
We know that Marriott has been essentially lighting its brand on fire, allowing owners to run amok in the CEO’s quest for net rooms growth. But even against that backdrop, letting these practices go on is ridiculous.