Hotels cut back on fruit, everything else

by Tom Johansmeyer on

At the low end and high end, hotels are slicing away amenities. Some are the little things that you may not notice, but others will stand out. However you stack it up, you get less for your money. When you hit that discount rate, realize that you may be getting a discounted experience.

What’s disappearing? Several Marriott properties have stopped leaving hand lotion in guestrooms, requiring guests to call the front desk and ask for it. You’ll find fewer towels at Wyndham hotels, and those in the Ritz-Carlton family are shortening operating hours for restaurants, retail shops and spas.

Sometimes, the impact is noticeable, even if the cuts are not. Check-in lines are likely to get longer, and you’ll be disappointed if you expect to enjoy a cup of coffee while you wait. Lobby food is disappearing across the country. This is what happens when hotels compete on price.

[Thanks, Bob Johansmeyer (yes, we’re related), [Via the Wall Street Journal, photo of amenities at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples, FL]

Nintendo Wii madness spreads to hotel rooms

by Scott Carmichael on

There is no denying that the Nintendo Wii is a success. It is the only game console that is still challenging to find on store shelves, despite being out since 2006. So it comes as no surprise that some hotels are cashing in on the hype by offering special “Wii packages”.

Marriott currently have 5 properties in their portfolio who are offering a special “Wii and you” (groan!) package, which consists of a night in one of their rooms, a Nintendo Wii with 20 built in games, the Wii Fit unit and “a basket of sweet treats delivered upon arrival”.

The “Wii and you” amenity adds between $20 and $50 per night to the room rate, which is actually quite decent. Wii freaks will be interested to read that the Marriott Wii unit was specially developed by Nintendo for use in public areas, and does not require the use of game discs, all the games are built into the unit and can be selected using the Wii remote.

Marriott was not the first hotel chain to take advantage of the Wii hype, Several Westin hotels recently introduced the game console as part of their WestinWorkout fitness program, but the Wii and You program from Marriott is the first to bring the Wii into the hotel room itself.

In-room entertainment sure has evolved in recent years, guests are apparently no longer interested in $19 porno flicks and $7 diet cokes from the minibar.

I’m not sure I see myself sitting in a hotel room playing Wii sports, but I do think it could be a great way to keep the kids entertained while mommy and daddy enjoy some adult conversation, so kudos to Marriott for this innovation.