MVCI Mayflower Hotel, D.C. - bait & switch?!

[jaym]

My wife and I visited our son in Arlington, VA over Christmas weekend and I reserved a few nights at the Marriott Intl. owned Mayflower Hotel located on Connecticut Ave. downtown.
Upon check-in we were assigned a tiny "King" Guest Rm. on the 7th flr. and it had to be the smallest hotel room I have ever seen!
Despite the Marriott website depiction of King Guest rooms having a small sofa and padded footstool at base of King bed, this room had barely enough room for the bed and nightstand, extremely tight space.
The foot of the King bed was so close to the desk on opposite wall that we could barely squeeze our luggage through the area. There was a desk chair only, no luggage rack and the suitcases would need to be accessed either on the bed or on the chair.
I went back down to the Reception Desk within minutes and explained to the Associate it wouldn't do for our stay. We were lucky that the hotel was not fully occupied, fairly quiet the day before Christmas Eve.
Although, hotel did get busier after Christmas Day due to the Military Bowl, a lot of Wake Forest fans roaming the place.......

The Marriott employee was helpful and explained that the 7th floor does have a few King Guest rooms that have the slightly larger space with small sofa but not nearly as many as the ridiculously tiny rooms.
We weren't the only guests that were unhappy with the room size there as while I was changing out a couple more came down to the front desk to inquire about other availability.

Fortunately, we got out of the Marriott exclusive rooms on the 7th fllor and were relocated to a larger King, non-Vacation Club.
We thought the hotel was fine but very disappointed that Marriott stuffs guests into the small rooms and doesn't indicate anything about the limited King rooms on their website. It should be clearly depicted on the website and explained at check-in rather than have guests discover the issue when they access the room.

 

[Fasttr]

Sadly, I see more MVC city location reviews that pop up here that are closer to your type of underwhelmed experience than I do touting a good experience. It seems the actual experience at these locations is forcing guest to have a faster "pulse" rate, but for all the wrong reasons.

 

[jaym]

Agree. I recently contacted Marriott Customer Care to explain my concerns and what I believe is somewhat deceptive in their portrayal as a "luxury" hotel to guests.
I don't think they get it or seem to care as I was reminded that the hotels are quite different than the Vacation Club resorts (duh) and conditions of the facilities will generally be smaller due to their immediate access to a major city's attractions.
That was not my point in my explanation to them.
Of course a city hotel does have the sprawl of a beachfront resort or resort feel like those in Florida but Marriott should not cram guests into a room space slightly larger than a walk-in closet and call that luxury.............

 

[LAX Mom]

What type of reservation did you make? Vacation club points, cash or ? You were definitely booked into the Vacation Club property, not the hotel? I have noticed that the room descriptions on Marriott.com don't list the square footage of the different room types.

I stayed there a year ago (II exchange) and had a room with a nice living room & separate bedroom with king bed. Maybe they don't have very many of these rooms on the vacation club floor (7th floor, if I remember correctly). I loved the location for exploring DC.

I'm glad they were able to accommodate you into something larger for your stay.

 

[JIMinNC]

My wife and daughter stayed at the Mayflower in the 7th floor MVC rooms this past July and they loved the rooms. Theirs was a standard double guest room, not a Deluxe. My wife is ready to go back to the Mayflower any time. This was what she said in her review about the property:

The room was large with entry hall, dressing table area with lighted closet, and large bathroom. There were two platform beds, a small chaise, cross-stool, and small table in the room in addition to the desk, dresser, and small built-in refrigerator and large LG flat screen TV. The room had elegantly appointed bedding with maid service every day...

Most classic urban hotels like Mayflower have a wide variety of room layouts and sizes, as opposed to the more cookie-cutter layouts of modern properties. The floorpans on the MVC web site are footnoted to note that the layout is "subject to change." Many classic hotels in New York, DC, Boston, etc tend to have much smaller rooms than newer properties.

 

[jaym]

What type of reservation did you make? Vacation club points, cash or ? You were definitely booked into the Vacation Club property, not the hotel? I have noticed that the room descriptions on Marriott.com don't list the square footage of the different room types.

I stayed there a year ago (II exchange) and had a room with a nice living room & separate bedroom with king bed. Maybe they don't have very many of these rooms on the vacation club floor (7th floor, if I remember correctly). I loved the location for exploring DC.

I'm glad they were able to accommodate you into something larger for your stay.

We reserved through Marriott.com, I did not need to use Club points to reserve. I found the availability at the Mayflower when looking for something downtown and do agree a very good location.
We were reserved by Marriott on the same floor as Vacation Club owners/exchange, exclusively 7th floor which is reason why there a limited number of larger King Deluxe rooms. The Associate at the Front Desk explained they have very few larger King guest rooms and the tiny rooms outnumber the bigger rooms. She indicated frustration that Marriott limits the rooms to 7th floor and should offer more than the single floor to expand inventory.
We were able to cancel the "Pulse" reservation, as I said no points, and book a standard reservation through Marriott. Still unclear why I was given a MVCI to begin with and not a standard hotel reservation.

JIMinNC above posted about his wife and daughter's experience and they stayed in July when D.C. visitors may experience greater vacancies as D.C. can be much less populated during summer months.

 

[LAX Mom]

I was just looking at the "Important Advisements" when booking this property on II. It states....."Resort is a Marriott hotel. Units not equipped with kitchen. Units smaller than average hotel size units. Units KING and DBDB: 330 sq ft. Unit DLUX: 460 sq ft. Units KSTE and OBST: 640 sq ft."

It is possible that some of the King rooms are smaller than the 330 sq. feet listed. Obviously in an older hotel like this, the rooms will vary in size and layout.

 

[Fasttr]

I was just looking at the "Important Advisements" when booking this property on II. It states....."Resort is a Marriott hotel. Units not equipped with kitchen. Units smaller than average hotel size units. Units KING and DBDB: 330 sq ft. Unit DLUX: 460 sq ft. Units KSTE and OBST: 640 sq ft."

It is possible that some of the King rooms are smaller than the 330 sq. feet listed. Obviously in an older hotel like this, the rooms will vary in size and layout.

Sounds like a recipe to inconsistently fulfill guest expectations.... something MVC's guest/owners have historically not had to worry about.

 

[JIMinNC]

We reserved through Marriott.com, I did not need to use Club points to reserve. I found the availability at the Mayflower when looking for something downtown and do agree a very good location.
We were reserved by Marriott on the same floor as Vacation Club owners/exchange, exclusively 7th floor which is reason why there a limited number of larger King Deluxe rooms. The Associate at the Front Desk explained they have very few larger King guest rooms and the tiny rooms outnumber the bigger rooms. She indicated frustration that Marriott limits the rooms to 7th floor and should offer more than the single floor to expand inventory.
We were able to cancel the "Pulse" reservation, as I said no points, and book a standard reservation through Marriott. Still unclear why I was given a MVCI to begin with and not a standard hotel reservation.

Your room assignment may have been related to the fact that you booked a cash reservation. I would hope that owners reserving with DC points (as we did for my wife and daughter's trip) would get priority in assignment over cash stays at the MVC Pulse location.

There are actually two ways to reserve the Mayflower on Marriott.com - reserve a room at "The Mayflower Hotel, Autograph Collection" or reserve a room at "Marriott Vacation Club Pulse at The Mayflower." Both show up on Marriott.com as separate hotels. I would think, if you make a cash reservation at "MVC Pulse at the Mayflower," you will be assigned to the 7th floor, which is the only floor owned and managed by Marriott Vacations Worldwide. MVW actually owns those rooms, and I believe they have placed them into the MVC Trust, so it literally is a separate hotel within a hotel. As I said in the first sentence, I would hope owners reserving with DC points or even II exchangers would get priority for the better rooms on floor 7. If, on the other hand, you reserve a room at "The Mayflower Hotel, Autograph Collection," you would be reserving at the property managed by Marriott International, and would be assigned to a room on a floor other than the 7th floor.

JIMinNC above posted about his wife and daughter's experience and they stayed in July when D.C. visitors may experience greater vacancies as D.C. can be much less populated during summer months.

I would think the opposite would be true, wouldn't it? Why would DC be busier on Christmas weekend than in July, during the peak of the summer vacation season? DC is a very popular summer destination.

 

[JIMinNC]

Sounds like a recipe to inconsistently fulfill guest expectations.... something MVC's guest/owners have historically not had to worry about.

I think MVC Guests/Owners have not had to worry about MVC meeting their expectations that much because the traditional timeshare properties are reasonably consistent from place-to-place. Most are new construction or heavily renovated hotel conversions like Maui Ocean Club, Kauai Beach Club, and the upcoming Waikoloa Beach Club. Other than the lack of full kitchen facilities at some of the conversions, the guest experience from one MVC timeshare to another is fairly consistent. (But even then, we still hear people complain about the lack of full kitchen facilities at those conversion locations).

I think what this may indicate is that MVC may need to do a better job of communicating to guests the variations in room sizes and amenities that are inherent in these urban Pulse locations, many of which are in older classic hotels that have traditionally had a lot of different room sizes and configurations, and which have also tended to have smaller rooms than most newer hotels. I know to expect smaller hotel rooms if I'm staying at an older hotel in Manhattan or DC versus a newer hotel in downtown Atlanta or Dallas, for example. So maybe MVC needs to do a better job making guests aware of the fact that King rooms, for example, vary in size at MVC Pulse at The Mayflower. Given that there are likely several variations, it's probably unrealistic to differentiate every variation as a different category - they already differentiate by "King Guest Room", "Deluxe King Guest Room", "King Suite", etc. It's a new dynamic that MVC hasn't had to deal with before, so maybe they can do a better job of building the right expectations. But in the end, the Pulse locations are all less about the room and the property and more about their central downtown urban locations and the activities and amenities the area has to offer outside of the property itself.

 

[BocaBoy]

This thread reveals very well why I am not excited about most Pulse locations. We might consider them if we can book an actual suite, but otherwise I would rather use MR points or cash and book a non-MVCI hotel room, not necessarily in the same facility.

 

[JIMinNC]

This thread reveals very well why I am not excited about most Pulse locations. We might consider them if we can book an actual suite, but otherwise I would rather use MR points or cash and book a non-MVCI hotel room, not necessarily in the same facility.

Maybe in some cases, but using Mayflower as an example, here are some numbers:

MVC Pulse at The Mayflower cash rate for Guest Room - $190 to $400+/night (plus taxes) depending on dates

MVC Pulse at The Mayflower DC Points cost for Guest Room - 250 to 600 points - based on $0.53 MF/point = $132 to $318/night depending on dates

MVC Pulse at The Mayflower Marriott Rewards cost - 35,000 points per night - at a value of $0.0125 per Rewards point, that equates to $438/night.

So, based on that, using DC points compares very favorably to both Rewards points and cash for a stay at The Mayflower. If I have the points to use, I would rather spend with "paid for" points, than shelling out more cash for a cash rate or paying an equivalent of over $400 using MR points. The fact that the rooms are smaller doesn't bother me because with Pulse, the location is the attraction not the hotel.

 

[dioxide45]

It was my understanding and I recall reading early on that MVW plans to renovate out the small Guest King Room. So long term I don't think these units will remain at The Mayflower.

 

[MartinHD28]

I've stayed in many Pulse locations as a non-owner. Room size can be an issue.

 

[Saintsfanfl]

If I go to book on Marriott.com I see various room types but all the smaller rooms are listed as 250 sq ft. There is an option for a 485 and a 500 sq ft room. None of the options show the details of the room the OP is describing. 250 is not that small and it has an occupancy of 4. This certainly looks like an issue where a different room is being given than is shown on the room details that is booked.

 

[dioxide45]

250 sq ft is about 16' x 16'. Take the bathroom out of that, there is not a lot of room for a bed and a desk as the OP described.

 

[taterhed]

D.C. can be much less populated during summer months.

Chuckle.... I've been on the sidewalks, National Mall, river taxis, hop-on/off buses and in the museums/monuments quite frequently during the 'summer months.'

I have routinely observed the following: a)being pushed into traffic due to the large crowds on sidewalks b)long lines at museums and attractions c)incredible heat and humidity d)hordes of people on the National Mall in various states of undress/costume and team attire d)full buses, metro and restaurants.

Peak TDI/season in DC is June to Aug 22-31. Dead season (TDI) in DC is centered around Jan 1st. Christmas week? Who knows? 51/52 always seem to be busy everywhere....just a symptom of traveling for the holidays I think, or maybe grabbing a room for visiting downtown with guests.

 

[JIMinNC]

If I go to book on Marriott.com I see various room types but all the smaller rooms are listed as 250 sq ft. There is an option for a 485 and a 500 sq ft room. None of the options show the details of the room the OP is describing. 250 is not that small and it has an occupancy of 4. This certainly looks like an issue where a different room is being given than is shown on the room details that is booked.

Just for clarification, the room descriptions on marriott.com that show square footage are for "The Mayflower Hotel, Autograph Collection" not the MVC timeshare. If you go to the same room descriptions on marriott.com for "MVC Pulse at The Mayflower" no square footages are shown. I suspect that you are correct, however, that these 250 sq ft rooms in the main hotel property are probably the same footprint as the smaller type of rooms on floor 7 in the MVC property. MVC may have furnished them differently than the hotel, but I would guess that the same unit size exists in both properties.

250 sq ft is about 16' x 16'. Take the bathroom out of that, there is not a lot of room for a bed and a desk as the OP described.

Yep, and if you recognize that most hotel rooms are not square, then something like 21' X 12' might be more realistic. Not too big, even more so when you account for bathroom, but it's all about expectations. In a classic hotel in a city, expect small rooms.

 

[Werner Weiss]

Marriott Vacation Club Pulse at The Mayflower, Washington, D.C. has five room categories:

Guest Room, 1 King
Guest Room, 2 Doubles
Deluxe, Guest Room, 2 Doubles
Executive Suite, 1 King
Junior Suite, 1 King, Sofabed, 2 Bathrooms​

As long as they're described and shown accurately, there's no problem.

However, based on this thread, it seems that the OP initially received a room that did not even begin to measure up to the expectations set by the Marriott Vacation Club website and Marriott.com. That's bad. It's time to update the websites (or to reconfigure the guests rooms, or to add a "compact guest room" category).

We stayed in a Junior Suite at the Marriott Vacation Club Pulse at The Mayflower the week on Memorial Day 2016, booked with MVC (Destination) Points.

The master bedroom was a separate room, but quite small. (If the OP's guest room was the same as our tiny bedroom, I agree with the OP's assessment.)

The large living room and second bathroom more than made up for it. We even had a dining room table, but the chairs had weird wings facing forward at the shoulder level, making it impossible for anyone with even somewhat broad shoulders to sit normally. We did not use the table and chairs because of this.

The location of The Mayflower is great. There's a Metro station on the same block. Many places to eat, from counter service to fine dining, are in walking distance. The White House is only a few blocks away.

I've already booked another reservation for the MVC Pulse at The Mayflower. Again, we're getting a Junior Suite. I'll ba happy if our room is similar to what we had in 2016. I'll be even happier if the master bedroom is bigger and the table has normal chairs.

 

[BocaBoy]

Marriott Vacation Club Pulse at The Mayflower, Washington, D.C. has five room categories:

Guest Room, 1 King
Guest Room, 2 Doubles
Deluxe, Guest Room, 2 Doubles
Executive Suite, 1 King
Junior Suite, 1 King, Sofabed, 2 Bathrooms​

As long as they're described and shown accurately, there's no problem.

However, based on this thread, it seems that the OP initially received a room that did not even begin to measure up to the expectations set by the Marriott Vacation Club website and Marriott.com. That's bad. It's time to update the websites (or to reconfigure the guests rooms, or to add a "compact guest room" category).

We stayed in a Junior Suite at the Marriott Vacation Club Pulse at The Mayflower the week on Memorial Day 2016, booked with MVC (Destination) Points.

The master bedroom was a separate room, but quite small. (If the OP's guest room was the same as our tiny bedroom, I agree with the OP's assessment.)

The large living room and second bathroom more than made up for it. We even had a dining room table, but the chairs had weird wings facing forward at the shoulder level, making it impossible for anyone with even somewhat broad shoulders to sit normally. We did not use the table and chairs because of this.

The location of The Mayflower is great. There's a Metro station on the same block. Many places to eat, from counter service to fine dining, are in walking distance. The White House is only a few blocks away.

I've already booked another reservation for the MVC Pulse at The Mayflower. Again, we're getting a Junior Suite. I'll ba happy if our room is similar to what we had in 2016. I'll be even happier if the master bedroom is bigger and the table has normal chairs.

I would be receptive to booking a suite with DC points, since that is something I would not do otherwise. For example, I think Custom House is a really neat idea. My point is that I don't think MVCI should be in the business of providing tiny guest rooms at city hotels where better accommodations can be had so easily nearby. And yes, there are many city hotels with tiny guest rooms, but there are also a lot of top of the line hotels with large rooms.

 

[Fasttr]

I would be receptive to booking a suite with DC points, since that is something I would not do otherwise. For example, I think Custom House is a really neat idea. My point is that I don't think MVCI should be in the business of providing tiny guest rooms at city hotels where better accommodations can be had so easily nearby. And yes, there are many city hotels with tiny guest rooms, but there are also a lot of top of the line hotels with large rooms.

My feelings exactly!!!

 

[BocaBoy]

Maybe in some cases, but using Mayflower as an example, here are some numbers:

MVC Pulse at The Mayflower cash rate for Guest Room - $190 to $400+/night (plus taxes) depending on dates

MVC Pulse at The Mayflower DC Points cost for Guest Room - 250 to 600 points - based on $0.53 MF/point = $132 to $318/night depending on dates

MVC Pulse at The Mayflower Marriott Rewards cost - 35,000 points per night - at a value of $0.0125 per Rewards point, that equates to $438/night.

So, based on that, using DC points compares very favorably to both Rewards points and cash for a stay at The Mayflower. If I have the points to use, I would rather spend with "paid for" points, than shelling out more cash for a cash rate or paying an equivalent of over $400 using MR points. The fact that the rooms are smaller doesn't bother me because with Pulse, the location is the attraction not the hotel.

But I would not use MR points to reserve a crappy Mayflower room. I would get something much nicer for those points. And by the way, last time I looked my MR points were as much "paid for" as my DC points. If I want to be in the top location in a city, I want both location and a good room. And I always keep in mind also that for 50 DC points per night I can get a 2BR off season villa at Grande Ocean. So for the DC cost of a tiny Mayflower room I can get 5 nights at Grande Ocean, which i can't do as cheaply with MR points.

 

[dioxide45]

I would be receptive to booking a suite with DC points, since that is something I would not do otherwise. For example, I think Custom House is a really neat idea. My point is that I don't think MVCI should be in the business of providing tiny guest rooms at city hotels where better accommodations can be had so easily nearby. And yes, there are many city hotels with tiny guest rooms, but there are also a lot of top of the line hotels with large rooms.

My feelings exactly!!!

I think we are in the minority though. Marriott has been saying people have been asking for city locations for years. Not sure if that is true or not, but it seems that enough people are wanting this that they have expanded it fairly aggressively.

 

[Fasttr]

I think we are in the minority though. Marriott has been saying people have been asking for city locations for years. Not sure if that is true or not, but it seems that enough people are wanting this that they have expanded it fairly aggressively.

City locations similar to Custom House (great location and great room layouts) I would be all over with a big thumbs up to MVC. But a tiny room, not so much. The beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I'll "be-holding" onto my DC points for other usages.

 

[bazzap]

I think we are in the minority though. Marriott has been saying people have been asking for city locations for years. Not sure if that is true or not, but it seems that enough people are wanting this that they have expanded it fairly aggressively.

I too welcome city locations but I suspect, if there is a majority who do, then like me they would look for these to offer rather more than basic box like hotel rooms.
Otherwise they might just as well be make them available through the Explorer Collection.