No morning paper delivery any more at BeachPlace?

[pwrshift]

Since arriving at BeachPlace I haven't received a morning paper at my door. I called the front desk about it the first day and they told me to come down and pick one up. I balked and they reluctantly delivered one. Next day same thing and they promised it wouldn't happen again. Today, again, no paper at the door.

When 'Andy' brought it to my door this morning he said it was a new 'brand standard' to not deliver morning papers at BeachPlace or any other Marriott timeshare.

Is this just another BeachPlace cut back or is it right across all Marriott TS as Andy told me?

Maybe it's just me, but I always enjoyed my morning paper with coffee and OJ on my balcony...without having to get dressed and go fetch it from the front desk...which can sometimes take a half hour waiting for an elevator here.

Brian

 

[dvc_john]

I've been at Cypress Harbour, Grande Vista, Ocean Watch, and Legends Edge in the last few weeks, and all have stopped delivery of USA Today. At each place, you had to go to the lobby or marketplace to pick up a complimentary copy.

 

[GeraldineT]

I've been at Cypress Harbour, Grande Vista, Ocean Watch, and Legends Edge in the last few weeks, and all have stopped delivery of USA Today. At each place, you had to go to the lobby or marketplace to pick up a complimentary copy.

Not just Marriott. A lot of the major chains have done this as part of "going green". You would be amazed at how many of those stay in the hall all day or get tossed unopened.

 

[Empty Nest]

none in the desert

We were at Shadow Ridge last week, Desert Springs this week. No USA today delivery. I thought it was just because the Santa Ana winds blew them all over the place.

They are available in the lobby. Although we always enjoyed the paper delivery, many of them just sat in the hallways.

 

[siesta]

While at Harborside Atlantis this past October, they left a USA today at both of the doors of my two bedroom lockout my entire stay.

 

[Mamianka]

My husband is always up early, dressed and fed, and out the door to walk - while I am in my jammies, on the computer. We get a couple of papers delivered here at home, and if they are not on time/on the porch, he is *on it*! Perhaps I can get him a little part-time delivery job at every TS we stay at . . . more uninterrupted time for me reading my email, professional groups, FB, etc.

 

[dougp26364]

If this is true, I'll miss this service. I almost always get the paper and read it while eating breakfast and the wife sleeps in. But, I have to agree I've seen a lot of papers just lie in the hallway. So I guess I can understand the change. It doesn't mean I like it. Especially considering the amount I pay in MF's.

 

[Passepartout]

Many people have chosen not to subscribe to newspapers. They get their news online or from TV or radio. Hotels have noticed how many get thrown out unopened. It's unlikely that omitting daily newspaper and it's delivery will result in a buck or so a day discount on the room rate, but that's what they will tell you. More likely the $10 per room per week will go into the corporate coffers.

It's called 'give the consumers less and charge 'em more'- and tell 'em it's what they wanted all along.

Jim

 

[Lansdowne]

Stayed at Newport Coast in February and they said I could pick up the paper at the front desk but they would not deliver. Marriott Renaissance Esmeralda in Indian Wells asked if we wanted the paper delivered - they gave us the USA Today and the Wall Street Journal. Why can't we be asked at checkin if we want a paper delivered - the costs are minimal. It seems that while dues are going up services are going down. The being green argument fails with all the paper they give you to encourage you to go to the presentations.

 

[dvc_john]

One thing to consider is that they will usually run out of papers at some point in the day. One day each at both Grande Vista and Legends Edge I waited until about noon to get a paper, and they were all gone. Every other day I got a paper by 8 or 9 am with no problem. By mid-afternoon, whenever I walked by the table where they were usually located, they were almost always all gone.

 

[normab]

We were at BeachPlace over the holidays and somewhere I read of this policy and it was related to going green. IMHO it's more about them saving green.

Anyway, DH loves his paper and found he needed to get to the desk before 8 am or they were all gone. Which pretty much confirms they are ordering fewer and are saving green...

I guess I should be thankful since the MFs for this resort are well controlled.



Norma

 

[vacationhopeful]

Your Marriott guys are crying over no newspapers?

Us Wyndham people are crying over no refills of dishwasher soap, coffee/filter packs, clothes washer soap, lotion & shampoo products and regualr soap bars.

The free newspapers at the front desk went away years ago.

But if you come over to the lower middle class brand and buy retail, those VIP's still get a newspaper delivered every morning to their door.

Just be prepared to get it before 6:45AM when your neighbors get up and fetch it before you --- those theives!

 

[Art]

If this is true, I'll miss this service. I almost always get the paper and read it while eating breakfast and the wife sleeps in. But, I have to agree I've seen a lot of papers just lie in the hallway. So I guess I can understand the change. It doesn't mean I like it. Especially considering the amount I pay in MF's.

There was a comment originating with Cheryl Reed, the Ocean Point GM ,on the OP news group to the effect that not having to provide papers that went unread has a favorable impact on MF's.

Art

 

[SueDonJ]

I liked when the resorts on Hilton Head would deliver the Island Packet but then they switched to USA Today deliveries with the Island Packet available until about 11AM in the MarketPlace. Sometime during the last couple years (at Barony Beach and SurfWatch, at least) they stopped all delivery for timeshare stays, but if you're there through a marriott.com cash or MR Points stay you'll still get the USA Today. Although, I do enjoy that early morning stroll through the peaceful, quiet resorts.

They use the same "green initiative" excuse but I think it probably has more to do with cost. Newspaper home delivery prices have increased so much in the last few years, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the costs to the resorts have gone up that much, too. It might be that they're paying the same amount to the vendors for fewer papers, so instead of paying for enough for every unit they've switched to first-come-first-served at the same prices.

 

[oceanpointeman]

People still read papers. Seriously though, I must be in the minority here because when I've stayed at various Marriott resorts and see all the USA Today papers laying outside of people's rooms and having to "deal" with my copy of USA Today, I think what a waste of money (resort having to pay for the paper and thus passing the cost off in maintenance fees, I'm guessing paying somebody to drop them off at every room, etc.), waste of time, and a waste of paper (I would dare say the majority of people simply throw the paper in the garbage and thus filling up our landfills).

I, on the other hand, like to wake up and read the news from my laptop or iPad while I eat breakfast while on vacation (although I do the same thing at home). I totally get the saying different strokes for different folks, but on this particular issue I applaud Marriott, for what appears to be, for stopping the paper deliver service.

 

[pwrshift]

Do you really think Marriott pays for those newspapers? I'm in the media business, and it's no secret that newspapers are having a tough time with readership in an Internet world and it has affected 'distribution' on which the paper's ad rates are based.

So in the newspaper world of today there is nothing more important than distribution in order to keep their ad revenues up. That's why you get a free paper with a coffee at McDonald's and a host of other places, including hotels. Newspapers need 'numbers' to sell the ads as circulation revenue has fallen badly.

If a timeshare pays for newspapers today, they are paying for something they could be getting free. If the timeshare is truly interested in distributing them only to people who want them, all they need to do is ask on check in, and deliver only to those rooms.

It's just too easy for them to preach ecology...or to make you think they actually have to pay for the papers. It's more of an 'attitude' problem...they just don't want to do it and make you think it's a way of saving you money.

 

[thinze3]

More importantly Brian, how's that South Florida weather feeling on the bones?

I so want to schedule an adult getaway (about 3 nights) to BeachPlace.

 

[oceanpointeman]

Do you really think Marriott pays for those newspapers?

I have no idea, but what I do know is that nothing in life is free.

all they need to do is ask on check in, and deliver only to those rooms.

Whose "they"? Marriott, the newspaper boy, a USA Today employee. Somebody has to deliver that paper to a room. Somebody has to manage which rooms get a paper and which one's don't if they do what you suggest and ask on check in. Somebody has to pick up these papers and dispose of them from the condo if the people that stayed in the condo didn't dispose of them. These "somebody's" in this equation do not work for free and that I do know.

So really the only argument that can be made is, is it worth the time and money to deliver a newspaper to the doors at Marriott resorts where only a certain % of people will read them.

As you pointed out the Internet has impacted the readership of newspapers, so in my opinion the time and money spent on delivering papers to doors at Marriott resorts is a waste and probably more importantly to some is the negative impact it has on our environment.

 

[dougp26364]

There was a comment originating with Cheryl Reed, the Ocean Point GM ,on the OP news group to the effect that not having to provide papers that went unread has a favorable impact on MF's.

Art

Sure, to the tune of about $10/week per year I would assume. While it might save me money on the front end, I doubt it will save me in totality as I'll be driving to Starbucks for morning coffee and a paper vs enjoying a cup of coffee on the balcony while reading the paper.

For me, the only savings will be to the resort. I doubt that I see any such savings but will instead see an increase in costs.

On the surface this looks great. Probably around 400 to 600 newspapers per day for five days each week. What's a USA Today cost at the newstands? $1.50? So that's $7.50 X let's say 500 X 52 or $195,000 per year added to the profit margin for Marriott.......sorry, savings on MF's.

Now let's look at the backside. Driving to Starbucks or any local coffee house/restaurant (if I have to get up and get dressed I might as well make something of it). Let's say 5 miles to/from the coffee house restaurant x 5 days with an average MPG of 30 so, maybe $4 in gas, plus the $7.5 for the paper plus $5 to $15 for coffee and/or breakfast. Sure, I can see where this is saving money and saving the environment.

 

[rthib]

When 'Andy' brought it to my door this morning he said it was a new 'brand standard' to not deliver morning papers at BeachPlace or any other Marriott timeshare.

Ask him where that change was made.

The May 2011 rewards newsletter specifically points out room delivery for reward members at Vacation Club.

Just check web site and on profile it only list:
*Room delivery not available at Courtyard, Fairfield Inn, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites or TownePlace Suites.

 

[NWL]

Ask him where that change was made.

The May 2011 rewards newsletter specifically points out room delivery for reward members at Vacation Club.

Just check web site and on profile it only list:
*Room delivery not available at Courtyard, Fairfield Inn, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites or TownePlace Suites.

Looks like the memo was not read by everyone. I am a rewards member and I did not get a daily paper during my most recent stay at Grande Vista. When I called, I was told where to find them. Might we have to mention this at check-in?

Put me in the group that is disappointed with not getting a daily paper. We don't have paper delivery where I live, so I savored my morning paper at my timeshare. I, too, enjoyed coffee and the paper in my jammies on the balcony each morning. Having to get dressed to go get one ruins the effect.

I'm afraid to drink coffee and read my ipad at the same time.

 

[BocaBoy]

At Ko Olina they will deliver if you call and ask them to, but they don't ask you at check-in. You have to first know they will do it and then call them. It is the Honolulu paper, not USA Today.

At Manor Club they still delivered USA Today to each room as recently as the week before Christmas last year.

 

[IslandTime]

We cancelled our home delivery newspaper subscription years ago and now read the news online for free. How is the Wi-Fi at BeachPlace? Does it work well on the balcony? And, a little off topic, but are there safes in the rooms? We're looking forward to our first visit in a couple months!

 

[crjask]

Got USA Today delivered at Beachplace 2 weeks ago

We spent 4 nights at Beachplace over President's Weekend. We received the paper both Friday and Monday morning. I did not expect to, as I had read somewhere that it was stopping, but when my husband looked, there it was.
I don't know if it had anything to do with how we paid. Thursday and Sunday nights we used Destination points. Friday and Saturday nights we paid using our Premier Owner's discount.

I am a platinum rewards member and I have USA Today in my profile in Marriott.com.

As I said, I am not sure what criteria was used to decide that we would receive a paper at our door. Probably will be the last time.

 

[thinze3]

We cancelled our home delivery newspaper subscription years ago and now read the news online for free. How is the Wi-Fi at BeachPlace? Does it work well on the balcony? And, a little off topic, but are there safes in the rooms? We're looking forward to our first visit in a couple months!

I was on the top floor in a corner room and the wi-fi worked out on the balcony.