Aloft Dublin Tosses Breakfast Off the Menu
Have you ever seen such audacity? Marriott lets its hotels roam wild and free, seemingly disregarding what brand standards dictate in favor of whimsy and chaos. Aloft Dublin City appears to be leading the pack in this free-for-all.
Aloft Dublin: Playing by Its Own Rules
The whole Marriott Bonvoy elite breakfast benefit is about as clear as mud, thanks to a Gordian knot of red tape and restrictions. Yet there’s a handful of brands where Bonvoy Platinum members and up can consistently nab breakfast as a welcome gift. Aloft was one of the righteous few… until now.
Aloft Dublin City has decided, in a move that smacks of rebellion, to boot breakfast from the list of perks for elite members. Instead, they’ve cooked up a new policy—because why follow guidelines when you can rewrite them?
Now, instead of starting the day with bacon and eggs on the house, elite members face a menu of either a €10 credit per night or a paltry 500 Bonvoy bonus points. Of course, breakfast at this fine establishment runs about €20 per person, so that credit will barely help you reach the appetizer of a two-person breakfast.
This eye-opening policy twist first emerged in the review section of Marriott’s own website, setting tongues wagging.
The Hotel’s Bewildering Justification
Someone over at FlyerTalk stayed at Aloft Dublin recently and was promptly informed about this breakfast banishment. He escalated the issue to Marriott’s corporate overlords, who shuffled the complaint back to the hotel, resulting in one of the most amusingly bizarre responses ever penned:
After considering guest feedback, specifically from our dearest, most loyal patrons, we’ve tweaked the welcome gift for our elite members to a €10 credit to really bump up the guest experience.
We find it inexpressibly sad that you’re not a fan of this adjustment and offer humble apologies for any unpleasantness this may have caused.
As per the grand Bonvoy decree, facilities must offer 500 points or a breakfast goodie for the member and a buddy. Exceptionally failing to offer this, there’s a $25 recompense per stay.
Following our chat, we’ve decided to sidestep the usual $25 and instead bless you with 5000 points. What joy!
The whole charade is the textbook definition of corporate gaslighting. The hotel reps are shocked, shocked I tell you, that someone’s peeved with this new policy, insisting it reflects the desires of loyal guests and elevates the overall stay experience. Whether they’re feeding themselves these lines or simply freestyling fibs is anyone’s guess.
What’s more laughable is how the hotel admits to flouting Marriott’s rules and, in a bid to patch things up, resorts to compensations aligned with the Val Seny ski resort elite guarantee. Yet they remain steadfast in their unconventional approach?
This Way Lies Madness
This sets a precarious precedent for Marriott. Who knew hotels could freestyle their benefits package with nary a slap on the wrist? Recently, St. Regis Macao also sliced elite breakfast from the roster, entirely ignoring Marriott’s published rules too. And, surprise surprise, nothing was done about it.
Bottom Line
Aloft Dublin City is the latest defiant child in Marriott’s global family. Breakfast for elite members has been shunned in favor of a modest credit, all wrapped up in the guise of guest satisfaction improvement. The chutzpah!
So, what are your thoughts on this whole Aloft Dublin City breakfast saga?