I would really like to know what others think of the new M-Lounges at many Marriott's with specific focus on the alcohol prices. I often stay at the Marriott SFO Airport, an excellent hotel, btw, and the lounge used to be quite informal on the top floor, with pour your own wine and honor bar. This was all removed and relocated to the ground level with the M-Lounge, a rather sterile environment. The honor bar was replaced with a digital wine metering device and the prices for any pour are exactly set and metered by a machine
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Worse yet, the prices in the old lounge were quite good, often a glass costing only $6 or $7. Now, the cheapest for a mere 6 oz is $9 and all the prices are identical with the bar/restaurant a few dozen feet away in the lobby. The lounge has lost the intimate setting it once had as well as any discount whatsoever for wine or alcohol.
In addition, in the previous location, each night offered different appetizer choices ranging from chicken wings to buttered chicken to pork. Now, each night is the same. Every night, one is offered buttered chicken, macaroni, cheese, vegetables. And I do mean the exact same appetizers 7 days per week. I'd like to at least offer the caveat the display is better than most other Marriott's, regardless of location, but it never varies....
Questions:
1. should Marriott offer some discount to elite members in the Lounge?
2. should Marriott make some attempt to vary the lounge food offering during the week?