I used to live in the Washington, DC, area but moved after I retired. I visit the Washington, DC, area frequently for familyevents. My daughter works for Marriott so I qualify for the Associate rate at Marriott Hotels. My preferred hotel is the Marriott Suites in Bethesda (when I visit family in Montgomery County) and the Marriott Suites near Dulles Airport (when I am traveling by air). Occasionally, we stay at the North Bethesda Conference Center, or the Pooks Hill Marriott, or the Springhill Suites in Gaithersburg, if we can't get a reservation at the Marriott Suites in Bethesda. When we visit these hotels, we normally are treated in a very courteous ane welcoming manner, except when we go to the North Bethesda Conference Center. While I recognize when I use the associate rate, I do not get my platinum elite member benerfits, e.g., points, welcome gift, etc., the Confernece Center staff treats us like second class citizens. I used to be placed on the executive lounge floors and was given lounge privileges. At my last visit, they told me that I would no longer recieve that benefit unless I wanted to pay $30 a day for it. The staff at that hotel is very brusque and officious and seem to act like they are doing you a favor to help you with anything. In fact, they seem to take delight in telling you what you will not receive. I have decided that I will no longer stay at that hotel even if I have to pay the full rate at one of the other hotels. The staff at the Marriott Suites in Bethesda remember our names, greet us warmly upon each arrival, ask about our family, our travels, etc., and seem geniuinely happy to see us visit their hotel. To me that is representative of the "Marriott way." The Conference Center Staff needs some intense customer service training and needs to improve drastically to get close to that goal of acceptably representing Marriott's example that I see at other facilities.
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