Best Rate Guarantee Hotel Loyalty 2013-Q3 promotions Marriott Hotels Marriott Rewards (replaced by Marriott Bonvoy)

Marriott Extended Stay brands and TownePlace Suites studio room design

Marriott Rewards has three hotel brands designed for extended stays in Residence Inn (661 hotels), TownePlace Suites (226 hotels) and SpringHill Suites (313 hotels).

TownePlace Suites is ranked Upper Midscale hotel market segment by Smith Travel Research. Residence Inn and SpringHill Suites are ranked one category higher in the Upscale Hotel market segment.

Marriott Rewards points are earned at the reduced rate of 5 points per dollar for the two extended stay brands of Residence Inn and TownePlace Suites. SpringHill Suites, like most other Marriott hotel brands, earns points at the rate of 10 points per dollar for hotel spend.

Marriott International Three Extended Stay Brands

  • TownePlace Suites, upper midscale extended stay hotel, stays earn 5 points/$1.
  • Residence Inn, upscale extended stay hotel, stays earn 5 points/$1.
  • SpringHill Suites, upscale extended stay hotel, stays earn 10 points/$1.

Marriott’s brand descriptions below are brand features as listed on Marriott website.

SpringHill Suites function in a higher tier hotel market segment for the properties I have visited like in Napa, California.

Brand Features

  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Free hot breakfast buffet
  • Spacious guest suites with separate areas for sleeping, working and relaxing
  • In-suite microwave and mini-fridge
  • Airy beds with fluffy pillows
  • On-site business center
  • Swimming pools and Whirlpool spas
  • Fitness room

Residence Inn

Residence is the largest extended stay brand in the Marriott chain with more hotels (661 hotels) than the other two Marriott extended stay brands of SpringHill Suites (313 hotels) and TownePlace Suites (226 hotels) combined.

Brand Features

  • Spacious suites with separate living and sleeping areas
  • Fully equipped in-suite kitchens
  • Free grocery delivery service
  • Free Wi-Fi and in-room high-speed Internet access
  • Free hot breakfast with new menu and healthy choices
  • Inviting outdoor spaces including Sport Court®, swimming pool and barbeque areas
  • Complimentary evening socials
  • Fitness center with modern equipment and TVs

A common attribute of the Marriott hotel chain is the clumping of two or three hotels with different brand names next to each other. Many locations have a Residence Inn and Courtyard Hotel adjacent to each other. Some places have three Marriott brands next to each other, from Marriott to Fairfield Inn.

TownePlace Suites

The Upper Midscale market segment hotel brand in the Marriott chain is TownePlace Suites with lower prices on average than Residence Inn or SpringHill Suites.

Brand Features

  • Spacious studios, or 1- and 2-bedroom suites complete with fully equipped kitchens, work space and high-speed Internet
  • Lower rates for longer stays
  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Free breakfast
  • Fitness center
  • Pool
  • On-site laundry facilities

 

TownePlace Suites Denver Downtown and Denver Tech Center

I stayed at two Denver area TownePlace Suites properties in July 2013 with identical room design for a Studio Suite, One Queen bed and Sofabed.

Click on any picture to open larger size image.

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TownePlace Suites Denver Downtown

The development view in downtown Denver from the TownePlace Suites hotel parking lot in the hospital district showed a Jack in the Box from one side of the hotel and an industrial last century smokestack from the front side of the hotel.

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The red brick smokestack in Denver reminds me of towers in Barcelona where several smokestacks from early 19th century industrial districts were restored and preserved in a district of urban renewal with new development of modern tech and mixed-used business and residential building designs during the past decade in large scale urban development of prime downtown real estate.

I hope Denver preserves the smokestack.

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Entry hall, closet and desk area. Bathroom is right of front door. Door in foreground is locked connecting door to adjacent hotel room. Closet has iron and board.

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TownePlace Suites bathroom.

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Couch sofabed and separate chair with table.

Both TownePlace Suites rooms where we stayed in Denver area hotels ten miles apart had same room design and artwork.

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One TV in room swiveled between bed view and couch view.

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Stove, dishwasher, microwave, full-size refrigerator/freezer, dishes, utensils and sink. Coffee maker on counter.

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Iron and board in the closet.

TownePlace Suites properties include a free breakfast with 6:00 – 9:30am hours. Breajfast consisted of coffee, fruit juice, yogurt, hard boiled eggs, cereals, pastries, DIY waffles, bagels and breads.

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Guest computer station at TownePlace Suites Denver Tech Center.

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Lobby at TownePlace Suites Denver Tech Center. Lobby at downtown location had a small market of food items. Both locations had plenty of ice in machines.

I have no photos of the breakfast rooms. Both locations seemed to have breakfast rooms too small to adequately accommodate the traffic at times as ten or so people tried to move around a limited area surrounding the food and too little seating area to eat in the room once there were more than ten to 12 people. I found myself getting food to take back to the room as the best solution to the space issues in the TownePlace Suites properties.

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ADA compliant swimming pool with lift. ADA federal regulations require hotel pools to install a lift, an expense of $3,000 to $6,000.  I see these pool lifts have been installed already at most hotels I visit.

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Outdoor barbecue grill at TownePlace Suites Denver Tech Center.

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I stayed four nights at TownePlace Suites in Denver Downtown and Denver Tech Center during July 2013.

My rates for all four nights were reduced rates due to successful Marriott Look No Further best rate guarantee claims reducing the rate I was charged down from the Marriott website published rate to 25% off lower rates I found for these same rooms on the same dates with Expedia.com and Hotels.com.

TownePlace Suites Denver Downtown. Friday, July 12.

  • $68 reduced LNF rate from original booked rate $129 on Marriott website.

TownePlace Suites Denver Tech Center. Saturday, July 13.

  • $46 reduced LNF rate from original booked rate $94 on Marriott website.

TownePlace Suites Denver Downtown. Sunday, July 14 – Tuesday, July 16.

  • $87 reduced LNF rate from original booked rate $169 on Marriott website.

Marriott Rewards Unexpected Bonus free night after two stays May 15-September 2, 2013.

Three stays earned one free night certificate for a Marriott Rewards category 1 to 5 hotel valid through July 2014. One more Marriott brand hotel stay by August 31, 2013 will earn a second free night certificate.

TownePlace Suites is a lower market segment extended stay brand of Marriott hotels chain. There were lots of families on summer travel at these hotels with space for four, even in a studio suite. The rooms were functional with the benefit of a kitchen for food storage and preparation and the possibility of one and two-bedroom apartments.

Related post: Loyalty Road Trip 11 Nights, 5 Chains, $728

 

Ric Garrido, writer and owner of Loyalty Traveler, shares news and views on hotels, hotel loyalty programs and vacation destinations for frequent guests.

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1 Comment

  • MJM July 24, 2013

    If Unexpected Bonus runs through September 2, why do you need another stay by August 31? Perhaps you have big stay at home plans for the rest of Labor Day weekend. 😉

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