Bad Experience with Rude Marriott Marquis Staff

[betaboo]

Hello! While staying at the Marriott Marquis this past Dragon*Con, I had a less-than-pleasant experience with one of the Marriott security guards. He yelled at my husband and me because we were bringing a small cooler in the hotel (with TWO bottled of beer!)... At first he wasn't going to allow us into the hotel. After presenting my room key, he

Comments

[orcapotter]

That's really weird. When I was checking in around 7:30 AM on Thursday, pretty much every luggage cart around me had cases of beer--whole cases, and several of them. No one batted an eye.

Some of my group, though, had some communication issues with the front desk staff--with one lady telling people one thing and another person telling them another.

Overall, though, I found the staff to be very friendly all weekend. They were pushy when necessary, but in the overpowering crowds, I don't blame the need. At what point in the weekend did this happen to you?

[mrd1sturbed]

I have to ask, what time of day was it that you brought in the cooler with the beer? The reason I ask is that the security at night (after 7pm) was not the hotel security, but a private company AFAIK. We didn't have any issues with the hotel security and staff, but then again we brought most of our stuff in during the show hours (before 7pm).

[troopergroupie]

The only time I saw any of the private security get in anyone's face was when people were trying to get in without a badge or room key. They always had a smile for me when I showed her my badge. Now dragoncon security were a bit out of control yelling and pushing people.

[veracity]

I'm impressed if you found any Hilton employees polite.

[elvishtard]

I've ran into problems with the Marriott's staff in the past. Especially with the car parking situation out in front...but this year was different...they were...laid back? We didn't even get help unloading our car this year! They just shoved a roller cart at us, and when we tried to get it over the lip into the front doors, is when someone finally came over to help.

Marriott staff has always been spotty at best. It's like 50% of them love the con, and 50% of them can't stand the sight of us, when we start pouring in. The front desk clerks can be the absolute WORST!

It might have been the hired out Dupree Security company we had this year, who yelled at you?

[dizzydame]

We had the opposite thing with the rolling cart! We wanted to do it ourselves and were informed that no guests were allowed to push the carts and that unless we wanted to carry our luggage up without it a hotel employee would have to push it for us. (Not a huge deal for us either way, but every other year we've just asked for a cart and done it ourselves.)

[the_wasuremono]

One of my friends had problems with the Marriott staff regarding booze, too. The bellhop helping them informed him that he couldn't bring booze in and that there was a charge for bringing in outside food/drink. After they checked in no one mentioned any of that to them so I take it that it was someone being dick-ish

[tiney]

There's a charge for bringing in outside food/drink? Last year and this year we went grocery shopping on Thursday and they helped us bring our groceries into our Marriott room. XD

[meowwl]

They can charge a corking fee for the booze. Never heard anything about outside food and drink other than booze. I just try to be discreet with the alcoholic stuff, and hotel staff usually takes an ostrich defense attitude towards it...if they don't see it, they don't have to do anything about it. That makes both parties happy.

[betaboo]

Yes, Dragon*Con can be stressful, and I do not blame anyone who does the best they can in a difficult situation.

That being said, my experience was NOT indicative of someone doing their best. This happened around 11pm on Saturday night, and I imagined that the security guards were from a third-party company. (For purposes of brevity, I left out that there were actually two rude guards) They could have been polite. Or even neutral.

It is all the more reason to notify the Marriott that the security company they use has hostile employees in need of better training. Again, the yelling and hostility was totally uncalled for, and from what I heard, I am not alone.

[altxchange]

So, at a prime time when the hotel is super crowded and the security already has to be on the alert for badges/hotel keys, a staffer got pissy with you because you were bringing in a cooler?

Honestly, I'm very happy to hear this instead of the many complaints last year of people being sexually assaulted by drunken attendees or non-attendees simply there for the parties & mass quantities of alcohol.

Alcohol played a HUGE contributor in those issues in 2010 and I can't blame the hotel for cracking down on it. The hotel lobby and walkways are their responsibility so I'm sure that they would rather any alcohol that is around was distributed by their bar staff, not just for the money but to also know that the person buying it was of legal age and not already so incredibly lit that they couldn't stand.

[the_unruly_one]

The hotel manager that got pissy with me told me I was killing his drink sales and took mine away.