Austin Marriott North Survey

[Roush #1]

TCC members, FYI.........
I just completed a survey sent out by Mr. Mariott inquiring about my recent stay at the Austin Marriott North.
Jody

[cobra cowboy]

I did as well

[SSSammy]

I'm afraid I'm going to get a personal phone call after my response .. not that I want to talk to them

Mods, can this be moved to the Texas Forum? It may get a little busy

Sam

[GlynMeek]

Jody...you started this tantalising thread. Isn't ANYONE going to post what they ACTUALLY wrote on the survey response?????? (Using * symbols where appropriate!)

THAT would be SO much more fun than just "me too"...LOL

...and we would, without doubt, consume HUGE quantities of popcorn!!!

Glyn

[mtpockets]

My response was average, until I got to write something instead of giving a score of 1 - 10.

I wrote>> "We were there with an event and it was clear the management did not want us back next year. I can't speak for anyone else, but I won't be back at the Marriott North Austin."

[Roush #1]

Although I heard about many more problems with the hotel, I only reported my personal experiences about checking in and parking.
When I arrived at 9:30 Wednesday morning there was one parking space (for a car and trailer) in the entire lot and I took it. It was on the west side of the hotel. There was one other trailer in the parking lot when I arrived and I parked about two spaces down from him.
I spoke with the front desk and they told me that many of the folks in the lot were at a seminar and would be leaving by noon - and they did. I also inquired about early check-in. There was none available then.
About noon I was able to move over to the area where the trailers were supposed to park when folks started leaving the seminar. It was very difficult to get a spot to park a trailer. We had to have the motor running and move in before another single car came in blocking the two spaces needed.
About the same time I was parking , the Austin Club started trying to keep folks out of the area that ended up being the Cobra lot (north east side) and the trailer lot (north side). Without their efforts we would not have had an event. They took a lot of verbal abuse from folks who wanted to park in the future Cobra and trailer lot.
The large tractor trailer rigs had to park across the street until the cars left the lot allowing them room to park.
I tried to check in on numerous occassions that afternoon and could not get a room until about 5 PM. I know a few were able to get rooms before that, several as early as 11 AM, but I was not able to.
It appeared that most of the parking problems were cars left over from the seminar attendees. I know there were at least five that blocked trailer parking until after 5 Thursday afternoon. One was not moved until Friday morning about 9.
I had to move my rig at least four times Thursday to allow others access to the parking spaces. My trailer and tow vehicle were about 5 feet longer than two spaces and extended into a driveway. Many others had the same problem and if the vehicle driver was not around to move forward or back, one driveway was blocked.
Jody

[427Aggie]

Filled mine out today as well. Gave the employee's and rooms good numbers...laid into the management especially the night one. Told them I wouldn't be back and this was not the way to treat a group that had been there for 4+ years and had almost 100 rooms booked for 3 days.

[jtcoppedge]

I want to thank everyone for filling out the survey as it is designed to help the hotel determine what they could have done differently to make the event more accomodating. I know that several attendees had issues valid issues with the hotel and believe me they are being addressed. There are a few things that I did want to point out that may help in determining next year's event.

First, the room block for the event started on Thursday night. Had the hotel know that a few people were planning on coming on Wednesday night the hotel would have reserved a few parking spots specifically for the early arrivals.

Second, check in time to the hotel is at 3 PM on the day that you are scheduled to arrive. There is no excuse for you to not be able to get into your room at 3PM and the hotel front desk should have apologized for that and offered you some type of compensation such as a free appatizer in the restaurant or a free drink while the hotel expedited your guest room.

Third, parking- The problem we had this year was that the hotel had an extremely large event on Wednesday and Thursday and that interrupted the flow of trailer parking. The hotel has offered to set up a designed parking diagram and email it out to everyone next year so that you will know exactly where to park as long as you are a registered guest.

Several people had commented on the extreme amount of space that the tractor trailers took up this year. The hotel has agreed to get with the members to determine a proper layout for next year in order to maximize the amount of space required to park all the guest trailers.

I did speak with the night manager of the hotel and he explained to me that the club had an open bar in the parking lot on Saturday night. If the TABC or Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commision had come by and seen this not only would the person serving the alcohol been arrested but the hotel would have lost their liquor license and been fined over $10,000.00. I am sure that no one wanted to see anyone go to jail or lose the liquor license.

The hotel may have acted a little abrasive but please keep in mind that there were a few things that were not commincated to them and it caused a little tension.

Normally any type of food and beverage event on hotel premisis is run through the hotel to not only make sure it is a quality event but to maintaine a safe and enjoyable event. No one likes to deal with an overserved individual ( we had a few on Friday night in the parking lot )

This year was by far the biggest we have seen over the last four years. In order to keep it fun we have to be able to communicate with one another to make sure everything goes as smooth as possible. Having a Hooter's truck in the parking lot is not something that every family attending wanted to see. It was not well received from the hotel guest perspective and certainly not from the hotel manager. Please keep in mind that the hotel manager likes hot wings just like anyone else but there is a time and a place for a Hooter's Truck and that was not the place nor the time.

Had the hotel hosted the event in the Ballroom of the hotel all of this would have been avoided. It is not about the money but the impression you leave on your attendees. The more organized you are the better your event. Why not let the hotel help you coordinate it.....It is what they do everyday....they live here...they know the best placed to go.....they have all the contacts......it just makes sense.

I know several attendees that I spoke to said they would not be back next year for a few reasons....one of them was that they did not like the preception that the Cobra folks gave in the parking lot with the open bar and the Hooter's Truck......

Since I have know the Cobra Club they have always been first class.....they still are today as far as I am concerned. We just need to come together and make this a win win situation for both parties. If we have the banquet in the Ballroom you don't have to worry about a large event taking your parking.....If you have a reception in the ballroom you don't have to worry about anyone calling the police.....

Finally, The hotel is doing everything it can to address their mistakes. I just hope the Cobra Club will continue to host their annual event at the Austin Marriott North.

The hotel has agreed to offer the same rate for next year and is willing to waive any room rental for the ballroom next year based on a small food and beverage minimum. I know it's not as good as sitting next to your car with a cool one in your hand but it is supposed to be a social event right?

It's a great place to visit and they appreciate the entire Cobra Club. It is always a pleasure to see everyone year after year. That's my two cents......drive safe out there...

Jim Coppedge