Beware Marriot's Restaurant Rules...
I experienced something I've never seen before, last night. Two friends and I were going out to the Pearl to dance, but before hand decided we wanted to eat dinner. We ended up at Salsa's, the Mexican food restaurant in the Marriot.
We sat down, ordered, one friend ordered a main dish, as did I, but the third friend wasn't hungry so he didn't place a food order, however, ordered a drink. The waitress THEN tells us that anyone not eating a main dish, will be charged a flat 100 Riyal fee, and that fee does NOT include any drink, alcoholic or not.
Ok...then after arguing with the waitress and her going to talk to the manager, my non-eating friend asked if he ordered a main dish and just let it set there, would that satisfy the fee...and the answer is yes!!! We were just sitting there dumbfounded by this blatant money grabbing practice. They said that it was to keep people from just coming into the restaurant and using it as a bar...and our arguement was that out of 3 people at our table, TWO of them HAD ordered main dishes!!!
Finally, after about 20 minutes, and many discussions with the waitress...the manager comes out and tries to convince us that its common practice...which we'd have none of that BS...He finally conceded and said my friend only had to pay for his drinks...
Nowhere on the outside of the restaurants or on the menu, is it stated that you HAVE to purchase a main mean (and no, that doesn't include salads..) or you will be charged a fee of 100 Riyals. How many of you would notice that if it was on a menu??? I know I wouldn't unless it was in bold red ink and very large letters.
So...let this be a warning to those of you who choose to frequent the Marriot's restaurants...eat or be charged 100 Riyals for just sitting and chatting with your friends while THEY eat!!!
the most funniest part was about all of youl eating the same meal...........is this for real.... dam.
Aana free, jaana free,
Pakde gaye tho khana free.
my god ! what the hell the are doing? what they think bout us?... i guess they though we dont have any other choice !
did you pay for those 3 persons lately?
and whatever the name of that chicken a friend brought over was called...That was good.
I noticed they are opening a branch on that road thai snack is on up across from the dominos...
Think it was home chicken or chicken home???
It was good...I still like the kfc slaw though
You can't teach experience...
in my experience........places where customer complaints are taken seriously.
one is lagoon at the ritz and the other brasserie at four seasons i like their brunch.
Aana free, jaana free,
Pakde gaye tho khana free.
It was the same at the restaurant at the 4 Seasons here in Doha.
It's to stop people who don't wouldn't get into a bar just going to a restaurant to drink and not order food.
It's perfectly normal, and it isn't the hotel's own rules. These sorts of rules are imposed by the government.
nope and I won't go back to that particular restaurant...not only was the Mexican food nowhere near what its actually supposed to taste like..I don't want to subject my friends to an unfair practice.
every mothersn...lol good point!!
OHHH and seems that the Sheraton does the same basic thing...Went to Pirates cove with reservations for 14 persons...3 cancelled at last minute due to illness, and after we ate (food was horrendeous, by the way..too dry to chew the meat and restaurant said ALL of us had to have the same meal!!!! Never heard of that one!) the waiter informed us that we had to pay for the 3 meals that weren't eaten..um, excuse me??? What am I supposed to do...make the ill people show up and eat this nasty stuff? I mean heck, one of the salads had 2 hairs in it and had to be returned(YEEECH!!)...another girl ordered prawns in her salad, but it came with chicken...she returned it and it came back with 2 prawns AND the original chicken..they couldn't even be bothered to switch out the salad!!!
If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the main difference between a dog and man.
-Mark Twain-
these are tough times for 5 star hotels.... i wont be suprised if marriot force you to check in to a room next time you go for dinner.
Aana free, jaana free,
Pakde gaye tho khana free.
.... have you ever been there after the incident, scarlett?
Rules are a guideline for intelligent people,, but they must be adhered to by idiots.
Been avoiding the Marriott just cause the traffic over there...Hope to find a place near the vilagio and then that where I'll hang...I hate traffic...
You can't teach experience...
I agree this is stupid, and if it is common practise it should be posted somewhere in the hotel or restaurant. A 5 star hotel normally doesnt adopt this practise, but being in a country where the only place you can drink is hotel I guess I can understand it.
Perhaps they should put those "This table is for patrons only for a max 20 minutes" (Cant remember the exact wording) that we get back home lol. Maybe they can post these rules on the back of the waitstaffs shirts.
_____________________________________________________
"Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock - Will Rogers"
Exactly , my money , I choose where to spend it, the power of our wallets .
Keith Brown ... just have to bring your money elsewhere.
The charge should be clearly stated somewhere for the benefit of the customers ofcourse. As a restaurant manager or even a supervisor they should exercise a little "Common Sense", a particularly uncommon sense in my opinion. Ofcourse you dont want your dining tables occupied with people who just want drinks , thats simply not profitable.
I think Scarlett was correct, the management should have exercised better judgement as I am sure they have probably lost 3 future customers.
In a 5 star hotel in Dubai I was not permitted to order just a starter and desert, Im not a BIG eater, nor was I permitted to order 2 starters then desert, I had to at least order a main course, one starter and desert would have cost more than just the main which I eventually ordered and went without desert.I pointed out after dinner to the manager that if I had been allowed to order as I had wanted they would have made more money from me ,,,,,POINTLESS, he just refused to grasp the idea.Needless to say I never ate there ever again and always told people not to go .
rule is not a law ... especially in 5 stars hotel.
... see, i think you can not say it was wrong for Marriot for such charging- in general.... they have their argument quite strong, and sometimes, that favors the people who really want to dine to a cool place but dont get any table free...
however, i think, marriott did a blunder, i am saying based on scarlett's statement, that it didn't mention it in the menu...
and the last point, which is, i guess, subjective, rather than precisely objective, is the applicability of the rule.... if 2 our of 3 people order for main dish, i guess, marriott rather SHOULD/COULD have been more subjective on the rule....
so, my point is:
the rule itself is not unfair, but it ofcourse, should have been mentioned somewhere precisely and it should have not been followed in objective way....
scarlett:
i have been trying be to as much as neutral...but, you know who's side i am in, right?... :-)
how was oman trip? have you gone to Musandam?
and hei ! me, along with my two friends went to marriott for dinner and i didnt take any single thing, not even water but the other two took main dish.... and we hadn't been informed that anyway, .... it was couple of months back...
chips and salsa, you get nailed with the 100 riyal per person fee, vegas...that was the whole issue that night. DQ and I were eating dinner and our friend had already eaten, so didn't want any food...he even asked if he ordered an appetizer, would that satisfy the requirement and they said no...
Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked,the good fortune to run into the ones I do,and the eyesight to tell the difference.
that's actually one of the reasons for the crackdown on clubs...the fights...why some folks can't act like humans, even when drinking, is beyond me..they ruin it for the rest of us!!
Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked,the good fortune to run into the ones I do,and the eyesight to tell the difference.
You can't teach experience...
that night...going into the Pearl...we had to show our resident's visa!! Seems that as of Feb 1st, ALL clubs will require that.
Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked,the good fortune to run into the ones I do,and the eyesight to tell the difference.
Actually I think time are tough and all the places are running int he red and management is doing all they can to collect a dime... And they are also cracking down on drinking as we all know...Aalthough youu couldn't tell that from the IH lastnight...That place it outta control.
There gonna be one big fight at one of these drunkin establishments one of these days and all the parties will be over. Mark my word...
You can't teach experience...
PM, i am actually surprised 5 stars hotel doing that. I dont go to 5 stars hotel that much in Doha, but I been to few restaurant (ShangriLa, New World, Hilton etc) in other countries just sitting there for hours with cup of coffee and magazines. The staffs are very acommodating and never said anything.
this is crazy.. i am a fan of mariott (specially the buffet), haven't experience this, well, maybe because we usually order :P (they are to blame why i am getting all fatty :D)...but then as what scarlett mentions majority of them ordered, so it's like if you visit mariott it is given that you will pay more than a QR100...hmmmm
hmmmm.. will try to ask someone from there about this...
[img_assist|nid=12867|link=none|align=left|width=|height=0]Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.
be sure to be starving when u go to marriott!
i dont agree with this also coz not all customers order main dishes.
I think I've discovered the secret of life - you just hang around until you get used to it. ~Charles Schulz
Agree stupid rule ! Never heard such a rule in 5 stars hotel.
But then this is Qatar ... :) The Marriot goes together with places like Le Notre.
And they wonder why the stupid manager stated this.. the staff would of been too up the managers ass and run and told him.. just so they can get browny point... i would of ust walked out and not paid the bil at all... then let them take it more...give it to them baby ah ah
I take back my comment...I DO like Mickey D's fries...
Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked,the good fortune to run into the ones I do,and the eyesight to tell the difference.
I would understand if it was a buffet and everyone was sharing..or if NO ONE ordered any food...but 2/3 of the table DID!!! Please read THROUGHLY what I wrote...I am fine with a minimum charge if people are just camping out at a table and not ordering food...but we did order food, in fact our bill came to over $300 Riyals...
Besides, which...who knotted your knickers..? You are entirely rude with your last comment..and for the record..I don't frequent McDonalds..its repulsive food. I think i know why you are still single. sheesh...
Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked,the good fortune to run into the ones I do,and the eyesight to tell the difference.
zillions of places have a 'minimum charge'. It's the most normal thing. You might not think it's fair, but it's designed to stop people grazing out at tables ordering one espresso a night.
As we love to say on qatarliving, if you don't like it, you don't have to stay in the place! Just leave! I'm sure some indignant QL-er will happily drive you to the nearest McDonald's! LOL
Omigosh, I often just order an appetizer (or two) rather than a main dish. Sounds like the Marriott is off my list! Soup and salad, anyone?
Mandi