While Marriott is now the world’s largest hotel group with 6,500+ hotels, it’s always sad to see some of their better properties leave the group. Now yet another hotel that I really like is leaving.
It has just been announced that Hotel Des Indes, a Starwood Luxury Collection property, will be leaving Marriott as of December 10, 2018.
The hotel will instead join Leading Hotels of the World, which is a collection of around 400 independent luxury hotels around the world (this isn’t to be confused with Small Leading Hotels of the World, which World of Hyatt recently announced a partnership with).
Hotel Des Indes is located in The Hague, just outside Amsterdam. I reviewed the hotel back in 2014, and had a great stay there. It’s such a quirky and unique hotel, so I love the ability to take advantage of the benefits of a great loyalty program while not staying at a cookie cutter hotel.
Unfortunately this is Starwood’s second big loss in the Netherlands in the past several years. In 2015 Hotel Pulitzer left Starwood, which was a very cool hotel in Amsterdam. It’s now an independent hotel.
The hotel hasn’t given a reason for the management change, so I suspect one of two reasons are most likely:
- Marriott and Starwood have higher fees for hotels than Leading Hotels of the World, so it could be that they didn’t feel like they were getting sufficient value from it, and that the hotel has enough of a reputation independently that it doesn’t need to pay those higher fees
- Now that Marriott has taken over Starwood, Hotel Des Indes has to compete directly with the Marriott in The Hague, so it could be that they felt they were at a disadvantage
There are a number of other potential reasons.
I suspect we’ll see some more solid hotels leave Marriott over the coming months and years. Having access to the world’s biggest loyalty program isn’t always a good thing, when you consider that hotels are having to compete directly with more hotels for the business of those members.
Leading Hotels of the World also has a loyalty program — Leaders Club — though it’s not nearly as lucrative and widely useful as Marriott Rewards.
Anyone else sad to see Hotel Des Indes leave Marriott?
I’ve read the comments with interest and thought I’d leave my personal thoughts a few months on...
1) I’m sad to see it leave The Luxury Collection as status was always honoured there. My wife and I stayed there several times before we decided to move to The Hague, and I’ve also put my parents up there twice when they came to visit. Service was always impeccable and the quality of both hard and soft...
I’ve read the comments with interest and thought I’d leave my personal thoughts a few months on...
1) I’m sad to see it leave The Luxury Collection as status was always honoured there. My wife and I stayed there several times before we decided to move to The Hague, and I’ve also put my parents up there twice when they came to visit. Service was always impeccable and the quality of both hard and soft amenities beyond fault.
2) The local residents have just today received a bunch of special offer vouchers to “celebrate” the hotel joining LHW as they probably realise that a lot of the local clientele (think Shell global HQ down the road) are probably points chasers. I for one will be taking them up on some of these offers.
3) To chime in with the others who have said the same: NO, it’s not just outside Amsterdam. It’s around 45 minutes on the train if you get a direct one.
4) To the poster who said that IHG had no hotels in The Hague: https://www.ihg.com/hotelindigo/hotels/us/en/the-hague/hagrp/hoteldetail?cm_mmc=YextLocal-_-IN-_-NL-_-HAGRP
5) Des Indes and Marriott would NEVER compete for the same clientele due to class, atmosphere, price and location.
Oh, this one was on my list to visit, maybe it still is.
@Menno
Or just that people might immediately know where Amsterdam is as a reference point.
I think "just outside" can be used as it is only 65km between the two, just like Rotterdam is also conveniently just outside Amsterdam. Yes all these cities have different specializtions but they are geographically close to one another.
The train is an hour or less to both, particularly if you are in Schipol airport.
The Hague is an amazing city for art lovers. The Mauritshuis is one of the finest small art museums in the world - many feel it is better than the Frick or the Norton Simon. I've stayed at Des Indes and visited the Mauritshuis several times in the last few years. (Credit, have you seen this hotel? It combined the charm of an independent with the benefits of SPG.)
Yes this is a nice hotel. Although not 'just outside Amsterdam'
Anyway I don't care. I loved SPG Platinum but couldn't care less for Marriott. I stayed this week in a Westin and just booked it via an OTA. Even looking at the hotel website which now follows "Marriott logic" already made me dizzy.
Good to see hotels are leaving Marriott and SPG these days. It is not only the customers. Hope they get their shit together
Chain hotels are boring. Whether you stay at Marriott, Sheraton, Hilton or whatever they’re called they’re the same across the chains and across the world. They might have a slightly different breakfast buffets, but apart from that you can’t tell them apart. I prefer independent hotels with charm and personality
It's a beautiful hotel in a great location in an amazing city. I have very fond memories of the Hague, and the hotel is part of those memories
Yes, very sorry to see it go
I am sorry to hear this. My husband and I stayed there in 2015 with our Starwood points and it was a wonderful experience.
Lucky, can you do a deepdive on why hotels left these programs (like Marriott and etc...). I wonder what happened to these individual hotels after they left too
New Marriot management have only one thing in mind "Cut the cost of everything"so we going to see more and more the quality of products and services go down doesn't surprises me if more high luxury names take this path.
My husband and I had a wonderful stay there in 2015. Very sad to see it depart from the Starwood network!
I love the Hague and I visit this property every year .I get the EXPLORE rate so this is sad news. Starwood was a class act and I hope the Luxury Collections don't leave Marriott.
geeez talk about fear mongering with a nothing burger. even brushing aside the painfully obvious fact that Amsterdam is the only market that matters in NL, Marriott-Starwood will be fine even after they leave.
I just did a quick count - post Indes leaving, Marriott will have 19 properties in NL 1 DenHaag (including any of those "coming soon" listed on the site), Hilton 13 NL 1 DH, Intercontinental/IHG 15 NL 0 DH, Hyatt 3...
geeez talk about fear mongering with a nothing burger. even brushing aside the painfully obvious fact that Amsterdam is the only market that matters in NL, Marriott-Starwood will be fine even after they leave.
I just did a quick count - post Indes leaving, Marriott will have 19 properties in NL 1 DenHaag (including any of those "coming soon" listed on the site), Hilton 13 NL 1 DH, Intercontinental/IHG 15 NL 0 DH, Hyatt 3 NL 0 DH (they might have some from SLH i dunno).
Accor is the 800 lb gorilla there with 49 in NL and 7 in DH alone, which sounds impressive until you realize every single one of those in DH are of the ibis, mercure, and Novotel variety.
I really enjoyed this property! It's sad to see Des Indes go. The Pulitzer Hotel in AMS was my favorite property in Holland. Losing that one was even worse.
A few weeks ago, I was staying at the China Hotel/A Marriott Hotel in Guangzhou while the flag was lowered at the Property's request. Even though I spoke with the GM while in residence and checked out on 10/31/18, it's last day as a Marriott, and...
I really enjoyed this property! It's sad to see Des Indes go. The Pulitzer Hotel in AMS was my favorite property in Holland. Losing that one was even worse.
A few weeks ago, I was staying at the China Hotel/A Marriott Hotel in Guangzhou while the flag was lowered at the Property's request. Even though I spoke with the GM while in residence and checked out on 10/31/18, it's last day as a Marriott, and then checked back in under a new folio, I had to fight like hell with Marriott to get my points and stay credits which they absolutely refused to do saying it was impossible On the 3rd call claiming (correctly) to have been supplied by the GM with the details of the 20 year Marriott management agreement was I successful. To the credit of the China Hotel, they let me keep my executive suite and lounge access as a courtesy without my asking....definitely a class act. I will continue to stay at this property, Marriott or not.
Unfortunately, the incredible shrinking Marriott International is not a purveyor of the stellar customer service I became used to as a LT Platinum at Starwood.
Lucky, Hyatt's partnership is with Small LUXURY Hotels...
Some legacy Starwood owners had contracts that prohibited another Starwood hotel within so many miles of their property. Obviously, this is an issue in some markets.
It was on my list to bust. LHW has been significantly devalued otherwise I’d probably just buy the LHW status (did it this year and was totally worth it with just two LHW stays).
Haha, your description 'just outside of Amsterdam' makes it sounds like The Hague is some easy-to-reach suburb of the capital... It's like describing Washington 'just a few hours away from New York'. The Hague is a proper city of its own, third in size in the Netherlands and seat of the parliament and government.
But I guess it fits in the idea that the Netherlands is rarely visited outside of Amsterdam. A sad situation.
That sucks. This is a beautiful property.
I enjoyed the elegant hotel and its location. It was an Intercontinental when I stayed there in 2001.