geadnic
Sep 6, 05, 10:59 am
I don’t usually post trip reports but this past weekend’s stay at the Sheraton Norfolk deserves one! Simply put, the hotel’s condition is simply appalling for a Sheraton – and I’ve stayed at many Sheratons! Obviously, I don’t expect 4* quality from the brand, but I would describe the one in Norfolk as 1.5*. Read on…
The good: nice location, directly on the waterfront. Waterfront rooms do provide a nice view of the docks and military ships. Hotel is adjacent to a retail/entertainment complex with a Jilian’s, Hooter’s, Outback, etc. Walking distance to Granby Street - the only “happening” street in Norfolk – with nice bars, quaint restaurants and a movie theater. Hotel lounge is decent, with appetizers in the evening and continental breakfast in the morning. A computer/printer is available for complementary use in the lounge and the lobby. No free alcohol in the lounge but attendant was really pleasant and kind.
The not-so-good: I booked on points and ended up with two different 1-night reservations because of the 3000//4000 points needed for a weekend/weekday stay. As a plat, I expected an upgrade to the club level but no luck. Apparently, the whole club level was fully booked for 2 straight days because of weddings. The agent at checkin said that she “could give me access to the lounge” as if it was a big favor she was doing. Absolutely no mention of the platinum amenity. Upon checkin, the agent asked if I was staying just for the one night and I said that I am staying for two nights under two separate reservation numbers. She said “no problem” but the next morning, I called service promise and they were expecting me to checkout that day. I told them I was staying for an additional night under a separate reservation and they said they would “allow” me to stay in the same room because no upgrade was available for my second night. Great, another night in the same filthy, disgusting and non-functional room; read on…
The ugly (very, very ugly): I described my room on the 7th floor as filthy and disgusting, here’s why. The carpet was horribly worn and had a huge red stain on it that was obviously never thoroughly cleaned. The bathtub and shower curtain had mildew and “other” black stains all over. The bathroom’s ceiling had some horrible dark stains. The toilet seat was the wrong shape for the bowl underneath which resulted in an awkward seating position. All of the pipes leading to the toilet bowl and sink were rusted and dirty. Using the bathroom was a thoroughly unpleasant experience. The bed was definitely not “sweet-sleeper-compliant”. The mattress sagged significantly, was horrendously soft and provided no support. The fitted sheet was too small and so it could barely be tucked in under the bed. Overnight, it would get “un-tucked” and reveal the wonderfully smelly and sticky bare bed corners. All of this made for some serious back-and-neck-ache and lack of sleep in the morning, but all can be fixed by a nice relaxing shower, right ;) I highly doubt that the hotel’s corridors are vacuumed daily as a used cotton swab could be seen conspicuously on the floor outside my room during my whole stay. When I got back to the hotel on the second day around 5PM, I realized that my bed was not made. I called service promise and they said that they would send someone up. Since I wanted to relax a little, I asked them to send someone after 7:30PM at which time I would be at dinner. 7:15 rolls around and I get a call from them saying that they cannot send someone until 9-9:30. I cancel the request, complaining that this is appalling since it’s their fault that the bed was not made in the first place. No mention of a service promise, no “what can we do to fix this situation”, just a curt “goodbye” from an obviously inexperienced service-promise representative. I make the bed myself, skip the shower and watch the news realizing that some people in the south have it far worse that I do; I stop complaining for the rest of the stay…
The good: nice location, directly on the waterfront. Waterfront rooms do provide a nice view of the docks and military ships. Hotel is adjacent to a retail/entertainment complex with a Jilian’s, Hooter’s, Outback, etc. Walking distance to Granby Street - the only “happening” street in Norfolk – with nice bars, quaint restaurants and a movie theater. Hotel lounge is decent, with appetizers in the evening and continental breakfast in the morning. A computer/printer is available for complementary use in the lounge and the lobby. No free alcohol in the lounge but attendant was really pleasant and kind.
The not-so-good: I booked on points and ended up with two different 1-night reservations because of the 3000//4000 points needed for a weekend/weekday stay. As a plat, I expected an upgrade to the club level but no luck. Apparently, the whole club level was fully booked for 2 straight days because of weddings. The agent at checkin said that she “could give me access to the lounge” as if it was a big favor she was doing. Absolutely no mention of the platinum amenity. Upon checkin, the agent asked if I was staying just for the one night and I said that I am staying for two nights under two separate reservation numbers. She said “no problem” but the next morning, I called service promise and they were expecting me to checkout that day. I told them I was staying for an additional night under a separate reservation and they said they would “allow” me to stay in the same room because no upgrade was available for my second night. Great, another night in the same filthy, disgusting and non-functional room; read on…
The ugly (very, very ugly): I described my room on the 7th floor as filthy and disgusting, here’s why. The carpet was horribly worn and had a huge red stain on it that was obviously never thoroughly cleaned. The bathtub and shower curtain had mildew and “other” black stains all over. The bathroom’s ceiling had some horrible dark stains. The toilet seat was the wrong shape for the bowl underneath which resulted in an awkward seating position. All of the pipes leading to the toilet bowl and sink were rusted and dirty. Using the bathroom was a thoroughly unpleasant experience. The bed was definitely not “sweet-sleeper-compliant”. The mattress sagged significantly, was horrendously soft and provided no support. The fitted sheet was too small and so it could barely be tucked in under the bed. Overnight, it would get “un-tucked” and reveal the wonderfully smelly and sticky bare bed corners. All of this made for some serious back-and-neck-ache and lack of sleep in the morning, but all can be fixed by a nice relaxing shower, right ;) I highly doubt that the hotel’s corridors are vacuumed daily as a used cotton swab could be seen conspicuously on the floor outside my room during my whole stay. When I got back to the hotel on the second day around 5PM, I realized that my bed was not made. I called service promise and they said that they would send someone up. Since I wanted to relax a little, I asked them to send someone after 7:30PM at which time I would be at dinner. 7:15 rolls around and I get a call from them saying that they cannot send someone until 9-9:30. I cancel the request, complaining that this is appalling since it’s their fault that the bed was not made in the first place. No mention of a service promise, no “what can we do to fix this situation”, just a curt “goodbye” from an obviously inexperienced service-promise representative. I make the bed myself, skip the shower and watch the news realizing that some people in the south have it far worse that I do; I stop complaining for the rest of the stay…