Has anyone stayed here since it switched to a Sheraton? (I did a search of the SPG forum, but didn't find anything other than the announcement re: the brand change) I will be there for a week in June (client's choice) & am wondering what to expect. From the website, & reports on TripAdvisor.com, it seems like there is still a wide variation in rooms & especially bedding in use (I've become a bit of a hotel bed snob, so this is a priority for me). Low speed internet that I have to pay for doesn't excite me, either. :td:
Thanks in advance!
txrus
Jun 27, 08, 10:03 am
Just checked out this morning after 5 nights (client's preference). Having never stayed here before, I can't comment on any changes since the hotel became a Sheraton property. The fact that the water in one of the 3 flower vases on the registration desk was in desperate need of changing at check-in shouldn't depend on ownership, however.
During check-in, one staff person (thankfully not the one who was checking me in!) was both eating & talking w/her mouth full to another guest-ugh!
Rooms, at least on the 7th floor of the South Tower, are incredibly small as are the bathrooms. The room is so small the side table for the arm chair is actually behind the chair!! Thermostat for the room was on the wall behind that, which was even worse. No fitted bottom sheet on the bed, no pillow top mattress or even mattress pad, either. First room I was assigned had a malfunctioning A/C unit; hotel sent 3 staff to work on it &, after I requested it, changed to me another room as I didn't have time for them to tear the room apart for hours, though the effort was appreciated. 1 of the sliding doors to the closet of the new room was off the track & literally leaning against the wall (eventually that was, somewhat, rectified). No luggage stand-multiple requests for one, plus additional hangers, & foam pillows until nearly 4 hrs later. The single long blonde hair hanging off the shade of the desk lamp was a nice touch that was still there when I left nearly a week later.
Plumbing in the bathrooms is, in a word, loud! Watch out, too, if you are taking a shower when your neighbor flushes the toilet. As I said previously, the bathroom is very small &, I think, laid out very awkwardly. They clearly spent a small fortune on covering every surface in the room & bathroom w/granite, including bedside table, corner shelf for the tv (large flat panel) as well as the bathroom floor), but couldn't spare a few dollars for a curved shower curtain in the bathroom to give guests a tiny bit more elbow room. The 'don't steal me' hair dryer is actually behind the toilet which makes it difficult to use given the short cord on it. At least they refrained from 'don't' steal me hangers' in the closet. Carpet in the room is in desperate need of cleaning (even before my can of Pepsi exploded all over the closet door, walls, & ceiling). A red 'status' light behind the tv started blinking in both my room & my colleague's room next door Monday night & since the tv's sit on a shelf in the corner, we ended up w/a flashing red light clear up to the ceiling. By that point, we were both so fed up w/the hotel, we simply threw towels over the flashing light for the duration of our stay.
The public areas of the hotel are, overall, quite run down, dingy, & in desperate need of, if not a complete make-over, at least a deep & thorough cleaning. My traveling companions, who have (unfortunately for them!) stayed @ this hotel before, said the service in the Pearl Cafe has improved quite a bit since the change-over, however, the food itself hasn't. We only ate breakfast there, so I can't comment on the rest of their menu. The Westin City Center is connected to the Sheraton by a enclosed skywalk which has a number of food court style restaurants as well as the Westin's restaurant where we ate 3 nights (the crab encrusted tilapia is wonderful!).
All in all, this hotel has a long way to go to become a real Sheraton.
txrus
Aug 18, 08, 3:39 pm
Just found this in the review I had posted on TripAdvisor.com-looks like further renovations are planned for this property soon.
Management Response
WeBelongDallas, Executive Assistant to the General Manager
(Management representative)
Aug 7, 2008
We thank you for your feedback during your stay at the Sheraton Dallas.
Our hotel is striving to be the best hotel in Dallas, and yes you are correct, we do need a lot of things that need to be change,
Our renovation schedule is up in our renovation room and is scheduled to take affect as of September 2008 thru March 2009.
This will include the lobby, restaurant, sleeping rooms and the ballrooms as the last point to renovate.
Your comments are a great help to make us understand the customer's needs and also what needs to be done to make the guests feel more welcome and comforting to our hotel. In regards to the comment about the agents at the desk that were eating. it will be addressed to proper management to make sure that our agents are more professional in front of our guests.
Giving us feedback like this helps us be better and make our hotel be more Sheraton. It might take some time to adjust ourselves to the Sheraton brand, but we are trying our best to be an official Sheraton Hotel Convention Collection choice.
Regards,
Victor Aguilar
Executive Administrative Assistant
berettajeff
Nov 14, 08, 4:41 pm
This is my first post, but I've been reading/benefiting from others' trip reviews for awhile now, so I thought I'd contribute a little myself.
I just got back from a two separate stays at the Sheraton. Some parts good, others not so much. I thought the employees, especially at the front desk, were great. I had Platinum upgrades to Junior Suites for both stays. They had me pre-booked, with a Platinum key folder already set aside with my name on it both times. I was also given access to the Club Lounge, where they had breakfast (fruit, bagels, etc) and evening drinks (didn't make it for that). My Platinum amenities posted right away. The room was pretty good-flat screen TV, couch, nice bed. Don't get me wrong, it was no St Regis and could use a little updating, but for a Sheraton, especially for $125, it wasn't too bad.
On the other hand, the bathroom was beyond dated. It looked like the toilet and sink etc were older than I am. On the bright side, as of 11/13/08, they were starting a $91 mil renovation. I believe it is supposed to be completed by next March, according to one of the front desk agents.
Overall, right now, I'd say the Westin next door is a better place to stay, but after the renovation is done, I'm betting that the Sheraton will be a pretty good hotel.
SanDiego1K
Nov 14, 08, 5:06 pm
Welcome to FlyerTalk, berettajeff, and thanks for taking the plunge in the Starwood forum. We really appreciate the up to date information.
swag
Dec 19, 08, 9:37 am
From the Dallas Morning News:
The 1,840-room property – the biggest hotel in town – is getting a $90 million makeover.
Every room will be redecorated, and the skyscraper hotel's public areas are getting major upgrades. The titanic job won't be finished until June.
"Right now, we have a little over 300 rooms in various stages of demolition and renovation," Mr. Hammer said. "And half of our lobby is being redone as well."