CaptainG

First impression:
Sharp, modern, spacious hotel, perfect for conferences or business meetings. Note this is in an office building, and the Westin sign is not very visible, so make sure you've got it in your GPS.

Hotel: Floors 10 through 18 (hotel also owns floor 19, but it has not been developed
Room types
Deluxe:
Corner Studio Suite:
Corner suite: 800+ square feet, Three rooms, main room includes fridge and kitchen area, 4 person dining table, sofa in front of coffee table with 42" tv and two chairs, and large foyer, there is a large bedroom area, with a huge desk and a bathroom with seperate tub in the window, shower room and small room with the toilet. There is only one toilet in this suite...

Amenities:
Restaurant
Pool (currently being built, guests are sent to the Sheraton Downtown in the meantime)
Nice patio bar with a fountain right near the valet drop off, appropriate vibe for Phoenix, upscale, hip Westin

Upgrades:
Upgrades should be easy, there are 36 corners, so there are probably 32 suites/studio suites (not sure how different they are) since the conference rooms are on the bottom floor
I booked after noon on the day of arrival and was upgraded to a 800+ sq foot corner suite with executive club lounge access

Personal experience:
Very favorable (will add more when I have a chance)

Executive Club lounge:
Very well done and very spacious. It's on the 10th floor and serves warm appetizers at night and eggs and bacon or sausage in the morning.

-- CaptainG
from the Sheraton Brussels

dis2560

I'm going next week, looking forward, thanks for the update.

gfowler-ord-1k

I had a stay at The Westin Phoenix Downtown recently and it is the best Westin I have stayed in the USA. Like the OP, as a SPG Platinum I was upgraded to a corner studio suite. His description was a little different from the one I stayed. Maybe there is more than 1 style studio suite.

Tthey currently have an Urban Adventure promo that includes valet parking and a $30 F&B credit. Valid on stays Thursday through Sunday. It is for Arizona residents only with ID so it might not be a good idea if you are not one. Even if you are not a resident the normal summer rates are reasonable.

I am in the process of writing a very extensive and positive review but I wanted to let the locals know about this promo as by the time I am finished writing the promo might be over

BTW, the pool is open now except that from August 22 to August 24, 2011, the pool will be closed for maintenance.

More pics later but imagine this at night with a drink in hand....

DCBob

I am staying at the Westin Phoenix Downtown right now in a King Studio Suite. I agree with most of what Captain G says about the hotel, but I have a few minor corrections to note (as verified by me and the hotel front desk).

The hotel is at the NE corner of Van Buren and Central Avenue, with a small public entrance on Van Buren. The hotel occupies floors 1 and 11 through 18 (the 19th floor is not in use and is inaccessible). The lobby and Province restaurant are on the first floor. The Westin Executive Club Lounge is on the 11th floor along with the conference rooms. The guest rooms occupy floors 12 through 18 and total 242. Of those 242 rooms, 14 are one-bedroom suites and 14 are studio suites. All 28 suites are corner suites.

The room that CaptainG described is a one-bedroom suite, not a studio suite. In a studio suite, the living area with sofa and coffee table and the bedroom are together in a single room. There is a fridge and wet bar but no kitchen or dining table. The studio suite is exactly 744 square feet.

The Executive Club Lounge is open 7 days a week from 6am-10pm. Breakfast is served 6am-10pm. It includes eggs and bacon (or sausage), oatmeal, yogurt, pastries, fresh fruit, and cereals during the week. On Saturday and Sunday, there are no hot breakfast entrees except for oatmeal. Hot hors d'oeuvres are served from 5pm-7pm and desserts are served from 7pm-10pm. I found the hors d'oeuvres to be excellent - had the phyllo pastry filled with spicy chicken and veggies. The desserts are petite but delicious.

I also tried the restaurant Province for an early dinner and had the Brandt Natural Beef Cheddar Burger, one of the best cheeseburgers I had ever eaten (and I have had plenty)! The cocktail I ordered, the Brazil (Ypioca Cachaca, Acqua di Cedro, Fresh Lime) was also strong and superb. The prices are not as high as would be expected for a hotel restaurant. I highly recommend it.

Cable TV - 70 channels (much better than your average Starwood hotel)

Internet - Daily cost (free if you are SPG Platinum) - $12.95 (Silver), $16.95 (Gold) - Gold performance stats:



Here are pictures taken in my suite:

TerryK

Surprising few posts for this seemingly wonderful property.

Any alternatives to Westin's high valet parking rate? Nearby lots? Street parking? I am looking to stay Friday-Saturday.

DCBob

Yes, there is a limited amount of unmetered free street parking north of the hotel. Drive 6 blocks north on Central and turn right on E. Garfield Street. You should be able to park free both days.

SWCPHX

Parking meters are free in downtown PHX after 5pm on Fridays and all weekend long, no need to walk 6 blocks in the heat.

TerryK

Thank you.:-:

Sphinx

The garage across the street (corner of First and Van Buren) is 12 dollars per day if I recall correctly, and is free on weekends. Given that this is covered parking, it will always be a better option than street and valet parking. AZ sun can be harsh!!

DCBob

TerryK didn't mention the time of arrival on Friday, so I mentioned a free option that works all day long every day. If you can't stand the dry heat, the $12 parking garage, which is just a block away, is the next best option.

BluHorseshoe

I stayed at the Westin downtown Phoenix last weekend and had a GREAT experience. The rooms are huge and well maintained. I booked on cash and points (cat 4) and would say this is the best value for cash and points I have seen. On check in I was upgraded to a corner king studio suite. The executive lounge was closed for the weekend so they gave me vouchers for dinner and breakfast to use at their restaurant or for room service. The food in the restaurant wasn't fantastic but it was definitely good. I particularly liked the outdoor patio.

I can safely say this will be my number one choice next time I am in the Phoenix area. A much nicer hotel than many of the options in Scottsdale and much cheaper as well.

Chalky White

I have an upcoming stay here--what kind of upgrade can I expect as an SPG Gold?

I am currently booked in a Deluxe King room.

UA-NYC

I forgot to post in this thread - IMO, this might be one of the single nicest Westins just about anywhere...can't think of a better one in the US (save for any resort-types I'm not thinking about at the moment).

iflyjetz

I stayed at this property Friday night. Excellent.

I was upgraded to a beautiful corner studio suite; outstanding room with tons of windows. It matched DCBob's pictures.

The lounge was outstanding - more like what I expect from a Hyatt property than from a Starwood property. Update to DCBob's post - the lounge had hot eggs and sausage along with hot oatmeal on Saturday morning. Friday evening hors d'oeuvres were fantastic; the food wasn't a bunch of cheap crap.

The gym was good for a hotel gym.

My only negative critique is the swimming pool. It's very small and only 3 ft deep thoughout the pool. OK, the deep end was something like 3 1/2 feet. I didn't bother going into the pool.

SAN 1K

I am here now and agree that it's great. Also upgraded to a corner studio suite as a platinum. Too bad I don't like baths - wish my wife was here to use the corner tub.
Agreed that the lounge is nice and had very high quality snacks this evening.
In case it might be of use to anyone attending meetings nearby - I got here from the airport using the Skytrain and the Light Rail. Total cost:$2. Total time: 30 minutes. Value of avoiding a taxi cab: priceless (I despise taxis).