Nov 6, 2016, 11:02 pm
Sheraton Centre Toronto [Master Thread]
May 6, 2004, 8:47 am
#47
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Chicago, IL, USA (NWA Silver Elite, SPG Platinum)
Posts: 139
Sheraton Toronto Centre
I've been staying at this property about twice a month for the last 3 years (usually 2 days at a time). During that time, I have always been upgraded to the club floor and given the appropriate passes to the club room for breakfast, happy hour etc. and generally treated in an acceptable manner.
I just checked out about 2 hours ago and I have to say that I had an exceptional stay. I was upgraded to a junior suite, and the front desk staff were amazing. An assistant manager came up to the room to ensure everything was acceptable. Really exceeded my expectations.
Don't know if they had some additional training, but this was by far, my best stay ever at this property.
I just checked out about 2 hours ago and I have to say that I had an exceptional stay. I was upgraded to a junior suite, and the front desk staff were amazing. An assistant manager came up to the room to ensure everything was acceptable. Really exceeded my expectations.
Don't know if they had some additional training, but this was by far, my best stay ever at this property.
Jul 20, 2004, 9:34 pm
#48
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: YOW or YYZ
Programs: SPG Plat, VIA Premier
Posts: 10
Sheraton Toronto Center - walking everyone
Just got walked (after having checked in earlier in the day) from the Sheraton to the Westin Harbour Castle due to major power problems at the Sheraton (no elevators - in a 43 floor building, no water in the rooms either). Lots of very unhappy people - the hotel was booked solid.
roman
roman
Jul 22, 2004, 6:59 am
#49
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 6
I dont know if its related or not, but there were power outages in several offices in the downtown core yesterday (in Toronto)....the problems at the Sheraton Centre may have been completely beyond their control
Jul 23, 2004, 1:42 pm
#50
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: YOW or YYZ
Programs: SPG Plat, VIA Premier
Posts: 10
follow up
Got settled in the Westin - the Sheraton took care of all of the expenses for the night (cab fair, the $12.50 vanity kit for the tooth brush) - they even had my luggage sent over once the power was back up so that I had it first thing in the morning. Did not get charged for anything.
Quite impressed. They handled a bad situation in a very professional manner (which was more then could be said for some of the other guests - I never could figure out why some people think they can get help/service/satisfaction by yelling, screaming and generally p*ssing off the person who has the power to help them).
Cheers,
roman
Got settled in the Westin - the Sheraton took care of all of the expenses for the night (cab fair, the $12.50 vanity kit for the tooth brush) - they even had my luggage sent over once the power was back up so that I had it first thing in the morning. Did not get charged for anything.
Quite impressed. They handled a bad situation in a very professional manner (which was more then could be said for some of the other guests - I never could figure out why some people think they can get help/service/satisfaction by yelling, screaming and generally p*ssing off the person who has the power to help them).
Cheers,
roman
Jul 23, 2004, 2:58 pm
#51
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: SF CA USA. I love large faceless corporations. And they cherish me in return (sometimes). ;)
Programs: UA Premier Gold/disappointed 1MM, HH Gold, IHG Plat, MB Gold, BW Diam Sel
Posts: 17,575
Thanks for the followup! And ^ ^ ^ to Sheraton (and Starwood)!
Aug 27, 2004, 3:07 pm
#54
Join Date: May 2002
Location: SNA
Programs: STARS/LUMINOUS, PRIVE, FSPP, STARS, MO FAN Club, PEN Club, Bellini Club
Posts: 2,612
Its a great lounge with an excellent breakfast selection, of course continental. What I find a little tacky however is that the attendants will slip a card to you asking for gratuities but of course you don't have to give any.
Aug 27, 2004, 5:09 pm
#55
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: AC Million Miler & long time SE; StarwoodPlat for 10+ yrs & lifetime Gold; Hilton Honours Diamond; IC Ambassador; AMEX Plat;Avis Presidents Club; Airmiles GOLD; and just about everything else!
Programs: aeroplan & 25+year loyalty
Posts: 3,822
Also has (or had) 2 free computer terminals for you to surf on for free.
Aug 28, 2004, 11:39 am
#56
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SEA (previous locations: DTW, TLV, EWR, BOS)
Programs: AS: 75K; DL/NW: Plat; DL SC: Lifetime; Hyatt: Diamond; HH: Gold; SPG: Plat;
Posts: 3,383
I was there 12/03 (New Year's weekend). The club was open on the weekend, had a decent b-fast, and so-so evening appetizers. Alcohol isn't free though, and as someone else mentioned, you're given a card for a tip, kinda tacky. Great views though.
Jan 25, 2005, 6:46 pm
#57
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: CA
Programs: SPG Plat, UA 1P
Posts: 22
I have stayed at the Sheraton Toronto about 5 times throughout 2004 with my last stay in mid-October. The breakfast is one of the better continentals with cereal, yogurt, fruit, cheeses, breads, etc. I haven't done the happy hour as often, but the food was always decent with at least 2 or 3 decent hot items and cheese and crackers. The biggest drawback is the lack of free alcohol for your happy hour, but I was told it is a Canadian law that they cannot serve free alcohol. I don't know if that is true, but I thought it was an interesting bit of info. I also believe they are open on the weekends with slightly different hours from the weekdays.
Jan 25, 2005, 10:21 pm
#58
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Toronto, ON, Canada
Posts: 930
Originally Posted by islgrl
The biggest drawback is the lack of free alcohol for your happy hour, but I was told it is a Canadian law that they cannot serve free alcohol. I don't know if that is true, but I thought it was an interesting bit of info.
Jun 20, 2005, 11:38 am
#59
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 345
Sheraton Centre/Toronto: 500 points enough for inconvenience?
Hi,
I just got back from a stay at the Sheraton Centre/Toronto. On my 2nd night there, they were spraying some paint/varnish/? in the lobby (which is still! undergoing construction) and it ended up getting into the ventilation system and into my room. Despite the fact that it was extremely hot, I shut off the air conditioning (I didn't realize it only re-circulated the room air) and opened the window, plus closed the vent from the ventilation system into the room. That cleared the air in the room but I only realized several hours later that the bathroom still smelled of the chemicals. It was midnight; they sent someone up who said that the bathroom vent was exhaust only and taped up the vent in the bathroom and the room. I'm not sure if the vent in the bathroom was somehow "backwashing" the smell from the lobby, or what.
The front desk offered to compensate with points, and I said ok ... they gave me 500 points, but that seems pretty small to me, considering all the inconvenience. (They also offered to move me that night, but I had to get up at 6:30 the next morning and didn't want to spend 30-45 minutes packing and moving and unpacking).
What do others think? Is 500 points enough?
I think the Sheraton was pretty negligent in their use of whatever chemical it was without adequate ventilation. The lobby smelled horrible, and they didn't make any attempt to ventilate whatsoever. There were no fans, no doors were propped open (there were only a few doors, but that would have helped). I can guarantee you there was a warning on the can of paint/varnish that said adequate ventilation was essential, and I wonder if the Sheraton was in violation of Canadian environmental health laws.
Most people don't realize just how dangerous those chemicals are, especially to your lungs and brain, but they really are dangerous. The Sheraton showed complete lack of concern for their guests as well as their employees (who had to remain in the lobby, where the smell was by far the worst). The other thing people don't realize is that whether or not there is a smell, the chemicals can still be dangerous. The maintenance guy offered to spray the bathroom with a perfume, which would not have removed the danger from the fumes (not to mention, the perfume would have stunk as well).
To add a complaint about housekeeping: I often prefer to NOT have housekeeping enter my room while I'm staying at a hotel as I like my privacy, as well as the freedom to return at any time during the day and not have to wait while housekeeping finishes cleaning my room. While in Toronto, I left the "Do Not Disturb" sign on my door during the day. On the first day, housekeeping asked me both when I returned at about noon and left at about 1 p.m. whether I wanted my room cleaned. I politely responded "no" both times, although the 2nd time, wondered why they thought my answer might have changed from what it had been an hour earlier. On the second day, somehow the "Do Not Disturb" sign must have fallen from the door as I came back to find housekeeping had been in the room. On the third day, same as the first: asking me twice whether I wanted my room cleaned; the 2nd time, I finally replied very shortly to them, "No, and I'd like you to respect my privacy and not keep asking me". I didn't return on the fourth during the day, but on the fifth, although housekeepers saw me enter my room, they didn't ask me. Instead (and this, in my opinion, was worse) housekeeping called the room about 30 minutes later, waking me from a nap and preventing me from getting another 20 minutes sleep, to ask whether I wanted the room cleaned. I've never had this problem at any other hotel: if the "Do Not Disturb" sign is on the door, housekeeping always honored it and didn't keep harassing me with questions about cleaning my room. (Twice in an hour, two days in a row, is simply excessive).
In many ways, my stay at the Sheraton was fine, but these two issues leave a negative impression, and negative impressions are about 10 times stronger and more influential than positive impressions on people's decisions as to where to stay the next time they travel. Housekeeping was certainly out of line, and the Sheraton was really negligent in their lack of concern about the fumes from the paint/varnish on people's health as well as their failure to provide adequate ventilation in the lobby.
I just got back from a stay at the Sheraton Centre/Toronto. On my 2nd night there, they were spraying some paint/varnish/? in the lobby (which is still! undergoing construction) and it ended up getting into the ventilation system and into my room. Despite the fact that it was extremely hot, I shut off the air conditioning (I didn't realize it only re-circulated the room air) and opened the window, plus closed the vent from the ventilation system into the room. That cleared the air in the room but I only realized several hours later that the bathroom still smelled of the chemicals. It was midnight; they sent someone up who said that the bathroom vent was exhaust only and taped up the vent in the bathroom and the room. I'm not sure if the vent in the bathroom was somehow "backwashing" the smell from the lobby, or what.
The front desk offered to compensate with points, and I said ok ... they gave me 500 points, but that seems pretty small to me, considering all the inconvenience. (They also offered to move me that night, but I had to get up at 6:30 the next morning and didn't want to spend 30-45 minutes packing and moving and unpacking).
What do others think? Is 500 points enough?
I think the Sheraton was pretty negligent in their use of whatever chemical it was without adequate ventilation. The lobby smelled horrible, and they didn't make any attempt to ventilate whatsoever. There were no fans, no doors were propped open (there were only a few doors, but that would have helped). I can guarantee you there was a warning on the can of paint/varnish that said adequate ventilation was essential, and I wonder if the Sheraton was in violation of Canadian environmental health laws.
Most people don't realize just how dangerous those chemicals are, especially to your lungs and brain, but they really are dangerous. The Sheraton showed complete lack of concern for their guests as well as their employees (who had to remain in the lobby, where the smell was by far the worst). The other thing people don't realize is that whether or not there is a smell, the chemicals can still be dangerous. The maintenance guy offered to spray the bathroom with a perfume, which would not have removed the danger from the fumes (not to mention, the perfume would have stunk as well).
To add a complaint about housekeeping: I often prefer to NOT have housekeeping enter my room while I'm staying at a hotel as I like my privacy, as well as the freedom to return at any time during the day and not have to wait while housekeeping finishes cleaning my room. While in Toronto, I left the "Do Not Disturb" sign on my door during the day. On the first day, housekeeping asked me both when I returned at about noon and left at about 1 p.m. whether I wanted my room cleaned. I politely responded "no" both times, although the 2nd time, wondered why they thought my answer might have changed from what it had been an hour earlier. On the second day, somehow the "Do Not Disturb" sign must have fallen from the door as I came back to find housekeeping had been in the room. On the third day, same as the first: asking me twice whether I wanted my room cleaned; the 2nd time, I finally replied very shortly to them, "No, and I'd like you to respect my privacy and not keep asking me". I didn't return on the fourth during the day, but on the fifth, although housekeepers saw me enter my room, they didn't ask me. Instead (and this, in my opinion, was worse) housekeeping called the room about 30 minutes later, waking me from a nap and preventing me from getting another 20 minutes sleep, to ask whether I wanted the room cleaned. I've never had this problem at any other hotel: if the "Do Not Disturb" sign is on the door, housekeeping always honored it and didn't keep harassing me with questions about cleaning my room. (Twice in an hour, two days in a row, is simply excessive).
In many ways, my stay at the Sheraton was fine, but these two issues leave a negative impression, and negative impressions are about 10 times stronger and more influential than positive impressions on people's decisions as to where to stay the next time they travel. Housekeeping was certainly out of line, and the Sheraton was really negligent in their lack of concern about the fumes from the paint/varnish on people's health as well as their failure to provide adequate ventilation in the lobby.
Last edited by Lindisfarne; Jun 20, 2005 at 12:07 pm
Jun 20, 2005, 1:29 pm
#60
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: From: PWM
Programs: United GS, Fairmont Platinum,SPG LTPlat, Hilton Diamond, MarriottGold..like the rest of the world
Posts: 4,401
Well, only you were there and you alone can attest to the true nature of the odors coming from the painting efforts. I am cursed with very sensitive smell and I have allergic reactions to things that most people couldn't even imagine. That said, I do not have sensitivity to paints and vanishes and the like. They do have strong smells that I don't care for, but I also recognize them as everyday products that folks use both residentially and commercially. I can't offer up anything else for you on this matter. 500 points seems adequate from where I'm sitting, but again, I wasn't there. If I saw people walking through the lobby breathing through handkercheifs and their balled up sweaters, etc, that's a different matter.......
As for the DO NOT DISTURB sign issue. You'll not get much sympathy here. Here's the deal: across the globe, there are thousands of people a day who accidentally leave the DND sign on their door --- why??? because they slip it on the door know the night before and in their haste to leave in the morning, they simply never look back to see that it's still on the doorknob. That places housekeeping departments in a tricky spot. If they honor the sign, far far far too many of these guests come back to their rooms at 6:42pm after a full day of meetings and are galled to find that they have no new towels, soaps, etc, and instantly call housekeeping and demand that all their needs be attended to at once. Therefore, when housekeeping sees a DND sign up all day long, you can bet they'll bend over backwards to ask you time and again if you really REALLY want them to leave everything alone. Bear in mind you are in the significant minority here. I can appreciate your concerns for personal privacy, but hotels get burned on this very issue so often that they have no choice but to be as proactive as possible. Hope that presents the other side of this issue for you. (BTW, I worked for 3 years at a Marriott where this happened essentially daily and drove us all nuts.)
As for the DO NOT DISTURB sign issue. You'll not get much sympathy here. Here's the deal: across the globe, there are thousands of people a day who accidentally leave the DND sign on their door --- why??? because they slip it on the door know the night before and in their haste to leave in the morning, they simply never look back to see that it's still on the doorknob. That places housekeeping departments in a tricky spot. If they honor the sign, far far far too many of these guests come back to their rooms at 6:42pm after a full day of meetings and are galled to find that they have no new towels, soaps, etc, and instantly call housekeeping and demand that all their needs be attended to at once. Therefore, when housekeeping sees a DND sign up all day long, you can bet they'll bend over backwards to ask you time and again if you really REALLY want them to leave everything alone. Bear in mind you are in the significant minority here. I can appreciate your concerns for personal privacy, but hotels get burned on this very issue so often that they have no choice but to be as proactive as possible. Hope that presents the other side of this issue for you. (BTW, I worked for 3 years at a Marriott where this happened essentially daily and drove us all nuts.)