The Westin New York at Times Square, NY, 2007 onward [Master Thread]
Jun 21, 2008, 4:24 pm
#46
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Bogota, Colombia
Programs: AA EXP, UA *S, Hyatt DIA, *W/IC Plat, HH Gold, A3 *G, Sixt Plat
Posts: 1,218
That is the one I'm talking about - I booked a weekend in August for $199/night. Great deal! I think I can live with the one-block away from the best side of Times Square for that rate, especially with a Plat upgrade and lounge use.
Jun 22, 2008, 12:00 pm
#47
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Dublin,Ireland and Nice France
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 2,059
I didn't get a plat upgrade by the way on my last stay there so don't get your hopes up on that.
You *might* get one and then again you might not.
I agree though it is worth the $199 rate in my opinion but certainly not anything above $300 a night for the service it provides or the room quality
You *might* get one and then again you might not.
I agree though it is worth the $199 rate in my opinion but certainly not anything above $300 a night for the service it provides or the room quality
Jun 22, 2008, 12:23 pm
#48
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Bogota, Colombia
Programs: AA EXP, UA *S, Hyatt DIA, *W/IC Plat, HH Gold, A3 *G, Sixt Plat
Posts: 1,218
I didn't get a plat upgrade by the way on my last stay there so don't get your hopes up on that.
You *might* get one and then again you might not.
I agree though it is worth the $199 rate in my opinion but certainly not anything above $300 a night for the service it provides or the room quality
You *might* get one and then again you might not.
I agree though it is worth the $199 rate in my opinion but certainly not anything above $300 a night for the service it provides or the room quality
Jun 22, 2008, 2:56 pm
#49
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: BOS
Posts: 2,315
Its a very good deal at $199, and for that you will certainly get your money's worth. Your 12 year old would enjoy the W more - it has a "cool" feel, from the dark lobby, elevators and hallways, to music blasting everywhere. The rooms are very small though - about 250 sq feet, and on my last visit the bathrooms really were showing their age and in need of an upgrade. At the same price point I would take the W. I would not give up the Westin at $199 to pay $299-$350 at the W, which is probably the best rate you can get for August right now.
Jun 22, 2008, 4:36 pm
#51
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Dublin,Ireland and Nice France
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 2,059
You won't be in that position.
If they are giving you a suite,it will be their choice.
In my experience at various SPG properties suite upgrades are usually not given to the resident that books the cheapest room if the hotel is busy and This Westin usually is busy due in large measure to it's location I think.
In that case you are more than likely in my opinion to be offered the next category up based on the probability that when they go through the guest list and who has booked what ,that they will have enough plats in rooms just below suite category to use them up first.
Best of luck though
If they are giving you a suite,it will be their choice.
In my experience at various SPG properties suite upgrades are usually not given to the resident that books the cheapest room if the hotel is busy and This Westin usually is busy due in large measure to it's location I think.
In that case you are more than likely in my opinion to be offered the next category up based on the probability that when they go through the guest list and who has booked what ,that they will have enough plats in rooms just below suite category to use them up first.
Best of luck though
Jun 22, 2008, 5:26 pm
#52
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Bogota, Colombia
Programs: AA EXP, UA *S, Hyatt DIA, *W/IC Plat, HH Gold, A3 *G, Sixt Plat
Posts: 1,218
You won't be in that position.
If they are giving you a suite,it will be their choice.
In my experience at various SPG properties suite upgrades are usually not given to the resident that books the cheapest room if the hotel is busy and This Westin usually is busy due in large measure to it's location I think.
In that case you are more than likely in my opinion to be offered the next category up based on the probability that when they go through the guest list and who has booked what ,that they will have enough plats in rooms just below suite category to use them up first.
If they are giving you a suite,it will be their choice.
In my experience at various SPG properties suite upgrades are usually not given to the resident that books the cheapest room if the hotel is busy and This Westin usually is busy due in large measure to it's location I think.
In that case you are more than likely in my opinion to be offered the next category up based on the probability that when they go through the guest list and who has booked what ,that they will have enough plats in rooms just below suite category to use them up first.
I generally have received upgrades to the highest or next-highest non-standard suite simply by being polite and courteous.
Jun 22, 2008, 7:21 pm
#53
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Calgary
Programs: AC, AA, SPG
Posts: 776
True, but my strategy is to see which types of suites the hotel has on the website before I arrive, scan FT, and send a polite email to the hotel GM prior to arrival.
I generally have received upgrades to the highest or next-highest non-standard suite simply by being polite and courteous.
I generally have received upgrades to the highest or next-highest non-standard suite simply by being polite and courteous.
Aug 4, 2008, 12:20 am
#54
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: OC
Programs: UAL, Marriot Bonvoy
Posts: 69
Avoid
I stayed here around mid july. Not the first time I stayed there but definitely the last. I'll keep this short and simple.
-room not cleaned the first day til 6pm
-even after cleaning the sheets were still dirty, called service express 3 times, ringing 15 times each, no answer. had to walk down to front desk to complain. Awarded 10,000pts
-room not cleaned next day at 4pm (my fault, left privacy on door), asked maid if she can clean my room, she said NO. asked her to call someone to clean my room, she said yes, return at 10pm, room not cleaned. Complained. Awarded 8000pts
-next day, room again not cleaned til 4:45. Maid was in the room cleaning, asked us to come back in 15 mins. Came back 30 mins later. SHE LEFT THE DOOR AJAR! - Complained to front desk mgr. Apologized and said sorry, you already have 15k points from prior incidents
I asked to speak with the GM. GM was unavail but he have him call me. No call from the GM that night, only from the same mgr to tell me he could give me another 7k pts to make it an even 25k. 
Starwood Platinum last two years, gold few years prior to that. Never have I had worse service.
I emailed Starwood Corporate to provide feedback. They forwarded the email to the GM, who then replied back by snail mail 7 days later to apologize.
-room not cleaned the first day til 6pm
-even after cleaning the sheets were still dirty, called service express 3 times, ringing 15 times each, no answer. had to walk down to front desk to complain. Awarded 10,000pts
-room not cleaned next day at 4pm (my fault, left privacy on door), asked maid if she can clean my room, she said NO. asked her to call someone to clean my room, she said yes, return at 10pm, room not cleaned. Complained. Awarded 8000pts
-next day, room again not cleaned til 4:45. Maid was in the room cleaning, asked us to come back in 15 mins. Came back 30 mins later. SHE LEFT THE DOOR AJAR! - Complained to front desk mgr. Apologized and said sorry, you already have 15k points from prior incidents
I asked to speak with the GM. GM was unavail but he have him call me. No call from the GM that night, only from the same mgr to tell me he could give me another 7k pts to make it an even 25k. Starwood Platinum last two years, gold few years prior to that. Never have I had worse service.
I emailed Starwood Corporate to provide feedback. They forwarded the email to the GM, who then replied back by snail mail 7 days later to apologize.
Aug 12, 2008, 9:48 pm
#55
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Pamplona, SPAIN
Programs: SPG Platinum, HHonors Gold, Skymiles Gold, Staralliance Gold
Posts: 330
Westin Times Square 2007 onward [Master Thread]
I am in the last night of a 6-nights stay at the Westin TS, and very dissapointed. I had stayed here several times (last one was two years ago), and clearly something is not working as it should. The rooms have been renovated (although I liked most the previous layout and decoration), and the service seems to have been also renovated...for much worse. Let's begin:
First day: Arrived quite late...looked for the in-room dining menu, but there wasn't...you are supposed to watch it in the TV and order from there...I tried, but it was not available...I sincerely thought there was no late night menu, so I just went to sleep...Wrong! They have a round-the clock menu, but the TV system was not working at that time (no information of any kind in the room about the menu, just a line telling you to use the TV for that).
No laundry bags in the room...not strange, so I called and asked for laundry bags and someone to pick up my laundry. That was more or less around noon or 1 pm. A couple of hours later or so they came to service my room. Obviously, I asked again for the laundry bags and the maid gave me quite a few of them (nobody appeard with the laundry bags I had asked for before). I went for a walk and, a few hours later, my laundry was still waiting in the room, so I called again and then someone came and picked it up. In the phone they asked me if for the evening of the following day it was ok and I said yes.
Second day: I went to bed quite late, at around 4 am. Obviously the "do not disturb" card was on my door, but.....at exactly 9 am I received a call telling me my laundry was ready!! I couldn't sleep anymore. When I got the laundry, the papers had marked the "overnight service", so I tried looking at my account in the TV to check what had been charged...wrong again! It was not check-out time, so you couldn't check your account at that time....I went downstairs and I checked that, as supposed, the laundry had been charged with an extra 50% for "overnight service". I explained to a manager that I had not asked for that, that anyway the laundry had been waiting for hours before being picked up and that I didn't like to be called by phone at 9 am with the "do not disturb" sign on my door.....They took out the extra charge, of course.
Third day: I left my room at around 1:30 pm and came back at 6 pm....the room had not been cleaned up!! I called quite angry and 45 minutes later someone came to clean up my room. As I did not have any gel shower (there was none in the room, just shampoo, conditioner, body milk and mouthwash), I asked for some and for mouthwash (I had used it and it had not been replaced).
4 and 5th days: No major problems. I called each day when leaving my room to be sure it was being cleaned up as soon as possible. The only problem (not a big one, but anyway something I don't like) was that there were no more mouthwash replacements (no matter if I had used it all), and no toilet paper replacement...sicerely, I was looking as how I could run out of toilet paper without any kind of replacement around....
6th day (today): I left the room later, at 2-2:30 pm, and called to tell them I was going to be out for a couple of hours so they could clean up the room and replace the refreshment center. I didn't came back to the room until 9:30 pm.....It had not been cleaned up. I just couldn't believe it. Second time in the same stay, and after having asked for it in the phone!! I talked to a manager and he apologized (for the second time in the same week). I went out for dinner (I had planned having dinner in the rooom, but obviously I changed my mind). When I came back, the room had been cleaned up...again with no mouthwash or toilet paper replacements (I had also told about them to the person I complained to). I called and got both the mouthwash and the toilet paper about 20-30 minurtes later.
There is nothing I hate more than not having my room cleaned up when I come back to the hotel to have a rest before going out again, and this has happened to me twice during this stay. I'l Starwood Platinum sinve a few years ago, and this is the first time something like this happens to me in a hotel (I mean twice, and specially the second after having asked for the cleaning up in the phone).
Something bad is happening with this hotel. Its service standards are not as they should be....and the housekeeping department should be seriously warned about this. Anyway, I'm sure this will not be my hotel of choice in NYC for a long time to come.
First day: Arrived quite late...looked for the in-room dining menu, but there wasn't...you are supposed to watch it in the TV and order from there...I tried, but it was not available...I sincerely thought there was no late night menu, so I just went to sleep...Wrong! They have a round-the clock menu, but the TV system was not working at that time (no information of any kind in the room about the menu, just a line telling you to use the TV for that).
No laundry bags in the room...not strange, so I called and asked for laundry bags and someone to pick up my laundry. That was more or less around noon or 1 pm. A couple of hours later or so they came to service my room. Obviously, I asked again for the laundry bags and the maid gave me quite a few of them (nobody appeard with the laundry bags I had asked for before). I went for a walk and, a few hours later, my laundry was still waiting in the room, so I called again and then someone came and picked it up. In the phone they asked me if for the evening of the following day it was ok and I said yes.
Second day: I went to bed quite late, at around 4 am. Obviously the "do not disturb" card was on my door, but.....at exactly 9 am I received a call telling me my laundry was ready!! I couldn't sleep anymore. When I got the laundry, the papers had marked the "overnight service", so I tried looking at my account in the TV to check what had been charged...wrong again! It was not check-out time, so you couldn't check your account at that time....I went downstairs and I checked that, as supposed, the laundry had been charged with an extra 50% for "overnight service". I explained to a manager that I had not asked for that, that anyway the laundry had been waiting for hours before being picked up and that I didn't like to be called by phone at 9 am with the "do not disturb" sign on my door.....They took out the extra charge, of course.
Third day: I left my room at around 1:30 pm and came back at 6 pm....the room had not been cleaned up!! I called quite angry and 45 minutes later someone came to clean up my room. As I did not have any gel shower (there was none in the room, just shampoo, conditioner, body milk and mouthwash), I asked for some and for mouthwash (I had used it and it had not been replaced).
4 and 5th days: No major problems. I called each day when leaving my room to be sure it was being cleaned up as soon as possible. The only problem (not a big one, but anyway something I don't like) was that there were no more mouthwash replacements (no matter if I had used it all), and no toilet paper replacement...sicerely, I was looking as how I could run out of toilet paper without any kind of replacement around....
6th day (today): I left the room later, at 2-2:30 pm, and called to tell them I was going to be out for a couple of hours so they could clean up the room and replace the refreshment center. I didn't came back to the room until 9:30 pm.....It had not been cleaned up. I just couldn't believe it. Second time in the same stay, and after having asked for it in the phone!! I talked to a manager and he apologized (for the second time in the same week). I went out for dinner (I had planned having dinner in the rooom, but obviously I changed my mind). When I came back, the room had been cleaned up...again with no mouthwash or toilet paper replacements (I had also told about them to the person I complained to). I called and got both the mouthwash and the toilet paper about 20-30 minurtes later.
There is nothing I hate more than not having my room cleaned up when I come back to the hotel to have a rest before going out again, and this has happened to me twice during this stay. I'l Starwood Platinum sinve a few years ago, and this is the first time something like this happens to me in a hotel (I mean twice, and specially the second after having asked for the cleaning up in the phone).
Something bad is happening with this hotel. Its service standards are not as they should be....and the housekeeping department should be seriously warned about this. Anyway, I'm sure this will not be my hotel of choice in NYC for a long time to come.
Aug 13, 2008, 2:46 am
#57
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Pamplona, SPAIN
Programs: SPG Platinum, HHonors Gold, Skymiles Gold, Staralliance Gold
Posts: 330
Aug 13, 2008, 7:44 am
#58
Join Date: Aug 2003
Programs: Bonvoy Amb; AA EXP
Posts: 1,136
New starwood promo: Stay three times and service your own room: 5,000 points awarded for the first stay/night and 10,000 for the next two (not combinable with other promotions)!
Go to W Times Square
Aug 17, 2008, 7:05 am
#60
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 459
Westin NY Times Sq
I actually stayed at this hotel a number of times, incl the opening back in 2002 (unfortuantely only the lower levels were opened).
I was there again last year and had a room in the upper floors with good views to the Hudson River.
Will be in NY next month and managed to Pricelined the room at 200USD! which is good value as I paid 350 last year around the same time.
However to avoid getting a shi*ty room just wondering what rooms should I avoid and what other views/aspects are available.
Also last time they used the generic Westin style toiletries, but I clearly recalled I got Molton Brown products back in 2002 (I was a SPG pLT then). What do they use now and is there a difference depending on room type?
Also is the gym/sauna still charged or is it free?
I am only a Gold SPG now, but sometimes playing dumb and showed my PLT card can still yield some benefits! However don't think we get benefits based on the priceline rates.
I was there again last year and had a room in the upper floors with good views to the Hudson River.
Will be in NY next month and managed to Pricelined the room at 200USD! which is good value as I paid 350 last year around the same time.
However to avoid getting a shi*ty room just wondering what rooms should I avoid and what other views/aspects are available.
Also last time they used the generic Westin style toiletries, but I clearly recalled I got Molton Brown products back in 2002 (I was a SPG pLT then). What do they use now and is there a difference depending on room type?
Also is the gym/sauna still charged or is it free?
I am only a Gold SPG now, but sometimes playing dumb and showed my PLT card can still yield some benefits! However don't think we get benefits based on the priceline rates.
Last edited by SanDiego1K; Aug 17, 2008 at 2:57 pm Reason: Moved into master thread without edit (thanks, gabo02 for link)