Originally Posted by
CMK10
Every chain needs that brand that they can use as a dumping ground brand. Marriott has Sheraton and Renaissance for that, Hilton has Doubletree and IHG has Crowne Plaza. I will agree that experiences as CPs can vary wildly depending on where you are, though the major deflagging of last year where a number of CPs became Sonestas has taken care of a lot of aging properties and made it a better brand.
I thought that the switch to Sonesta was because of lending problems. In Charlotte, the Crowne Plaza in the Executive Park area was nice. When it was a Marriott, it had deteriorated badly, but was redone when it became a Crowne Plaza. I haven't been since it became a Sonesta, but do consider it a loss.
The Sheraton Reston has just been renovated and is beautiful. The club and restaurant weren't open a few weeks ago, but should be open this coming week. There's an odd setup that would make working difficult, though, unless you just have a small laptop and don't need a real desk chair.