Viewline Resort Snowmass, Autograph Collection (formerly Westin) [Master Thread]
Feb 12, 2013, 9:18 am
#31
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: New York, NY, USA
Posts: 12,483
Hyatt Grand Aspen is never available using points whenever I checked.
Feb 12, 2013, 8:16 pm
#32
Join Date: Dec 2010
Programs: SPG Plat, IHG Royal Ambassador, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Plat,Accor Plat, US Chairmans
Posts: 176
I stayed here over the past week for a conference, here is the low down...(i had an actually positive experience)
I booked a one night stay at wildwood and then a 5-night stay at the Westin (right next to each other). I did this because I initially requested 5 days off but they gave me 8 days off so I decided to add a day to my aspen trip and relax in palm springs when i got back. Anyways, so the night before I am supposed to check-in to Wildwood, I get a call from Westin saying Wildwood upgraded me due to my platinum status to the Westin! I already used my SNA at the westin for my 5 day stay so was hoping they could just extend my suite for another night, but when I checked into the Westin, they didnt have availability so I spent a night in a King Room. Plat status recognized, got top room available,plat bnus pts and free bfast due to them not able to accomodating my suite (i didn't hassle thm about it as I was going to stay at Wildwood for a night anyways but the gesture was nice). They allowed me to stay in my regular room the next day until I was ready to move to my junior suite (NICE room with a tiny balcony but much better than their std rooms in terms of space especially if you got alot of gear). I got the bfast for my SO as I got bfast at my conference each morning. The first day I ate with her and we got a continental bfast that was mediocre but somehow from that day on they offered her the buffet bfast as the plat bfast (excluding hot foods).
I know there are alot of negative reviews about the place but I had a rather pleasant stay. Hotel could have been built better but I understand its an old hotel that was renovated... one quick tip though is dont stay on levels 6-8. You will have to take one elevator, traverse across the hotel, and then take another elevator to your room...not fun when you are tired. Hope this helps someone...
I booked a one night stay at wildwood and then a 5-night stay at the Westin (right next to each other). I did this because I initially requested 5 days off but they gave me 8 days off so I decided to add a day to my aspen trip and relax in palm springs when i got back. Anyways, so the night before I am supposed to check-in to Wildwood, I get a call from Westin saying Wildwood upgraded me due to my platinum status to the Westin! I already used my SNA at the westin for my 5 day stay so was hoping they could just extend my suite for another night, but when I checked into the Westin, they didnt have availability so I spent a night in a King Room. Plat status recognized, got top room available,plat bnus pts and free bfast due to them not able to accomodating my suite (i didn't hassle thm about it as I was going to stay at Wildwood for a night anyways but the gesture was nice). They allowed me to stay in my regular room the next day until I was ready to move to my junior suite (NICE room with a tiny balcony but much better than their std rooms in terms of space especially if you got alot of gear). I got the bfast for my SO as I got bfast at my conference each morning. The first day I ate with her and we got a continental bfast that was mediocre but somehow from that day on they offered her the buffet bfast as the plat bfast (excluding hot foods).
I know there are alot of negative reviews about the place but I had a rather pleasant stay. Hotel could have been built better but I understand its an old hotel that was renovated... one quick tip though is dont stay on levels 6-8. You will have to take one elevator, traverse across the hotel, and then take another elevator to your room...not fun when you are tired. Hope this helps someone...
Feb 18, 2013, 2:18 pm
#33
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: SPG plat; HH diam, MR gold, AA gold, Marco Polo gold and some others
Posts: 4
Checked in yesterday. Family of 6 (2 adults, 4 kids 8-15 years).
A little about us: we love ski vacations. We have stayed at some fancy 5 star hotels in Switzerland and France, but also at some crappy apartments. We have been to most European ski resorts and in the US, we have been to Breckenridge, Vail, Beaver Creek, the Canyons and Park City. We understand this hotel is not a St Regis. We have spent 2 Christmas vacations at the St Regis Deer Valley, and 1 at the St Regis Aspen. We know this is a Westin and we usually love the Westin brand as well. We also knew that this was a renovated hotel, not a brand new built.
We waited for over an hour for the shuttle at the airport. Normally we do rent a car, but we decided for this short vacation we would take the shuttles instead. Somehow, all the other courtesy shuttles had gone back and forth during that hour, and the St Regis driver even called the Westin to ask what was keeping them. We finally saw a Westin/Wildwood shuttle, we approached the driver and he was happy to take us. However, when he contacted his collegue (I assume it was his collegue), he was asked WHY on earth he would have taken this ride.
At check in, we were downgraded while being told that we were upgraded.
We never ask for an upgrade, we always just reserve what we want, however, we do not expect to be downgraded.
Usually we reserve a suite and a connecting room. According to the hotel, such a combination was impossible so we reserved 2 queen premium rooms instead. These rooms come with slope view, according to our confirmations.
At check in we were told we were upgraded to standard valley view. And of course no connecting rooms as per our request (huge issue but I am trying to keep this short!)
After almost 2 hours after check in we accepted the price difference for 2 nights plus an additional $30 for the inconvenience which we felt was less than stellar, but we didn't feel like spending much more time. We had waited for the shuttle at the airport for over an hour, and now we were 2 hours going back and forth in the hotel - we were done. We do hope to get "our" premium connecting rooms tomorrow.
So we are now in 2 non-connecting valley view rooms, which would have been ok if there hadn't been mold in the bathtub corners, huge crack in the ceiling, and in 1 of the rooms, toilet not flushing. This was reported on Sunday right after we had entered the room, and they are trying to get it fixed while I write this. The guy was disgusted that he was told about it only today. We were just happy we had the 2nd room so our kids could at least use A bathroom.
Breakfast: platinum amenity 2 continental breakfasts per room. Upgrade to full breakfast $12.50
We were at breakfast at 7am (time difference, so we are up early) and there was a line for the egg station. DH didn't feel like standing in line so he ordered his eggs, which ended up costing him more than the $12.50.
I didn't feel like paying more than the upgrade price, so I stood in line for half an hour to get 2 omelets for my kids. Remember, we entered the restaurant at 7am. I had a quick glance at 9am and the lines were terrible.
All in all, location is good and I am sure this could be one of the best ski properties in the SPG portfolio. And I am willing to give them a chance. But for now, let's just say that skiing is great. And apparently, Vice President Biden is here as well - at least in Snowmass. And also apparently the Obama girls are in Aspen.
Sorry for the long post.
A little about us: we love ski vacations. We have stayed at some fancy 5 star hotels in Switzerland and France, but also at some crappy apartments. We have been to most European ski resorts and in the US, we have been to Breckenridge, Vail, Beaver Creek, the Canyons and Park City. We understand this hotel is not a St Regis. We have spent 2 Christmas vacations at the St Regis Deer Valley, and 1 at the St Regis Aspen. We know this is a Westin and we usually love the Westin brand as well. We also knew that this was a renovated hotel, not a brand new built.
We waited for over an hour for the shuttle at the airport. Normally we do rent a car, but we decided for this short vacation we would take the shuttles instead. Somehow, all the other courtesy shuttles had gone back and forth during that hour, and the St Regis driver even called the Westin to ask what was keeping them. We finally saw a Westin/Wildwood shuttle, we approached the driver and he was happy to take us. However, when he contacted his collegue (I assume it was his collegue), he was asked WHY on earth he would have taken this ride.
At check in, we were downgraded while being told that we were upgraded.
We never ask for an upgrade, we always just reserve what we want, however, we do not expect to be downgraded.
Usually we reserve a suite and a connecting room. According to the hotel, such a combination was impossible so we reserved 2 queen premium rooms instead. These rooms come with slope view, according to our confirmations.
At check in we were told we were upgraded to standard valley view. And of course no connecting rooms as per our request (huge issue but I am trying to keep this short!)
After almost 2 hours after check in we accepted the price difference for 2 nights plus an additional $30 for the inconvenience which we felt was less than stellar, but we didn't feel like spending much more time. We had waited for the shuttle at the airport for over an hour, and now we were 2 hours going back and forth in the hotel - we were done. We do hope to get "our" premium connecting rooms tomorrow.
So we are now in 2 non-connecting valley view rooms, which would have been ok if there hadn't been mold in the bathtub corners, huge crack in the ceiling, and in 1 of the rooms, toilet not flushing. This was reported on Sunday right after we had entered the room, and they are trying to get it fixed while I write this. The guy was disgusted that he was told about it only today. We were just happy we had the 2nd room so our kids could at least use A bathroom.
Breakfast: platinum amenity 2 continental breakfasts per room. Upgrade to full breakfast $12.50
We were at breakfast at 7am (time difference, so we are up early) and there was a line for the egg station. DH didn't feel like standing in line so he ordered his eggs, which ended up costing him more than the $12.50.
I didn't feel like paying more than the upgrade price, so I stood in line for half an hour to get 2 omelets for my kids. Remember, we entered the restaurant at 7am. I had a quick glance at 9am and the lines were terrible.
All in all, location is good and I am sure this could be one of the best ski properties in the SPG portfolio. And I am willing to give them a chance. But for now, let's just say that skiing is great. And apparently, Vice President Biden is here as well - at least in Snowmass. And also apparently the Obama girls are in Aspen.
Sorry for the long post.
Last edited by mm186; Feb 18, 2013 at 2:30 pm
Feb 18, 2013, 2:34 pm
#35
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: SPG plat; HH diam, MR gold, AA gold, Marco Polo gold and some others
Posts: 4
Feb 18, 2013, 2:36 pm
#36
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: A few
Posts: 5,499
Mar 1, 2013, 8:03 am
#37
Join Date: May 2005
Location: CLE
Programs: RA, UA MM 1k, AA EXP, Marriott LTP, Hyatt Plat, SPG100
Posts: 476
Any other updates on the Westin or Wildwood properties and experiences of gold members? I'm thinking about a last minute trip in March. I'm a little torn, since the rates are ~$100 different per night. I'll be by myself for a ski clinic. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!
Mar 2, 2013, 2:48 pm
#38
Join Date: Apr 2010
Programs: AA EXP, AA 1 MM, SPG PLAT
Posts: 20
And now...for the rest of the story!
Just back from a 4-day trip to westin snowmass. Thurs-Sun. I got an email from concierge and front desk about a week before we arrived asking if there was anything they could do for me. I asked for a plat upgrade from our premium slopeside room (why not? They asked).
We arrived 3 hours late (thanks American Eagle!) and I called the bell desk as soon as wheels touched down. After a lot of rings, they answered and said that the shuttle was already on its way. Having read of terrible response time, Mrs. LAX and JFK said that we were cabbing it and not waiting an hour for the shuttle as others described (don't know why they didn't do that). But sure enough, the driver showed up within 5 min and took us over to hotel. Seems to me that shuttle goes on the hour so if you miss it, you should jump in a cab rather than wait around.
Check in is cramped. They put the desks across from the bar with about 5-7 feet of clearance. If there are people walking by, it sure seems crowded if you have a lot of luggage. But we got a killer upgrade to an awesome suite. Slopeside. Just awesome. I stay in a lot of junky *woods so I can be plat and the room made it worthwhile.
And yes, everything that everyone says is true: maid service doesn't show up until mid to late afternoon (they didn't change our sheets, just remade the bed) and yes the dining room is small and prone to a slight back up in the morning and yes the elevators are slow. But so what? You are right on an unbelievable mountain. Right there! Who cares about minor sacrifices. The people complaining didn't seem to be able to roll with it. It's a ski vacation, you're there to ski. Or at least we were there to ski. Plus, I have stayed in some real dumps in Aspen/snowmass over the last few years. This was a HUGE upgrade.
They have some really good people there who are trying but it will never be a St. Regis deer valley or aspen. Perfect example - the liquor at the bar isn't super top shelf. The owner didn't want to spend the money for anything other than the stuff they serve on the airplane. The wine list is good for the bottles but not great by the glass (great selection - outrageous pricing). All in all, it's more Sheraton than Westin but again, with a world class mountain in spitting distance, why do you need a St. Regis? They do have a great ski valet that makes it super easy to handle that side and the skiing right now is awesome.
Go there for the skiing. Spend the extra money on the westin, the wildwood looked scary to me, and see if you get the room upgrade. We had an absolute blast and will return next year. To me, it was the best hotel experience we could have had (with lowered expectations). Maybe next season it gets better but don't hold your breath, then you won't be disappointed.
We arrived 3 hours late (thanks American Eagle!) and I called the bell desk as soon as wheels touched down. After a lot of rings, they answered and said that the shuttle was already on its way. Having read of terrible response time, Mrs. LAX and JFK said that we were cabbing it and not waiting an hour for the shuttle as others described (don't know why they didn't do that). But sure enough, the driver showed up within 5 min and took us over to hotel. Seems to me that shuttle goes on the hour so if you miss it, you should jump in a cab rather than wait around.
Check in is cramped. They put the desks across from the bar with about 5-7 feet of clearance. If there are people walking by, it sure seems crowded if you have a lot of luggage. But we got a killer upgrade to an awesome suite. Slopeside. Just awesome. I stay in a lot of junky *woods so I can be plat and the room made it worthwhile.
And yes, everything that everyone says is true: maid service doesn't show up until mid to late afternoon (they didn't change our sheets, just remade the bed) and yes the dining room is small and prone to a slight back up in the morning and yes the elevators are slow. But so what? You are right on an unbelievable mountain. Right there! Who cares about minor sacrifices. The people complaining didn't seem to be able to roll with it. It's a ski vacation, you're there to ski. Or at least we were there to ski. Plus, I have stayed in some real dumps in Aspen/snowmass over the last few years. This was a HUGE upgrade.
They have some really good people there who are trying but it will never be a St. Regis deer valley or aspen. Perfect example - the liquor at the bar isn't super top shelf. The owner didn't want to spend the money for anything other than the stuff they serve on the airplane. The wine list is good for the bottles but not great by the glass (great selection - outrageous pricing). All in all, it's more Sheraton than Westin but again, with a world class mountain in spitting distance, why do you need a St. Regis? They do have a great ski valet that makes it super easy to handle that side and the skiing right now is awesome.
Go there for the skiing. Spend the extra money on the westin, the wildwood looked scary to me, and see if you get the room upgrade. We had an absolute blast and will return next year. To me, it was the best hotel experience we could have had (with lowered expectations). Maybe next season it gets better but don't hold your breath, then you won't be disappointed.
Mar 18, 2013, 8:22 pm
#39
Join Date: May 2005
Location: CLE
Programs: RA, UA MM 1k, AA EXP, Marriott LTP, Hyatt Plat, SPG100
Posts: 476
Westin Snowmass- anyone been?
Currently enjoying a lovely stay here, even as a lowly gold. Got a nice upgrade to a room in main building, even on spg50 rate (lower than any published). While its not as nice as ritz beaver creek, I wasn't expecting that at this price point. I'm fairly new to SPG, and I really don't care for the nickel and diming of guests. But I think many of the issues previously identified have been worked out. The walls are thin though, as are windows, so it's a bit noisy. But the location is fantastic and ski amenities are great. Would def return!
Apr 4, 2013, 2:08 pm
#40
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 1
Westin Snowmass
You guys are awesome, so I registered just so I could share this with you. Westin Snowmass has Thanksgiving 2013 rates of C&P 6,000+$110... or Lowest Standard rate of $90. I'm going, feel free to join me, but don't take my SNA!
Now back to lurking...
ml
Now back to lurking...
ml
Apr 4, 2013, 7:37 pm
#43
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: New York, NY, USA
Posts: 12,483
Jun 12, 2013, 4:19 am
#45
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Singapore
Programs: SPG
Posts: 4,002
This is an independent property, ie. not listed under one of the Starwood brands.
[email protected]
Thyetus Lee | Social Media Specialist
Starwood Customer Contact Centre (AP) Pte Ltd
[email protected]
Thyetus Lee | Social Media Specialist
Starwood Customer Contact Centre (AP) Pte Ltd