nevansm

Had an award stay here last weekend. This hotel is simply amazing.

They arranged for a pickup from the airport. A gentleman was standing there with my name on a sign that said Sheraton. Upon arriving, the bell captain somehow knew who I was (knew which car/driver was dispatched) and greeted me as Mr. Nevans. Check-in was easy, the front desk clerk spoke very good english. She asked me what I would like my welcome gift to be, I chose points. She also gave me a certificate for a free cultural drink at the bar (can't think of what it was called).

They upgraded me to a junior suite. Simply put, the room was amazing. The bellboy tookmy bags upstairs and showed me the room. It was one of the biggest junior suites I've ever seen. There was a dining table that had a fresh bowl of fruit and a handwritten note from the general manager. As other's have said, the bathroom is the showpiece for this hotel. It has double vanities, whirlpool tub, large walk in shower and toilet with bidet. The whole room felt very upscale. I opened up my bottle of duty free scotch and started the night.

I headed up to the Club Lounge and found some great eats. 5 hot dishes, shrimp, chicken nuggets, beef wellington and a few others. There was also a myriad of desserts and a bottle of Brut. I had a glass of brut with my scotch and chilled out for a little bit. The attendant was great (as were the others I encountered). Asking me if I'd like refills, how the food was. Great service!

I went to the restaurant at the hotel one night for dinner. When I walked in, there was literally nobody else in the restaurant. It felt weird the entire time. I had a duck dish, it was quite good. very crispy skin. The service there was very good as well.

The last thing I will mention is in relation to an issue I had at the Sheraton JFK (see http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/14084581-post59.html). I wrote an email to customer service and was conversing with somebody (early Sunday morning)! After exchanging a few emails, I receieved a call to my room. It was the GM of the Lima Sheraton asking me if everything was going OK and that if there was anything he could do to let him know. He asked if he could send a bottle of Champagne up with a cheese plate, I said it wasn't necessary but he sent it anyways. I thought the call itself was above and beyond, but the gifts were even moreso.

Overall this hotel was great. Some people complained about the noise, I didn't hear a thing. The only complaint I have (that they can't fix) is the smog/pollution/air quality. If you need to stay in Lima, this is an amazing property and will compliment the new Westin quite well.

jammanxc

i love this hotel too, glad you enjoyed your stay! The fruit basket I received was pretty good as well and I am only GOLD.... The cultural drink is called Pisco Sour.

phlashba

Any recent stays here? I am wondering if the Club upgrade is still worth it. IN reading through the thread it seems to have been improved at least vis a vis evening food.

Football Fan

I stayed there in late January. They were still rebuilding the place, and whole floors smelled like paint. Club was virtually empty most times I went there. Breakfast was very good. There were some service issues (wrong name on welcome card in the room, checkout took almost 30 minutes, points did not post, internet did not work properly in the room or anywhere in the hotel with your own laptop (stationary computer in the lounge did work)), but overall, still a decent hotel in a decent location. Good upgrade to a suite as SPG Plat.

captain_starwood

I'm arriving in LIM in two weeks at 12:25am on a flight from Toronto. Two quick questions:

1) There's an estimated 10 dollar (20 vs 30) difference between taking a taxi from the airport vs. having the hotel car pick me up. I don't speak spanish, it's and it's after midnight- maybe I should just spring for the extra 10 bucks and have someone meet me? On the other hand, I can't imagine that there won't be taxis and that Taxis won't know how to get to the Sheraton.

2) My flight to CUZ is at 11:30am the next day. Assuming I wake up at 8 or 9am, I figure this gives me an hour or two in downtown Lima. Any suggestions for things to do in an hour? Local cafes? Can I walk around the surrounding blocks for an hour?

mnscout

1. The difference is more like $13-14, but you can get Taxi Green at the airport, they are legit. Do NOT venture on unknown taxi in Lima in the middle of the night, no matter what they quote - that would be unwise.

2. How did you figure that give you an hour or two? You'd better be at the airport by 10AM? They routinely oversell Cuzco flights, and if you don't get there in time you can be ditched. Better safe than sorry.

Having said that, they have a very nice open-air shopping mall next to the hotel, and Plaza Major is only 15-20 minutes walk through pedestrian quarters with plenty of shops, cafes, etc. As to the general location of the hotel, I wouldn't call it a pleasant place to stroll.

mnscout

I just completed my 5-days award stay, and I agree with other recent posters here - the hotel is fantastic! If they did have any customer service problems, they seem to be in the past.

First, they upgraded me to a junior suite (I'm just Gold), and let me tell you, that suite is effectively a one bedroom with a separate living room, 2 flat screen TVs, great bed you'd expect from Sheraton, fantastic master bathroom with 2 sinks, huge walk-in shower, separate enclosed space with a toilet and bidet and a deep spacious jacuzzi (which can easily accommodate 2 people). The suite also had another separate half bath and 2 small balconies, which I did not utilize.

The lounge on the 18th floor was small but very comfortable, and the food was great. Breakfasts are actually small buffets with eggs, some hot meats, hams, cheeses, juices, sushi rolls (I kid you not!), jams, fruits, and some pastries. Snack buffets include 3 hot appetizers, sushi rolls, some hams, pastries, etc. They also serve all kinds of hot beverages including espresso and cappuccino. Wines and Champagne are complimentary, hard liqueurs and mixed drinks are not. Breakfasts are served from 8 to 11 (I think) and snacks from 3 to 11PM. Theoretically, one could easily survive only on the food in the lounge, but that would be a crime considering all gastronomical opportunities Lima has to offer.

Every day they would bring 1-2 complimentary bottles of water to my room. Internet was about $16-17 a day with taxes. I did not ask them to waive the fee, and have no idea if they would. Considering they went above and beyond for me - wouldn't have felt right!

The lobby was classy, but the pool, unfortunately, was closed due to the winter (Limenos start bundling up when the temperature drops below 20C, LOL). I went to a restaurant one day and the food was good, but not outstanding. They did, however, feature local dance show with dances from different parts of Peru, which I enjoyed a lot.

All in all, do not dismiss this hotel because of its location. Yes, it's not Miraflores, and I wouldn't walk there after dark, but it's next to a very nice shopping mall, and there is only a 20 minute walk to Plaza Major which houses the President's Palace, nice cafes (famous Gaston's Tanta is there) and a huge market. The famous church with the catacombs, and a small but pretty park are nearby.

Everyone from front desk to the lounge attendants was courteous and very professional. One night a doorman is helping me out of the cab, and next moment he's handing me my wallet, which - me being less than perfectly sober - fell out of my pocket while I was getting out. I sent a thank you e-mail to the management and hope they will find a way to commend that guy.

I was corresponding with Ms María I. Gamarra Villafuerte from the Reservations Department via this e-mail: [email protected] and she always replied very promptly and courteously. In fact, I requested an upgrade to the Junior suite via the email, and she promised to contact me the day before my upcoming trip - which she did and confirmed the upgrade. Seriously, there is nothing I didn't like about that hotel. Well, like others have mentioned, the area is extremely smoggy, but I felt that the inside air quality was quite good as long as you didn't open the balcony (LOL).

Just as an extra data point, I visited with my friend who was just a Preferred Plus, and they upgraded him to the club floor with lounge privileges without even asking.

Well, that's sums it up. Hope it helps.

ajnaro

Many limeños try to avoid the downtown area completely and consider it extremely dangerous, even during the day. Most of it is rundown and unpleasant, hardly the sort of place for a tourist to stroll around. The neighborhoods of Miraflores and San Isidro are much more pleasant and locals consider them safe. There are many hotels there, including a new Westin.

mnscout

While I agree that the immediate area in front of the Sheraton is not pleasant, some Limenos can be such drama queens, it's just funny (same, btw, can be said about some Cariocas who are scared silly to go anywhere near their Centro, no disrespect). I walked a lot between Sheraton and Plaza Mayor and never felt threatened. Now, I wouldn't walk that route after dark, but with taxis being dirt cheap there is no reason for that. And Plaza Mayor itself is safe day AND night with very heavy police presence.

The Sheraton is a solid 4* hotel IMHO, and the room there with a fairly good chance of an upgrade can be had for 3-4000 points or $30 +1600 points a night. Considering free breakfasts, snacks and wines, that's better than a song. Now, the new Westin in San Isidro seems to be a very nice hotel in a superior location, but it is, of course, more costly. Just saying.

Zone1

I stayed at the Sheraton in Lima 2 weeks ago and feel it is a great value. For the night we stayed we found that their CORPL rate plan was cheaper than the lowest published rate. The rate was supposed to give us free pickup from the airport, but I guess you have to call the hotel prior to arrival. I assumed that they read the comments box in your reservation, so I just put my arrival information in that. I can't complain that much because I was paying less than the lowest published rate.

I think the hotel was opened in 1971, but the club floor rooms have been refreshed nicely. They have 120V plugs, so you can leave the converters at home. The breakfast buffet has the widest variety I've ever seen in a hotel! It was simply amazing. In terms of the area, we walked to San Martin Plaza and didn't feel like it was dangerous at all. You could probably walk to the Presidential Palace without any problems either. Just walk on the street in front of the hotel, and not behind.

We stayed our other two nights at the Doubletree in Miraflores. That was a complete mistake. If the Marriot or Westin are out of your price range, then go with the Sheraton. It is completely under-rated, and based on its location, you should stay at the Sheraton at least one night if you are looking to tour around.

mnscout

Did they ask you for a corporate ID when you checked in?

bigbuy

+1,,,, love the Sheraton, stayed there twice. ^ with their shuttle to Miraflores and better rates, it is the only hotel in Lima for me.

ajnaro

For price and quality, try Suites Antique in San Isidro:

http://www.suitesantique.com/

Full suites at less than USD 100 in a very safe neighborhood.

Zone1

They did not ask for any special corporate ID. The code is on the offers page of the hotel, so I'm assuming it is open to everyone.

mnscout

I've heard good things about that hotel, too. But if we go beyond hotel loyalty programs, then the sky is the limit Last year I rented a modern ocean-front 3-bedroom condo in Miraflores, 10 minutes from Mariott and Larcomar, with a huge jacuzzi and free wireless for less than $500 a week.

Then again, nice full-service hotels have their own appeal. Different strokes...