Westin LAX [Master Thread]
Sep 29, 2016, 10:46 am
Sep 30, 2016, 5:00 am
The Westin was not on my list to book as the last couple of times I did stay there it was not pleasant. However, reading the recent comments here and the great participation of the property representative, I'm going to book it to see what the improvements are like.
Oct 18, 2016, 9:44 am
While lurking around to try and learn about Starwood, I came across this great thread and the amazing engagement by the GM. Have to say, it caused me to cancel my LAX Marriott reservation and make one for my first stay at a Westin.
Looking forward to trying out something new...as well as christening my new Amex SPG card.
Oct 30, 2016, 6:17 am
When my bus can't get out of a terminal pick-up point too many passengers load and the bus fills before it reaches terminals 5, 6, and 7. The result is long wait times at those terminals. Getting in and out of loading zones should shorten the wait times for guests waiting at the end of the route.
...
Am waiting at the hotel shuttle bus pick up point at terminal 4 now. Ridiculous situation, i've been waiting for almost 40 minutes but nothing from Westin LaX came. Other hotels' shuttle bus like our old corporate hotel sheraton gateway came twice already. Nearby hilton lax came thrice. Called the operator and the excuse was that they're experiencing delay due to traffic, but doesn't explain why others came with no problem.
...
While lurking around to try and learn about Starwood, I came across this great thread and the amazing engagement by the GM. Have to say, it caused me to cancel my LAX Marriott reservation and make one for my first stay at a Westin.
Looking forward to trying out something new...as well as christening my new Amex SPG card.
Waited a total of 42 minutes for shuttle. (8PM to 8:42PM) Saw one go by at ~30 minutes, but must have been full as I was totally ignored. 3 LAX Marriott buses stopped by in the 42 minutes. Calls to hotel were not helpful.
Check in was sub-par. There was a separate line for SPG Gold/Plat, but only one staff there, while 4 were serving the general line. So the other line was cleared out while I was still waiting, then I was finally called over to the general area to be checked-in.
Clerk was uninterested in my shuttle experience. Told me she would add points to my account, but no details. No information about hotel or Plat benefits offered. Had to ask about items that interested me (internet, fitness, etc). No room upgrade. I have a lovely view of the Taco Bell.
Hard to know which of these things are aberrations, or maybe just different expectations to a newbie Plat at SPG. I had always heard great things about SPG Plat recognition, and I was even more jazzed with the presence of the GM on FlyerTalk. So far, it has been disappointing.
On the plus side, the room is clean and the bed very comfortable. I do like the Starbucks coffee packs in the room. Looks like Breakfast will be served in the lounge, so maybe that will be a plus. Trying to keep an open mind still...
Nov 1, 2016, 6:47 am
My key would not open the lounge, so no idea how breakfast would be. I was a Plat staying on the 12th floor...is there some reason I wouldn't have access? I am not up-to-speed on SPG yet, I guess.
I just bailed early and went to the airport lounge. Shuttle ride back to the airport was uneventful.
Looks like 500 points were added to my account as "goodwill" from the front desk clerk at check in.
Overall, disappointing introduction to SPG and Westin. Can't recommend LAX location based on my experience.
Nov 1, 2016, 9:08 am
Nov 1, 2016, 11:33 am
I haven't ever experienced my key not being programmed for the lounge when I was supposed to have access. I wasn't sure enough about perks of status with SPG to really push the issue. Lot to learn, I guess.
Nov 14, 2016, 1:14 am
Used a suite upgrade for a Junior Suite. Check in was fine and was able to get a roller for my pal since the couch was no longer a pullout.
They still have those stupid leaf soaps.
A bunch of annoyances. For a suite, it's very bare. It has a "cooling unit" which does not keep things cold. It says so on the door. There are no extra linens (since the couch is just a couch). Generic coffee maker. Lounge only has cocktails (and fizzy drinks, which is what I really wanted) Mon-Thu. And as usual, breakfast ends at 9:59 AM exactly. Usual continental stuff. They have a fancy touchscreen Starbucks machine that makes...hot water and black coffee. Don't these machines make other drinks usually?
Also valet is $45/night?? Ironically, self parking has outlets so I could have plugged my car in overnight. When did this hotel join the "meh" list? It's hard to explain how the Westin Singapore and Westin LAX are under the same flag.
Hmm. I wonder if the Sheraton Gateway is looking better after the remodel?
Nov 14, 2016, 6:56 am
Used a suite upgrade for a Junior Suite. Check in was fine and was able to get a roller for my pal since the couch was no longer a pullout.
They still have those stupid leaf soaps.
A bunch of annoyances. For a suite, it's very bare. It has a "cooling unit" which does not keep things cold. It says so on the door. There are no extra linens (since the couch is just a couch). Generic coffee maker. Lounge only has cocktails (and fizzy drinks, which is what I really wanted) Mon-Thu. And as usual, breakfast ends at 9:59 AM exactly. Usual continental stuff. They have a fancy touchscreen Starbucks machine that makes...hot water and black coffee. Don't these machines make other drinks usually?
Also valet is $45/night?? Ironically, self parking has outlets so I could have plugged my car in overnight. When did this hotel join the "meh" list? It's hard to explain how the Westin Singapore and Westin LAX are under the same flag.
Hmm. I wonder if the Sheraton Gateway is looking better after the remodel?
As written here, the Sheraton is a better overall property and , until recently, the Four Points, was rated better/higher than the Westin.
What does the "same flag" have to do with Individual management? That is what it boils down to. The property could be better.
The Sheraton Gateway has, in my opinion, always been a better property. This is the only area where I would stay at a Sheraton over a Westin.
Nov 18, 2016, 11:41 am
Having caught up with the Master Thread, it seems like there are widely varying opinions, and I'm very much looking forward to providing my opinion after the stay. Stay tuned!
Nov 20, 2016, 9:18 pm
When I first stayed at the LAX Westin I would have rated it near the bottom of airport Westins that I had stayed at. Over the last year it has improved with a newly renovated club lounge. There has also been a huge improvement in the time between shuttles between the Westin and the airport. The shuttle frequency for the Westin seems superior to that for the Sheraton (where I have stayed roughly the same number of times).
Unfortunately the club lounge lacks an espresso machine. Breakfast is typically scrambled eggs, a rather good salsa, bacon, sausage, make-your-own-waffles, cut fruit, toast, pastries, yogurt....
The lobby is large and up to Westin standards. I have always found check-in easy with adequate staff. I have found the check-in people friendly and helpful. On one stay they accommodated a very early check-in (unexpected on my part and they went way beyond what was required).
They have a coffee shop that sells snacks, espresso drinks. Unfortunately I believe it closes at 1.00pm.
The restaurant is the Daily Grill. It has a large menu and some reasonable food deals on their Happy-Hour Menu.
The suite I stayed in was roomy but rather bare.
The rooms on the club floor I have stayed in were OK, the room and the bathroom smaller that most Westins. I get the impressions the rooms may have been refurbished but not renovated recently.
Nov 28, 2016, 11:45 am
Just getting to the feedback. I must have missed the normal Flyertalk alert I get when there is a posting on this thread.
First of all sorry for the key issue. This was most likely an error we made at check-in.
Some updates... We have started a room refresh and are a good way toward finishing the 12th floor. Today we closed the elevator landing and we've opened a temporary club on the first floor. The 12th floor club will be out about a week. The scope includes paint in the guestrooms, new art, glass tops on the case goods, illuminated mirror and new wall vinyl in the bathrooms as well as rake and re-grout. The corridors get new lighting and wall vinyl. The 12th floor rooms will get refrigerators to replace the cooling units. Invisible, but big dollars, we are refurbishing all of the HVAC units in the Hotel. I've probably forgotten a few things, but the rooms should feel better, and there should be very minimal noise disruption.
Regarding shuttle service, I added significantly more capacity over the summer and I didn't reduce capacity (as I had planned) going into the slower winter months. We are working with the transportation company to improve their deployment and dispatch so that you guys see the benefit of the additional shuttles. There is a GPS system coming so you can see where the shuttles are. The transportation company is still working the bugs out unfortunately.
For those of you arriving tomorrow, we have heard of a big march at LAX during the day. This could be painful for transportation. The shuttle company has alternate route plans, but it still could be tough.
As always...its great to hear the feedback.
Be Well!
Phil
Nov 30, 2016, 3:51 pm
The Westin Los Angeles Airport
5400 W Century Blvd Los Angeles, CA US 90045
[Review] Westin LAX (5 Photos)
The Westin Los Angeles Airport
As mentioned in post # 400, I completed a stay at the Westin LAX from 11/22 to 11/23.
Overall, my stay was nice, and I would stay at this property again for business in the area.
Pre-Arrival
Knowing I would arrive late, I called ahead to let the front desk know I would be checking in late (around 10 PM), which the staff noted would be fine. Additionally, I asked to apply my SPG # to the reservation, and asked if late check-out was available (SPG Gold). She asked when I would like to check-out; I mentioned 4 PM and she said that would be fine.
Check In
I drove to the hotel and parked at Self-Parking. As a first-timer at the property, I was impressed by the lobby. I suppose my expectations were low after reading through the entirety of this thread. The lobby is spacious with great lighting (not too bright, and just the right temperature), and the integration with the 2nd floor added to its immensity.
Being an SPG Gold member, I lined up behind the Gold/Platinum Check-In, and waited for a front desk to become available. Despite the fact I was in front of the line and there was no one being helped, it took several minutes before a front desk agent became available (merely noting facts). I provided my name for him to look up my reservation, and provided a credit card to be on-file. We went through the niceties (how is your day going? where are you from? what sort of business are you here on?), and he provided 3 things : a validated parking pass, a free breakfast voucher, and 2 room keys.
Lastly, he noted that the check-out time would be 12 PM. I asked him if late-checkout would be available, and filled him in on my previous conversation with a front desk agent earlier in the day. He mentioned that the latest they could accommodate would be 1 PM. I accepted, and asked him to apply that time to my stay. I thanked him and headed upstairs.
Room
I stayed at room 1106 on the 11th floor. Once I stepped out of the elevator, I ran into 2 people who smelled of marijuana. Not the hotel's fault, but also not a very pleasant way to be greeted en route to one's room.
The card-key worked on the first try, and remained excellent throughout my stay.
The room seemed a bit worn in, but cozy nonetheless. Some of the upholstery had stains, and the wooden furnitures had visible scratches on the top surface. None that bothered me too much, but I made a note not to sit on the lounge chair that had some curious stains.
I appreciated the fact two free water bottles were provided in gratis.
The bathroom was on the smaller side, which was fine since I was alone. One sink, rain-shower installed in a small tub. I noticed the water output seemed a bit low in pressure, but it didn't hinder me from cleaning up myself.
The bed had some lints and black dust (soot?), which made me wary, but I figured they were harmless and turned in for the night. I was to have a job interview early in the morning, and needed a good night's rest.
Dining
I returned to the hotel after the job interview, and I decided to check out the free All-American Breakfast offered on the 1st floor.
The breakfast included several hot items, such as scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon, and potato hash browns. A waffle mix was available for fresh waffles, and there was also a made-to-order omelet station.
The food was delicious, and filled me up. The sausages were of high quality, and paired nicely with the made-to-order omelet.
The service was extremely diligent, and I had no complaints.
Overall
I would definitely re-visit this property if I have business in the area.
There was one issue for my stay : the property charged me double because it didn't process my transaction correctly. I reached out to Phil via flyertalk, and he responded promptly, for which I was extremely grateful.
Nov 30, 2016, 5:00 pm
Just getting to the feedback. I must have missed the normal Flyertalk alert I get when there is a posting on this thread.
First of all sorry for the key issue. This was most likely an error we made at check-in.
Some updates... We have started a room refresh and are a good way toward finishing the 12th floor. Today we closed the elevator landing and we've opened a temporary club on the first floor. The 12th floor club will be out about a week. The scope includes paint in the guestrooms, new art, glass tops on the case goods, illuminated mirror and new wall vinyl in the bathrooms as well as rake and re-grout. The corridors get new lighting and wall vinyl. The 12th floor rooms will get refrigerators to replace the cooling units. Invisible, but big dollars, we are refurbishing all of the HVAC units in the Hotel. I've probably forgotten a few things, but the rooms should feel better, and there should be very minimal noise disruption.
Regarding shuttle service, I added significantly more capacity over the summer and I didn't reduce capacity (as I had planned) going into the slower winter months. We are working with the transportation company to improve their deployment and dispatch so that you guys see the benefit of the additional shuttles. There is a GPS system coming so you can see where the shuttles are. The transportation company is still working the bugs out unfortunately.
For those of you arriving tomorrow, we have heard of a big march at LAX during the day. This could be painful for transportation. The shuttle company has alternate route plans, but it still could be tough.
As always...its great to hear the feedback.
Be Well!
Phil
Dec 22, 2016, 4:03 pm