Was at the Westin this past weekend.Allow plenty of extra time if going from the Westin to LAX as it is the first of three stops.Took 20 mins-but I could see 30 during a bussier time(this was a very early sat. morning)If you can afford a taxi it might be a better option.

Well I think I lucked out this morning.

Got downstairs at 0545. There was a bus already just arriving. It loaded up about 20 people. It was pretty full.

We left the Westin and went straight to the airport without any delay.

The other two hotels were still featured on the outside so I can only figure that due to the high load the driver decided not to go to the other hotels since space was tight.

That said, I could see it being a real problem stopping at the two other hotels and then doing the whole LAX loop around to UA's terminals.

I would guess 45 minutes start to finish once the bus arrives to once you get off. Not a good scenario IMO.

It took at least an hour the last time I used it...others riding it (who say they stay there a lot) say that's pretty typical.

The Sheraton Gateway, OTOH, took maybe 15 minutes to go LAX-hotel, and maybe 10 minutes tops to go hotel--LAX.

Sounds like a nightmare, but hotel shuttles at LAX have been plagued by problems for years. Some hotels will reimburse you for a cab if you call from the curb to complain -- others travellers try to use the car rental shuttles if the lot is located near their hotels.

Although not a Starwood property, I prefer the Radisson because it is adjacent to the airport. A 5-minute walk to Terminal 1 (US, WN), and walkable to the others if necessary.

No, it is not a nightmare. I have not seen any delays with this new process since it started earlier this summer.

It may take you longer to get to/from the hotel (depending on where in the order your hotel is), but they seem to run a bit more frequently than the individual shuttles operated by the various hotels.

From my experience, it's been a wash -- equal time.

Does anyone know if changes are planned to the car rental shuttles? The waits for the individual companies can be pretty long as is. Combining them could really screw up my normal get to the airport at the last possible minute routine! I guess LAX may get part of their wish, I am going to start trying to fly to Long Beach more frequently instead!

I've stayed in the Westin 4 times this year and used the shuttle in all my stays. The Four Points also uses this shared shuttle system and have used this numerous times myself to grab a bite to eat in the Tom Bradley Int'l Terminal when Burger King didn't seem that appealing.

The Westin shares the shuttle with the nearby La Quinta and Holiday Inn while the Four Points shares with the Hilton. That said, after you board the shuttle in the Westin, you'll have to head east first stopping by and picking up passengers in the two hotels before heading to LAX while the Four Points shuttle stops in the Hilton before going westward towards the airport. The Sheraton though still has it's own dedicated shuttle.

My word of advice: make sure you allocate extra time for this and if possible, be as early as much as your schedule allows as there's always those unexpectancies...

There are times where the shuttle from the Westin or Four Points would be full of pax and/or luggage in which whenever we reached the other partner hotels, passengers waiting there couldn't board due to the lack of space.

Same case coming from LAX: our bus was already filled up before we reached terminal 4 in which the driver pretty much brought us directly to the hotel, bypassing 4-7 which I'm sure frustrated a few weary travellers desperate to relax in their hotel room. I presume/hope though that another shuttle was dispatched to rescue these stranded travellers...

The horrors mentioned, this doesn't always happen and most of my shuttle trips were empty or with very low loads, but then again I was picking odd hours for it but nevertheless, the chaos isn't 24/7.

If you're arriving in the wee hours of the morning, search for the same blue bus that would have the titles "EXPRESS" instead of the hotel names as it is a shuttle that serves all the hotels under this sharing program. Took this once where I was with an NW crew whom were dropped off in the Radisson before taking me back to the Westin.

still show promise?
 

I booked an award stay for 7,000 points for one night...Now that I spent some time reading about this hotel I am having second thoughts:)

Can someone please provide an update with recent stay experiences?

Did things improve at all? Is the new manager still showing promise? Is it now a shared shuttle? Upgrade chances for a non elite are nil?:)

Can I cancel it without a fee and get my points back and find another airport hotel nearby?

I think there are more recent threads.
In a few words this place is horrid IMO
Check the rates at the Sheraton Gateway-many of us use that as a point earner,If the rate is under $100 pay for it-waste of points.

Stayed there last week. IMHO it is not worth blowing 7K points, unless you have plenty to burn. The shuttle is still shared between them and the Holiday Inn and La Quinta. The rooms are showing signs of wear, not sure if they have refurbished rooms. As a gold I was given a corner room but they could not accommodate a runway view. If you are catching a flight the next day the computers in the business lounge on the 2nd floor can be used for free for boarding passes so get them in advance and you can save time at the airport. If you can get it at $99 (like through the Starpicks offers) go for it and save your miles.

Explanation and the past loooooong story
 

As the original poster at the time (2006) I am afraid I became overly optimistic because they had selected such a fine general manager at the time that I fully believed in.
Unfortunately not everything is/was in his power to effect change.
And it must be very frustrating to have his talent/passion and not have the full committed support of Starwood.
The problem seems to be some of the team and the musical chairs management.
Morale declined
Besides running the operation there are the improvements to many aspects of the property that Starwood neglected rather then put the funding forth that is necessary
There are also some details that I will not share as they are privacy related for Starwood and I don't want to embarrass anybody just convey my experience and understanding of the consumer/guest situation.

I worked passionately through every channel I could to evoke an improvement in the property. Some change did occurr after my conversations with the proper folks but I am afraid still not enough to make the Westin a top destination property at LAX

In the past I truly liked the property. At a certain point I threw in the towel when I decided a number of factors that simply couldn't be denied

• Sheraton Gateway did a superior job in every regard including complimentary breakfast for Platinum’s in their excec lounge creating much better value which made their proposistion worth more
• Gateway has one of the most consistent upgrade policies of any Starwood Hotel
• The hotel takes reasonable ownership of problems seriously
• The hotel is vastly more attractive them the Westin Lax including suites and guest rooms
• It is run more professionally
• There is a Shula’s Steakhouse and Starbucks in the lobby
• The shuttle is private and more efficient then the Westin which tends to run late & slower
• The pool area by the full buffet breakfast area at the Gateway looks W hotel like
• The Westin became severely over priced raising rates 80% over the last 24 months with no apparent reason.
No other hotel in LAX did. Though sometimes lower rates may be found at select times. However SPG 50% off certificates are now rendered useless IMO at this property. Nearly double over just the past few years
I can now stay at a 5 star property in Beverly Hills instead of the Westin Lax for the same money on weekends.Once in awhile weekdays

Sadly I gave up on this property as Starwood never made the renovation improvements necessary and the rooms became tired after a renovation many years ago. The only noticeable and admirable aspect of the Westin at the time was and is the elite check in area .However the the folks at the check in/out desk frequently left much to be desired to put that politely.

Please be aware my information about the property is not up to date as I gave up on this Westin corporate owned property a few years ago.
It is interesting to note the somewhat more desirable Sheraton Gateway is privately owned.

I can say I know of one fellow who is bright educated and discerning.
He thinks highly of the Westin LAX.
I am surpised every time he brings up his complete satisfaction with the property. Unfortunately it runs contrary to most other experiences that others have generally shared with me or posted on public forums.
This is where every buyer must make the hard choice for him or herself based on a variety of current reports and reading between the lines and deciding if to roll the dice.

In the past both the Westin LAX and Starwood have been slow to answer guest complaints to many guests and worse do little or nothing to come up with solutions to those guest concerns or to offer good will gestures from problems experienced. So in the end they lost me for many years to come.
Hopefully things have vastly improved since.
After 6 chances the Westin finally outgrew my patience with the death knell being the pricing. I now head to Hilton area hotels or the Gateway if I choose a Starwood hotel at LAX
My suggestion is seek more recent experiences and make your own final assessment. After everything I have shared

Good luck and thanks for your post on FT
777 Global MH

Stayed there three times this month due to the 1/2/3 bonus points promo. Got upgraded to a suite once. The executive lounge is appalling. As 777 pointed out the elite checking area is often not manned during "breaks". Absolutely zero reason to stay there when far better SPG or Hilton/Marriott choices exist.

great post 777

i agree with every one of your points on the Sheraton Gateway LAX and Westin LAX. i used to stay at the Westin (4 straight times) believing a Westin HAD to better than a Sheraton, but after reading many posts comparing the two here, I tried out the Sheraton. i've stayed at the Sheraton Gateway LAX 6 straight times now and have no plans ever to stay at the Westin unless there's either a remarkable turnaround or remarkable bonus awards promo.

Hi gpapadop,

You might like to check the confirmation email for the cancellation policy before deciding to cancel your reservation. It does matter.

Thank you and have a nice day!

[email protected]

>>>>>You might like to check the confirmation email for the cancellation policy before deciding to cancel your reservation.

SW Lurker,

Thanks for the response. Here what the emailed reservation confirm says:

Guarantee and Cancellation Policies
Your room is guaranteed with a(n) MASTER CARD card.
Cancel by 6pm Hotel time 1 Day(s) prior to avoid 1 Night penalty


So, if I cancel it online or by phone do my 7,000 SW points get added back to my SW account with no fees whatsoever?

I have not decided yet what to do. I have stayed in the Sheraton Gateway and I liked it. I just thought that Westin would be better and the reviews in trip advisor were fine. Getting in about 11 pm at night so it is not like I would spend too much time there. Or I may just get the Four Points and save me 3,000 points....Still have time to decide.

A very generous thank you for all the responses here, FTers are the best!