travelingtom

travelingtom

SNA1K, we did book dbl queens initially because that is all they had. I received an email to up-grade to a suite ahead of time. I called and they told me just call ahead on the day of arrival and it shouldn’t be a problem. I trusted this because of my last stay (which was 1000 times better). I called ahead and they told me again it shouldn’t be a problem. I got there and it was. I too saw something similar happening from the streets (see RAPC, a Platinum Member) although I can’t prove anything. On Saturday, I asked about the late check out for Sunday, again, depending on bookings, but shouldn’t be a problem. They were still taking walk-ins when I was leaving at about 3:30. By-the-way, they do offer late checkout, depending on room availability as was explained to me by the manager. I am a Starwood guest, which is all that matters! Whether I am gold or platinum, shouldn’t. To give you an idea, I own property in the Bahamas! Maybe I'll go there next time!

Keyser

even i had a problem with late checkout in june, when the hotel did not seem full....i was informed that since this is a resort therefore they have different rules as compared to other properties & are therefore not bound by the 4pm late checkout policy....after speaking with the manager i was offered a 2pm checkout, which i guess was better than the normal 12pm checkout....on the brighter side, they did upgrade me to a nice one bedroom suite....won't be able to comment much on the service of the hotel since we spent most of our time outside the hotel....

broadwayblue

Really the only thing this hotel has going for it imo is the location.

Starwood Lurker II

This property is a resort and they only offer upon request, late checkout till 4pm local time only if there is availability.

Is this the "rule" the "manager" was talking about?

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Thyetus Lee | Online Forum Coordinator(AP)
Starwood Customer Contact Centre (AP) Pte Ltd

Keyser

i believe he was....in any case, i didn't mind too much since 2pm is definitely better than noon....

gnp001

Does anyone know if the Sunset Guest Cottages is a separate Westin Resort or part of the "same" company?

Reason I'm asking is, has anyone ever been (or is it possible to be) upgraded from the Westin to the cottages? Staying there in a few weeks with my wife and can only hope!

PHLGovFlyer

It is part of the same organization but IIRC they hold it a a separate property that is generally much higher priced for both $$$ and points. The Sunset Key page on SPG.com also notes "limited participation" in SPG so they have an "out" as far as room upgrades for plats. The Westin is a Cat 5 and SSK is a cat 7 (!).

It is a very nice island, and if you stay at the Westin you can purchase a day pass/shuttle ticket to go there. It's definitely worth taking the shuttle over, spending the day at the beach, and having lunch at Lattitudes. GF and I make a point of it every time we stay at the Westin.

travelingtom

Cottages are very nice and part of the same resort. The cottages are very nice and are individually owned but rented out through the resort I believe. They are much more $$$. Unless you have a big family or go in with a few couples or just have a lot of $$$ to dispose of I don't think it's worth it.

gnp001

Thanks for the feedback. I'm arriving tomorrow for my final free weekend nights! I have two rooms booked for four days (one night each room on points). They do not upgrade to the island, but they are putting us in a two bedroom suite with an ocean view! VERY NICE!!!!!

travelingtom

Very Cool!!! Hope you have a great time! Like I said, the location is great, just don't take any crap from the people there. If there is a problem or things are not right, let them know right away! Also, here is a word of advice, make sure you book your trips to the island at 8 am. Get there by 7:30 am to book or there might not be enough room on the boat. I think they only allow like 25 people per day to use the boat. Let me know how it goes.

German-FLyer

I was there last weekend and was rather disappointed both with the property as well as the service. I had to wait for ages for somebody to park my car and get my luggage and then I had to ask for a platinum upgrade which then resulted in an ocean front room on the 3rd floor, which was nothing to write home about. The room had a funny smell and had old furniture. The bathroom was alright but again I have seen much better Cat. 5 hotels. The location is great though, so if you plan on exploring Key West then it's okay, but not a property that makes you want to indulge.

They have 20 tickets per day. They currently cost 20$ each (I believe they cost 30$ during high season) and you can use them as much as you like that day. The tickets go on sale each morning at 8 o'clock at the concierge desk and are sold on a first come, first served basis. I was there about quarter to eight and got the first pair (it was biker week and we were desperate to avoid the crowds). When we came back from breakfast at around 9.15 a.m. they were still selling tickets, so it really depends on the crowd at the hotel, whether they are sold out early. The beach was very nice, but again nothing spectacular. The only real issue were the jelly fish that were basically everywhere...

gnp001

The Westin hooked us up!!! First, it should be said, that the "boat ride" costing $20 isn't the full story. With that $20, you get a padded chair and an umbrella. At any resort, you're going to pay close to this. The beach is totally secluded and even on the weekends, it's not busy. Now for Latitudes Restaurant, what a great place. With reservations there, your boat ride to the island is free. Be prepared to drop some change there, for four of us, with one drink each for lunch, it was $220. But if you're ever going to spend 200 bucks on a meal, this is the place to do it. The restaurant is right on the beach with a beautiful view and GREAT FOOD AND SERVICE. It's VERY romantic!

I've read a lot about the staff there, but I found everyone I talked to was cordial and accommodating. I'm not to hard to please when on vacation, just give me A/C and a view! I was a little disappointed in housekeeping. They came two times around 6:00PM, so we just sent them on their way. The pool is nice, with a tropical theme and very nice chairs, but the pool is a little small. We never found it to busy though.

The location of the Westin is great, great, great! Watching the sunset from the privacy of your balcony is great and when you're sick of that, walk downstairs for the sunset festival right outside the door!

Great time, would recommend it to anybody from families, to honeymooners, to groups of partiers!

travelingtom

That's great! Probably like it was for us two years ago...awesome.

rendezvous

I just recently redeemed points for a 5 night stay over new years at the Westin in Key West, Florida. Things started off well at the beginning of the visit. To show appreciation for my gold status, they offered me an option of 1000 points, a free movie rental or a bottle of house wine (I know that pretty much everyone is gold, so I was very pleased with this offer and took the bottle of wine). The room had a nice decor, but was equipped with a large box TV and a window unit (which I don't really mind as long as it works). When I was waiting for a taxi with my wife, the valet guys were very friendly and helpful when giving me information and advice regarding food on the island. Although the trip started out great, not everything was up to par by westin standards. Everyday after the first day, the maids forgot to stock my bathroom with wash clothes (even though I called the front desk about this issue several times and they did nothing to solve the problem). The wash cloth problem wasn't a huge deal, but it did get irritating whenever I had to call guest services for wash clothes everyday. The real deal breaker for me was the broken A/C unit and the failure of the staff to fix the problem. The first couple days were cold, so I never used the A/c, but it warmed up later in the week. For some reason my A/C would not go below 79 degrees (I screwed with the thing for 30 minutes with no success) and my wife and I were woken up in a pool of sweat in the morning. I complained to the staff about it and they said they would send someone up to fix it. I get back to the hotel later that night and no staff member has messed with my A/C unit. I would like cold air, but my wife and I are really tired, so we just fall asleep in the sweat box. The next morning (day before I leave), I complained again and they said they would get someone up there. When I return to my hotel I noticed that someone was there because the buttons were adjusted, but the A/C was still broke. After that, I didn't even bother complaining because I was leaving the next day. To top it off, during the morning of my departure, I asked the front desk clerk about a 1:30pm checkout. He flat out told me no and didn't even bother to check his computers. I told him I was a gold member and he still looked at me without checking and said no. Overall a great location, but poor customer service outside of room service and valet.


I have never had a problem previously with any Westin, so this hotel must not be up the "Westin" standard. Anyway, I can say that I will never return to this hotel again.