Westin Crystal City, VA (was Sheraton) [Master Thread]
Oct 16, 2012, 7:55 pm
#16
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Planet Earth
Programs: SPG, AA, B6. No longer "still CO to me" with account spent down. RIP CO.
Posts: 653
Stay from May 2012
When planning a trip to the DC area, we were quickly dismayed at the cost of hotels, but then I remembered staying in Arlington during a previous trip. Turned out this weekend was also GW's graduation which compounded the rates issue. Got the Sheraton for $139 with parking (self serve, in & out privileges but we never used our car).
Didn't get upgrade as they were sold out (I was actually offered a walk to National, but was meeting a friend for breakfast in the morning at the hotel so opted not to move). Staff offered club floor but lounge was closed so we had normal room on 13. Faced highway (Jefferson Davis?) but windows are solid and there was no noise save for some sort of rally in the plaza across the street.
Service is good and the property is clean and well maintained. Breakfast was provided as a nice unexpected upgrade for one day along with fruit plate - breakfast was a fairly lame buffet. It's the one thing Sheratons don't do well as a whole.
Can't beat the easy hop to the Metro for an easy ride into DC (blue, yellow). Bizarrely when I asked check in staff she thought I meant mall as in shopping mall at the next stop - not the National Mall. Only downside, lobby is laid out slightly odd and it can be hard to find your way through it with the dual exits onto different sides of the hotel. Bonus: bookshelf next to reception if you forgot your book.
Price is right - I'd stay here again.
Didn't get upgrade as they were sold out (I was actually offered a walk to National, but was meeting a friend for breakfast in the morning at the hotel so opted not to move). Staff offered club floor but lounge was closed so we had normal room on 13. Faced highway (Jefferson Davis?) but windows are solid and there was no noise save for some sort of rally in the plaza across the street.
Service is good and the property is clean and well maintained. Breakfast was provided as a nice unexpected upgrade for one day along with fruit plate - breakfast was a fairly lame buffet. It's the one thing Sheratons don't do well as a whole.
Can't beat the easy hop to the Metro for an easy ride into DC (blue, yellow). Bizarrely when I asked check in staff she thought I meant mall as in shopping mall at the next stop - not the National Mall. Only downside, lobby is laid out slightly odd and it can be hard to find your way through it with the dual exits onto different sides of the hotel. Bonus: bookshelf next to reception if you forgot your book.
Price is right - I'd stay here again.
Jun 25, 2013, 2:29 pm
#17
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Stuck Between the Moon and CLD or SAN, Your local Taco Bell
Programs: AA EXP/LT PLT, DL PM, UA Silver, SPG Plat, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 3,510
Had a 1 night stay here on points last week. The location is fine, the rooms are OK. Nothing special.
They did, however, manage to bill my CC for $175. Several calls to the hotel have promised it would be reversed... but here we are over a week later and no credit shows up.
HUGE thumbs down for the mistake and an even bigger one for not fixing it as promised. Beware if you're staying here on points!
They did, however, manage to bill my CC for $175. Several calls to the hotel have promised it would be reversed... but here we are over a week later and no credit shows up.
HUGE thumbs down for the mistake and an even bigger one for not fixing it as promised. Beware if you're staying here on points!
Aug 1, 2013, 9:05 am
#18
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: 60614
Programs: UA 1MM Miler, Bonvoy Titanium, occasional AA Gold
Posts: 96
Not too great
I've been at this hotel for three days at a conference. On the plus side, the staff are very gracious and helpful. But the hotel is run down. The elevators are very slow, and there are long waits. The internet service is the slowest I've experienced in recent memory (speedtest clocked at 0.17 MB which is barely faster than dial-up!). Other conference attendees reported similar experiences, and a hotel worker told me that they just don't have the wifi capacity to serve their guests' needs. Hotel has kind of a dreary appearance. My guess is that almost all of the guests here attend conferences and thus do not choose the hotel, so there is no real incentive to keep the hotel up to snuff. The Sheraton lounge had one of the poorest breakfasts I've ever seen. For example, the coffee has no real dairy creamer -- just coffee mate and powdered creamer. The breakfast selection is some melon, powdered scrambled eggs (like I had in college), and bacon.
Feb 5, 2014, 5:13 pm
#19
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 932
Converting to Westin
http://www.bizjournals.com/washingto...ana=ind_travel
Closing in April for renovations, will reopen in the fall as a Westin
Closing in April for renovations, will reopen in the fall as a Westin
Apr 1, 2014, 12:06 am
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: BA/AA/AS/B6/WN/ UA/HH/MR and more like 'em but most felicitously & importantly MUCCI
Posts: 19,719
I'm here at this hotel for the first four days of April and the closure / renovation can't come soon enough. '70s-era decor and fixtures, threadbare and shabby. My room has big prominent stains on the carpet, TV works intermittently, wifi is piteous. Airport shuttle ceases operating at 1100pm (though other Crystal City properties like the Hyatt keep going as late as guests need). Very depressing property. Word is it will be shuttered mid-April to mid-August at least, then reborn as a Westin. They will have a lot of work to do here to make it worthy of the Westin brand. At least the location is good, two minutes' walk from Metro.
May 25, 2014, 2:07 pm
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: So Fla & NYC
Programs: DL DM/2MM, UA MM, BV LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 23,766
I presume that this is an error and would appreciate it if one of the Starwood Lurkers would verify that the omission in the room description is erroneous.
May 26, 2014, 4:03 am
#22
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Guangzhou
Programs: SPG
Posts: 1,021
It seems from the website that Starwood has put up for this place that the renovation will not include laptop safes in the rooms.
I presume that this is an error and would appreciate it if one of the Starwood Lurkers would verify that the omission in the room description is erroneous.
I presume that this is an error and would appreciate it if one of the Starwood Lurkers would verify that the omission in the room description is erroneous.
Could you please let me know which website you are referencing?
Best Regards,
Christina Zhou
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
May 26, 2014, 4:13 am
#23
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Marriott Bonvoy
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Englandshire
Programs: SPG LT Plat, BA G, BD*LG, MG Blue+ ...
Posts: 16,034
May 26, 2014, 5:48 am
#24
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: So Fla & NYC
Programs: DL DM/2MM, UA MM, BV LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 23,766
Last edited by monitor; May 26, 2014 at 5:59 am
May 26, 2014, 7:35 am
#25
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: TUL
Programs: AA EXP 2MM; Marriott Titanium; Hilton Diamond; Hyatt Explorist; Vistana 5* Elite; Nat'l Exec Elite
Posts: 6,177
It seems from the website that Starwood has put up for this place that the renovation will not include laptop safes in the rooms.
I presume that this is an error and would appreciate it if one of the Starwood Lurkers would verify that the omission in the room description is erroneous.
I presume that this is an error and would appreciate it if one of the Starwood Lurkers would verify that the omission in the room description is erroneous.
No where do I see a statement that the room will not contain an in-room safe. I've stayed at many properties that have an in-room safe yet do not list an in-room safe as one of the room's amenities or offerings on their website.
May 28, 2014, 1:14 pm
#26
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
It seems from the website that Starwood has put up for this place that the renovation will not include laptop safes in the rooms.
I presume that this is an error and would appreciate it if one of the Starwood Lurkers would verify that the omission in the room description is erroneous.
I presume that this is an error and would appreciate it if one of the Starwood Lurkers would verify that the omission in the room description is erroneous.
This will added to the room features on the referenced web site at some point in the near future.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Jun 16, 2014, 10:29 am
#27
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: SJC, SFO
Programs: UA, AA, SPG
Posts: 439
Hotel website says they are accepting bookings starting on Sep 9, but the calendar appears to be blacked out through Oct 5.
Is this an indication that the hotel does not expect to meet their target date for completing renovations, or does anyone know if this is standard procedure to have a 1 month buffer to avoid upsetting customers?
Is this an indication that the hotel does not expect to meet their target date for completing renovations, or does anyone know if this is standard procedure to have a 1 month buffer to avoid upsetting customers?
Dec 9, 2014, 9:36 am
#28
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Central Pennsylvania
Programs: SPG/Marriott Lifetime Gold, Amtrak Guest Rewards, UA Silver
Posts: 536
I haven't stayed at this property in several years. Now that it is a Westin, does it still have a Club/Lounge? I'm considering staying there next week.
Dec 20, 2014, 2:42 pm
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Barcelona, London, on a plane
Programs: BA Silver, TK E+, AA PP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 13,051
Stayed here in mid December. No lounge...
Platinums get $20 credit per person for breakfast in the restaurant. (beware, if you don't order the American breakfast, you'll spend about $9-10 on "a la carte" coffee and juice...)
Platinums get $20 credit per person for breakfast in the restaurant. (beware, if you don't order the American breakfast, you'll spend about $9-10 on "a la carte" coffee and juice...)
Dec 20, 2014, 9:34 pm
#30
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: All Over
Programs: DL Gold, AA EXP, SPG Plat, Hilton Dia, Hyatt Glob, CC Gold, Avis President's Club
Posts: 574
They removed the lounge in the renovations.
They give platinum guests two breakfast vouchers per night (good for $24 value each) and the menu is a la carte - with an entree, juice, and tea I still had additional credit to spare. My only gripe is the placement of the restaurant by the side lobby entrance without a wall, everytime the door opens cold wind breezes through the restaurant - it was freezing cold in there!
If you have a car, you can park on the street for free on the weekends, the meters on the opposite side of the street along South Eads St aren't enforced from Friday 6 pm - Monday 8 am. Just a heads up, the side of the street as the Westin are enforced on Saturday.
They give platinum guests two breakfast vouchers per night (good for $24 value each) and the menu is a la carte - with an entree, juice, and tea I still had additional credit to spare. My only gripe is the placement of the restaurant by the side lobby entrance without a wall, everytime the door opens cold wind breezes through the restaurant - it was freezing cold in there!
If you have a car, you can park on the street for free on the weekends, the meters on the opposite side of the street along South Eads St aren't enforced from Friday 6 pm - Monday 8 am. Just a heads up, the side of the street as the Westin are enforced on Saturday.