The downtown properties (marriott city center and sheraton) have a ton of restaurants within walking distance. The Marriott is a hair nicer than the Sheraton IMO.

The sheraton's lounge is small but has better food offerings.

If you just have an overnight and no business in town, you might want to consider the downtown Durham Marriott or something like the AC in Chapel Hill. Both of those also have a lot of really good restaurants within a few blocks (but Raleigh has the most choice IMO).

In Raleigh, I highly recommend Poole's Diner (any of Ashley Christensen's restaurants are really good, https://ac-restaurants.com). Foundation for cocktails, and Big Ed's for breakfast (though I don't think they open early enough for a trip if you've got a first-thing flight).

If staying for close access to the Convention Center will Marriott and Sheraton work nicely? Any other recommendations? Is marriott still better than the Sheraton?

Do both have a club lounge?

Also, are the working girls still on the street?

Just finished up 4 nights here that included weekday/weekend.

Weekend was a mess. 4 wedding parties and the rooms are paper thin. Heard people throughout the night and we were on 16 floor. Everything from couples fighting to a guy blowing his nose with the allergies.

Lounge is junk. Was closed on the weekend, so got a $12 pass to the cafe downstairs.

Good location, but will never stay here again.

Stay Report - 7/16 to 7/17

Location: Very good for downtown Raleigh. It's nice that there are entrances on both Salisbury and Fayetteville Street. You can walk to a ton of restaurants, bars, nightlife etc. from here along with the convention center and the performing arts center. There's also a lot of street parking around the hotel though its capped at 2 hours during the day.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Travel/Fl...MG_0937-XL.jpg

Hotel: In a better state of repair than many urban Sheratons, and this one has been in Raleigh for a long, long time. There's a nice lobby on the 2nd floor (Fayetteville street side) which has a coffee shop and a Jimmy V's Restaurant. I will note that there can be waits for the elevators and they aren't very big. Also there is currently no valet parking. Parking is self parking at a garage on Salisbury and it's $15 a day with in and out privileges. There is a lounge but it's closed weekends.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Travel/Fl...MG_0946-XL.jpg

Check In: We arrived at 3:45 PM and were originally told our room wasn't ready. I asked for something else and was told I was getting an upgrade.

Room: I'm not sure what the "upgrade" was as I booked a King Traditional, maybe this was a "high floor" as I was on 16? Anyway the room itself was decent and nicely renovated though it did come with an absolutely tiny bathroom. Also the flooring they put down isn't installed well and it sticks to your feet and pulls up in places. Lastly, soundproofing is awful. If people talk in the room next to you or hallway you'll hear every word. On weekends especially this hotel is overrun by weddings and parties so if you're a light sleeper pack ear plugs.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Travel/Fl...MG_0939-XL.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/Travel/Fl...MG_0938-XL.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/Travel/Fl...MG_0940-XL.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/Travel/Fl...MG_0942-XL.jpg

Toiletries in the time of COVID

Overall an okay option for downtown Raleigh. I do prefer the nearby Marriott though.

I’ve stayed at a few US hotels since Covid, but this place was still a bit of a shock:
- Hotel seems mainly empty, Tiranium upgrade was just to a standard room but on the Club floor
- Standard hotel checkout is at 11am. I asked for late checkout and was offered 3pm which is nice, but I’m not sure why it was up for discussion or why it wasn’t 4pm
- Hotel doesn’t have any laundry service, so I ended up having to buy new clothes off Amazon to get through my stay
- Bedding extremely rough and uncomfortable, with a large black mark on the duvet. I normally sleep with quite a bit of skin showing, but had to cover up here
- Room doesn’t get dark because there’s a 1/2 inch space under the bottom of the door
- The ice machine across the hall makes a noise like an A340 taking off when it turns on
- Floor is filthy. After walking around the room for a bit barefoot I had to wash my feet before bed. One or both of the floor and rug around the bed must have had at least a month since their last cleaning. On the floor, some of the thin vinyl appears to be loose
- The desk is bizarrely sticky, almost like it’s intending to catch flies
- Toilet keeps getting stuck on refill
- Temperature sensor in room appears entirely shot. I was wearing a coat earlier and it said the room was 86 degrees. I keep waking up feeling like I’m in a sauna around 3am
- The wifi is slow and intermittently stops on my laptop. My iPhone can't seem to connect at all

Very brief overnight stay.

• Arrived after midnight, check in was perfunctory. Had a double booked and asked for a king: nope. No mention of breakfast or any other Platinum amenity. When I enquired he said I could eat in the Club.
• Room was fine, as such. Seemed to have been renovated in the last few years. Hotel was empty, so no noise issues for me (although doubly strange why not put me in a King?)
• Good water pressure. Toiletries were wall mounted from Gilchrist & Soames. Unfortunately no hair dryer in the room.
• At 8am a loud knock at my door: two women, not in uniform or looking at all official, asked if I was checking out. Ummm … yes, eventually. They didn’t appear to speak English and asked again. Strange interaction. The housekeeping carts were on our floor.
• Street parking was plentiful and free overnight until 8am. I took a picture of the meter (and my rental car license plate) and was able to log in and pay for another hour on my phone without having to leave the hotel.
• Overall fine for what it was <$170/night but not sure I would rush to stay here again.

The new owners have announced plans to renovate the hotel and upgrade it to a Westin:

https://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/...tin-conversion