The Westin Richmond, VA [Master Thread]
Sep 26, 2009, 1:37 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: JAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, AA Gold MM, Marriott LTT, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 3,770
The Westin Richmond, VA [Master Thread]
I used my final FWN at the Richmond (VA) Westin rather than having it expire.
The Richmond Westin opened a year or so ago, one of the newest hotels in Richmond.
Location: The Westin is on Broad St. exit off I-64, right next to Altria headquarters and ~3 miles from University of Richmond. It's also quite convenient to downtown Richmond. The Sheraton Richmond West is directly across Broad St. from the Westin.
Plat recognition: FD agent confirmed my Plat amenity and provided access to Executive Club Lounge. No room upgrade, and I did ask. The hotel is supposed to be 90% full with 2 wedding parties and VMI alumni group in town for football game at UR.
Executive Club Lounge: Rather small, appears to be the size of a two-rooms suite. The lounge is open daily from 6 AM -10 PM, breakfast from 6-9 AM, and evening hors d'oeuvres from 5-7 PM. There is the usual cheese plate, veggies and fruits in the evening plus one hot item. They had lamb chops (little ones with lots of meat) Friday night^. Honor bar prices were low compared to most hotels. $2 for bottle of domestic/import beer, $3 for wine, and $4 for mixed drinks. The wine selection included VA wines, Barboursville Pinot Grigio and Cab Franc. Breakfast consists of the usual continental breakfast items, all carbs and no protein. I commented about the hours, especially the 6-9 AM for weekends being kind of ridiculous for those of us who like to sleep in on weekends. The Friday night lounge attendant mentioned that she usually would keep the food out beyond 7 PM, sometimes as late as 8:30 PM, depending on the situation. The attendant Saturday morning also commented to other guests who were hurrying at 9 AM that she won't rush them. So it really depends on the attendant as to when the food is cleared away. Because of the small size and early breakfast hours, it was pretty busy this morning between 8:30 to 9:00 AM.
Room: Standard room with king bed. 32" LCD TV with a good number of chnnels and quite a few HD channels, which is nice. Bathroom is decent sized (at least 50% if not 100% larger than the bathrooms at Sheraton Gateway LAX), but there is only a walk in shower and no tub. It's nice when I'm on business and only take showers. However, for those who occasionally like to soak in a tub, you'll have to make do with the whirlpool by the pool.
Fitness center: Nice fitness center with a good mix of machines, including 4 treadmills, 2 ellipticals/stair climbers, bike, recumbent bike, weight machine, floor mats and exercise balls. The exercise room was also nice sized and not crowded. Indoor pool and whirlpool looked OK.
Internet access: Free Wi-Fi in the lobby and in the Executive Club Lounge. Busines Center has 4 PCs with free Internet access.
Comforter: This is a problem with all Westins. The bed had the typical Westin heavy down comforter and nothing else. I set the thermostat down to 68 when I went to bed. I woke up several times because I was hot. I finally set the thermostat down to 63 and managed to get semi comfortable the rest of the night. I could never get quite comfortable if I use the comforter in a Westin, and it's such a waste of energy to have to turn down the termperature cold enough to be comfortable under the comforter. Most of the time I just throw off the comforter and go with the sheet. Westin needs to have a second light weight blanket.
The Westin is now the best SPG option for Richmond.
The Richmond Westin opened a year or so ago, one of the newest hotels in Richmond.
Location: The Westin is on Broad St. exit off I-64, right next to Altria headquarters and ~3 miles from University of Richmond. It's also quite convenient to downtown Richmond. The Sheraton Richmond West is directly across Broad St. from the Westin.
Plat recognition: FD agent confirmed my Plat amenity and provided access to Executive Club Lounge. No room upgrade, and I did ask. The hotel is supposed to be 90% full with 2 wedding parties and VMI alumni group in town for football game at UR.
Executive Club Lounge: Rather small, appears to be the size of a two-rooms suite. The lounge is open daily from 6 AM -10 PM, breakfast from 6-9 AM, and evening hors d'oeuvres from 5-7 PM. There is the usual cheese plate, veggies and fruits in the evening plus one hot item. They had lamb chops (little ones with lots of meat) Friday night^. Honor bar prices were low compared to most hotels. $2 for bottle of domestic/import beer, $3 for wine, and $4 for mixed drinks. The wine selection included VA wines, Barboursville Pinot Grigio and Cab Franc. Breakfast consists of the usual continental breakfast items, all carbs and no protein. I commented about the hours, especially the 6-9 AM for weekends being kind of ridiculous for those of us who like to sleep in on weekends. The Friday night lounge attendant mentioned that she usually would keep the food out beyond 7 PM, sometimes as late as 8:30 PM, depending on the situation. The attendant Saturday morning also commented to other guests who were hurrying at 9 AM that she won't rush them. So it really depends on the attendant as to when the food is cleared away. Because of the small size and early breakfast hours, it was pretty busy this morning between 8:30 to 9:00 AM.
Room: Standard room with king bed. 32" LCD TV with a good number of chnnels and quite a few HD channels, which is nice. Bathroom is decent sized (at least 50% if not 100% larger than the bathrooms at Sheraton Gateway LAX), but there is only a walk in shower and no tub. It's nice when I'm on business and only take showers. However, for those who occasionally like to soak in a tub, you'll have to make do with the whirlpool by the pool.
Fitness center: Nice fitness center with a good mix of machines, including 4 treadmills, 2 ellipticals/stair climbers, bike, recumbent bike, weight machine, floor mats and exercise balls. The exercise room was also nice sized and not crowded. Indoor pool and whirlpool looked OK.
Internet access: Free Wi-Fi in the lobby and in the Executive Club Lounge. Busines Center has 4 PCs with free Internet access.
Comforter: This is a problem with all Westins. The bed had the typical Westin heavy down comforter and nothing else. I set the thermostat down to 68 when I went to bed. I woke up several times because I was hot. I finally set the thermostat down to 63 and managed to get semi comfortable the rest of the night. I could never get quite comfortable if I use the comforter in a Westin, and it's such a waste of energy to have to turn down the termperature cold enough to be comfortable under the comforter. Most of the time I just throw off the comforter and go with the sheet. Westin needs to have a second light weight blanket.
The Westin is now the best SPG option for Richmond.
Last edited by CIT85; Sep 26, 2009 at 6:51 pm Reason: Added comments on Westin comforters and room.
Nov 7, 2010, 5:03 pm
#4
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Baltimore MD
Posts: 3,457
Recent Saturday night stay. I was just passing through town so didn't spend an awful amount of time here.
Check-in
Pre-upgraded to a club room (on my reservation). Upon check-in, I was "welcomed back." Which is wierd, because I've never been there before. The agent mentioned that they had upgraded me to a club room. I asked if there were any suites available, and the said that there were none on the club floor, but elsewhere. I went for the suite, upon which they offered a choice of location. The agent did mention that I would still have club access, regardless of where my room was located. Offered the points as plat amenity, which I took.
Room:
Suite appeared to be the size of two rooms joined together. Entry in the living room, with a large HDTV and couch. There was also a kitchenette area, which offered a microwave and small fridge, with a bar seating area. The kitchenette, however, did not have any cutlery or flatware available. The kitchenette was quite large, I would have preferred to have seen a half bath here. I think it was probably the footprint of the bathroom in a normal room. The bedroom had a large king bed (standard heavenly) and a dresser/desk area. The minibar and coffee station were located here. The bathroom was large, with a separate shower and tub and one sink. Not a terrible setup, but it seemed that it could have been laid out a bit better. There seemed to be a lot of wasted space. I like the toilet stall idea, which would have been nice here.
Executive lounge:
I had breakfast here. Standard continental fare, alone with two "hot dishes" (oatmeal and scrambled eggs). Some sort of sausage patty available also. Good selection of fresh fruit. Decent coffee. I was there right at 6 am when they opened and everything was set up; except for the newspapers which arrived about 10 minutes later. I understand that they are open from 6 AM-10 PM everyday, with hors d'oeuvres and drinks in the evening. It's a small lounge, with not a ton of seating but it's better than what's available at most Westins
Summary:
I would stay here again. The Exec lounge is nice, and the plat recognition was probably some of the best I've seen in the US. I think that there first upgrade is to the club floor, but suites seem to be available without too much resistance. The rate was good as well (comparable to what I pay for a Hilton Garden Inn along I95)
FDW
Check-in
Pre-upgraded to a club room (on my reservation). Upon check-in, I was "welcomed back." Which is wierd, because I've never been there before. The agent mentioned that they had upgraded me to a club room. I asked if there were any suites available, and the said that there were none on the club floor, but elsewhere. I went for the suite, upon which they offered a choice of location. The agent did mention that I would still have club access, regardless of where my room was located. Offered the points as plat amenity, which I took.
Room:
Suite appeared to be the size of two rooms joined together. Entry in the living room, with a large HDTV and couch. There was also a kitchenette area, which offered a microwave and small fridge, with a bar seating area. The kitchenette, however, did not have any cutlery or flatware available. The kitchenette was quite large, I would have preferred to have seen a half bath here. I think it was probably the footprint of the bathroom in a normal room. The bedroom had a large king bed (standard heavenly) and a dresser/desk area. The minibar and coffee station were located here. The bathroom was large, with a separate shower and tub and one sink. Not a terrible setup, but it seemed that it could have been laid out a bit better. There seemed to be a lot of wasted space. I like the toilet stall idea, which would have been nice here.
Executive lounge:
I had breakfast here. Standard continental fare, alone with two "hot dishes" (oatmeal and scrambled eggs). Some sort of sausage patty available also. Good selection of fresh fruit. Decent coffee. I was there right at 6 am when they opened and everything was set up; except for the newspapers which arrived about 10 minutes later. I understand that they are open from 6 AM-10 PM everyday, with hors d'oeuvres and drinks in the evening. It's a small lounge, with not a ton of seating but it's better than what's available at most Westins
Summary:
I would stay here again. The Exec lounge is nice, and the plat recognition was probably some of the best I've seen in the US. I think that there first upgrade is to the club floor, but suites seem to be available without too much resistance. The rate was good as well (comparable to what I pay for a Hilton Garden Inn along I95)
FDW
May 3, 2012, 8:32 pm
#5
Join Date: May 2007
Location: NC
Programs: Marriott LT Plat, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 2,881
Amazing service...
Am in town due to the unexpected death of family member. Wanted to take a small family group out after the memorial service for a meal...but due to a variety of circumstances, just could not find a restaurant that would work. Out of desperation walked into this hotel and explained the situation. Within minutes, they had me seated at a table, a restaurant manager came and sat with me, listened to my needs....and set me up with a waiter to serve as a "point person" who took over. He knew the answer to every question about menu items, ingredients (as I needed gluten free, vegan, AND lactose free!!!) and offered alternate suggestions. When I was uncertain about a choice, went into the kitchen and brought out a sample for me to taste. Amazing.
Due to the timing of the service and flights out, dinner needed to start at a very odd time (like 4PM!) No problem, he would come in 3 hours early and get everything set up. Wanted a small centerpiece...no problem, he would just stop by the florist and take care of that for me. Made notes on who needed specialty items- and what they looked like, so they would not have to identify themselves. Are you kidding me?
I literally walked in off the street at 9PM with less than 24 hours notice and it was the easiest dinner I have ever arranged! If they are this accommodating for a non guest...cannot imagine what guest service is like.
WOW. Just...wow.
Due to the timing of the service and flights out, dinner needed to start at a very odd time (like 4PM!) No problem, he would come in 3 hours early and get everything set up. Wanted a small centerpiece...no problem, he would just stop by the florist and take care of that for me. Made notes on who needed specialty items- and what they looked like, so they would not have to identify themselves. Are you kidding me?
I literally walked in off the street at 9PM with less than 24 hours notice and it was the easiest dinner I have ever arranged! If they are this accommodating for a non guest...cannot imagine what guest service is like.
WOW. Just...wow.
Dec 26, 2012, 2:33 pm
#6
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: IAD
Programs: Free Agent
Posts: 1,937
Just finished a one night stay at this property. It's a solid Westin, with a clean and spacious room and bathroom. The shower in walk-in, which is a plus. Was upgraded to a Club Level floor.
The Club Lounge has a continental breakfast, which includes pastries, cereal, hot oatmeal, boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, fruit, yogurt, and sausage. It was actually rather substantial offering, and I was more than pleased.
The gym is large and well furnished. I'll be staying at this property for all my future Richmond stays.
The Club Lounge has a continental breakfast, which includes pastries, cereal, hot oatmeal, boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, fruit, yogurt, and sausage. It was actually rather substantial offering, and I was more than pleased.
The gym is large and well furnished. I'll be staying at this property for all my future Richmond stays.
Sep 12, 2013, 10:01 pm
#7
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: MR LT Titanium, SPG LT Plat & Plat 100, SWA A+ & CP
Posts: 1,093
Quick Update.... Stayed here last night.
Room - As a Plat, given a typical SPG room, not on the club floor but on floor 6 of 7. Nice room, pretty spacious, good shower, decor was nice. Not sure of occupancy but it seemed pretty busy.
Service - service was very good... All staff very attentive. This is a strongpoint of this hotel.
Club Lounge - Above average. The above post is still accurate. They have beer and wine for a cheap (not free) but I think beers were $2.
Area - it's right off the highway in a newer business park. It's actually in a decent location if you like to walk or jog. I was able to log 3 miles without having to hit major road.
Lots of food in the area. Didn't eat at the restaurant. There is a hopping Mexican place in front of the hotel.
Room - As a Plat, given a typical SPG room, not on the club floor but on floor 6 of 7. Nice room, pretty spacious, good shower, decor was nice. Not sure of occupancy but it seemed pretty busy.
Service - service was very good... All staff very attentive. This is a strongpoint of this hotel.
Club Lounge - Above average. The above post is still accurate. They have beer and wine for a cheap (not free) but I think beers were $2.
Area - it's right off the highway in a newer business park. It's actually in a decent location if you like to walk or jog. I was able to log 3 miles without having to hit major road.
Lots of food in the area. Didn't eat at the restaurant. There is a hopping Mexican place in front of the hotel.
Sep 13, 2013, 11:42 am
#8
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Atlanta but Washington DC will always be home.
Programs: Marriott LTP, Hilton Diamond, Accor Gold, Hyatt Explorist,, Delta Plat,
Posts: 2,070
This is my go-to hotel in Richmond. This hotel is almost always full from Monday night-Thursday night. The business park it's in has a tobacco company headquarters and the headquarters of a major insurance company. Lots of consultants and company staff from out of town. I've only once gotten a suite and I was staying for 1 night on a Friday night.
Staff is always excellent, club lounge very nice for a domestic US club lounge,
Lots of good restaurants in the area. Not too far a drive to Short Pump in Glen Allan for even more restaurants.
Staff is always excellent, club lounge very nice for a domestic US club lounge,
Lots of good restaurants in the area. Not too far a drive to Short Pump in Glen Allan for even more restaurants.
Sep 13, 2013, 1:17 pm
#9
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: SMF
Programs: Bonvoy Titanium, SPG LTP
Posts: 1,526
We spent last Saturday night there while in town for the NASCAR race. Got a pre-stay e-mail from the hotel asking if we had any needs. I requested a crib and was happy to find it waiting in our room on arrival. Hotel was full and we got a club level King that was spacious and had a good new Westin feel to it. We didn't make it to the lounge during food/bev hours, but we did stop by to grab some water and pretzels and enjoy a little college football with a couple of local guys hiding from their families.
Check in agent was bubbly and super friendly. I asked if they had race people staying at the hotel, she said they had staff from a couple of race teams at the hotel and had Jeff Gordon and Dale Jr. there a couple of weeks prior while in town for a test. She then gave us some NASCAR koozies, which was a fun little bonus.
Stopped by the bar after the race. They have a pretty decent variety of bottled beer, but no taps.
Definitely would stay there again if in town.
Check in agent was bubbly and super friendly. I asked if they had race people staying at the hotel, she said they had staff from a couple of race teams at the hotel and had Jeff Gordon and Dale Jr. there a couple of weeks prior while in town for a test. She then gave us some NASCAR koozies, which was a fun little bonus.
Stopped by the bar after the race. They have a pretty decent variety of bottled beer, but no taps.
Definitely would stay there again if in town.
May 9, 2014, 11:57 am
#10
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Home Airports: CAE/CLT
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, National Executive
Posts: 5,452
Stayed in mid-April while on a college search road trip with the youngest chick.
This was my third stay here in the last couple of years and it was certainly the best, probably due to a very friendly, helpful team working the checkout desk.
The lounge food was also much improved given that cooked items were actually hot and not room temperature.
Good recognition of my PLT status.
Basically a good, solid Westin property, they will continue to get my Richmond stays.
This was my third stay here in the last couple of years and it was certainly the best, probably due to a very friendly, helpful team working the checkout desk.
The lounge food was also much improved given that cooked items were actually hot and not room temperature.
Good recognition of my PLT status.
Basically a good, solid Westin property, they will continue to get my Richmond stays.
May 14, 2014, 10:15 am
#11
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: NYC or SEA depending on the week
Programs: UA 1k, Hyatt Diamond (no I will not use the new name), Marriott/ SPG lt Plat, JPM Reserve, Amex Plat
Posts: 303
We do consulting work for a nearby company so I've stayed here probably 15 or so times, solid Westin property with good staff, decent restaurant and great location right between downtown and short pump. Received a suite upgrade 4 times. Always had a good experience at this property.
Sep 8, 2016, 6:53 am
#13
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 68
I never posted from experience last year - we flew out for the UCI World Championships and were able to get a room at the Westin on a weekend when most of Richmond was sold out with national teams (the Australians were at the Westin). The hotel was a madhouse due to this, but the service was impeccable. Front desk staff that checked us in greeted us by name for the rest of our stay. Excellent lounge spread and staff. Great bar/restaurant staff. Rooms looked pristine, yet they had a note waiting for us with information on their upcoming renovations. Probably the best Westin I've stayed at. We've even joked about taking a trip back to Richmond just for the hotel.
May 17, 2017, 6:42 am
#14
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Southern California, USA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador and LTT, UA Plat/LT Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 8,764
Another comfortable stay at the Westin Richmond--One Bedroom Heavenly Suite
The Westin Richmond
6631 W Broad Street Richmond, VA US 23230
RecommendedLiked: LocationServiceFoodAmenitiesRoom
Another comfortable stay at the Westin Richmond--One Bedroom Heavenly Suite (11 Photos)
The Westin Richmond
I had a 1 night stay here at the Westin Richmond for business with one of my client groups. This is probably the 5th or 6th time I've stayed here at the property. Last year, I tried out the Omni Richmond, with a more central downtown location--which I enjoyed--but I far prefer the Westin hotel overall. The Westin is modern, fresh, clean, and obviously extremely well managed and run.
Check In
As I was checking in with my business group, the keys were already waiting for us on arrival. I had been upgraded to the One Bedroom Heavenly Suite, my first time in a suite at this particular hotel.
Room
One Bedroom Heavenly Suite: this was my first stay in this suite. Very nice.
This is a very spacious suite for a Westin. On entry, you walk into the living room:
There is a kitchenette/bar immediately to your left:
The living room (apparently, with pull-out sofabed):
Walking through the doorway, you enter into the bedroom:
The bathroom isn't huge but is decent sized:
At the end of the hall down from the bathroom was the spacious closet:
Air con worked very well in the bedroom and living room, a quality I require and always appreciate. Shower pressure was solid, as well.
My 1 night stay didn't afford me a chance to really take advantage of the kitchenette/living room, but it looked nice.
Service
Service was actually very good. From front desk helping me and clients with dinner recommendations (and directions), the bartender being gracious and friendly, and the restaurant service being friendly, it overall was a very nice stay.
Restaurant service could have been a bit faster...but that's about the only complaint I might have for the stay. Like I said, pretty good service overall.
Dining
Other than dining being a bit on the slow side with service, the food actually was quite good. All of us enjoyed our dinners, and all of my clients enjoyed their breakfasts in the restaurant.
I ordered room service breakfast, which arrived promptly and was quite tasty.
I'd feel very comfortable taking it easy and dining here at the hotel on any future stay.
Location
The location is great for anyone visiting any of a number of local corporate parks in the vicinity. It also was just a 10 minute drive from our visit to the University of Richmond. It's about a 10-15 minute drive to downtown Richmond, where there also are numerous places to eat/shop.
Overall
Overall, this is still my favorite business hotel at which to stay in Richmond. The Omni downtown has the better location but is pretty dated and feels much less modern. The Westin is just a newer, modern, more comfortable hotel for the business traveler. The ease of getting in and out of the Westin location also is a big plus, as its proximity to the University of Richmond for my business.