Braswch

So within 10 min. there is a trader joes and within 20 Min. there is a costco. So plenty of places to drive to to get whatever you need.

Also, I haven't gone this time (reminds me I need to) there's a fun little taco place just behind the sheraton (I would ask them how to get there it's close but hard to explain). I've eaten there as well as taken to go.

gegarrenton

I'll just say you are some brave folks doing VB this weekend. It's a nuthouse.

jb3t

Quick Update... In winter.

Just completed three nights here. Have been here many times before on business and for pleasure. I usually stay at the Westin when on business as it's closer to work but this time I switched it up. I'm glad I did. Here's the deal...

- Hotel was nice and clean. Still looks good even a few years after the renovation. As we are in the middl of January, the hotel was not busy. However, it was not empty either.

- Checkin was great, got upgraded to the Presidential Suite as a PLT100. This is a room in the main hotel building. It's essentially a double room with an upgraded bathroom. Nicely appointed.

- Staff, as usual, were great. Very friendly, very accommodating, very welcoming. This is a big strength of this hotel. Everyone is very nice and attentive.

- I took the BFAST amenity. While they did not have the buffet going (probably too few folks in the hotel), the breakfast, as usual, is solid. Egg white omelette is good.

- Worked out a few days. Solid workout room.

Overall, while this is not the most lavish Sheraton in the world, it is very solid and a good value during the off season.

jb3t

Just saw a list of new Starwood hotels and on the list is a FP Virginia Beach. I'm curious if this is a new hotel or if the existing Sheraton is being converted to a FP. My hunch is the later.

I'm headed there in a few weeks. May inquire.

https://www.starwoodhotels.com/corpo...regionName=all

CIT85

I was trying to use my Sheraton Free Weekend Night Award at the Sheraton Virginia Beach Oceanfront. No award availability showing online for any day of the week. Lowest prepaid rates available are $87-$90 on weekends. Plat Concierge looked up the inventory and told me that there were no rooms available for award booking category.

The free weekend night award is good for any Sheraton in the World of any category, but not at a cheap Sheraton in Virginia Beach.

I guess I will write this hotel off my list.

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Any recent stays? Looks pretty dated but the location is attractive - this is still the case, I suppose?

jb3t

Stay here fairly often along with the Westin. This is a beach hotel in decent shape. What makes thisbhotel great is the LOCATION. if you want the beach, this is the hotel for you.

As for the rooms... they are decent. The suites are spacious. The regular rooms are standard. Great views out the front of the hotel.

As for the property... on the beach. The pool is OK, not massive (but I've rarely used it). Gym is small. Close to everything.

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Thanks jb3t - looks like I'll check out both the Westin and Sheraton in VB. Any view on how they compare to the FP? Sheraton seems a safer bet for roughly the same price, and is located on a better part of the beach?

I take it there's no lounge in this Sheraton. How are the platinum upgrades/amenities?

jb3t

Sheraton - Location IMO is very good. It's on the quieter end of the beach with a short walk to the action. More families hang out in this area. There is no club lounge there and they used to give you free bfast coupons but I think that now they don't offer much of anything. However, if they don't, I'd take the Breakfast for 500. It's a good deal. Also, the regular rooms are just average size, if you don't get a suite, go for an ocean front room. Great views.

FP - Never stayed there but visited when it opened. It's more in the honkey-tonk area of the beach.

Westin - Definitely the nicest of the three but it's "downtown", about 15 min from the beach.

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I know this is sacrilege in this forum but I've booked one night in June at the Westin and another at the Oceanfront.... the Hilton Oceanfront, that is. Despite having no status there.

Based on pricing and reviews I just can't get around this being an okay/3* hotel and the Hilton being a (by all reports very decent) 5* - especially with their prices (an insane ~$200/night pre-tax) and location (right on the boardwalk) being very similar. At the ridiculous June rates I felt the Hilton was much better value (and easier to convince myself to pay) based on the pictures of hard product alone (I also snooped around on the Hilton FT forum). I did get a flexible rate so could always cancel and book the Sheraton on points if I have buyer's remorse.

Will report back in due course.

River in Sight

I've been staying at the Sheraton for 3-4 nights once per year each year for the past few years - mostly because at 10k points per night, it's a steal over a long weekend. The hotel has been refreshed recently but the rooms and hotel still feel a bit tired and have that oceanfront dampness to them. In my opinion, it's a perfect location and still a solid hotel and so - at the price - we keep staying here.

Two years ago, I did stay 3 nights at the Hilton and it's definitely a nicer hotel - as I recall, a relatively nice lounge for a US property and the hotel has a nice rooftop pool. There is a somewhat-trendy/popular restaurant in the first floor. The only potential issue is there is a concert shell immediately north of the hotel and, depending on what time you like to go to sleep, the concerts can be annoying - with children, I think it would be an issue. Other than that, the location is very similar to the Sheraton (although the Sheraton wins for proximity to Pocahontas Pancakes ) and most everything else is nicer. The Sheraton does have free parking - I can't recall if the Hilton does.

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Thanks for this. I think we can deal with the kids being up late once in a while (though the Mrs might disagree!) Given the prices when we plan to be there, the main draw for the Sheraton is being able to make use of plat status. And since Hilton is giving away status matches to Diamond that's accounted for anyways.

I think the Hilton has $10 self-parking, but we'll just have to cost that in...

River in Sight

Any recent stays here from the FlyerTalk crew? I’ve stayed here many times over the years and considering a stay later this summer should COVID permit. However, the recent reviews on TripAdvisor (which I put very little faith in) are pretty bad. Just curious if anyone has any recent intel. Had a stay earlier this summer at the Hyatt House down the street and it wasn’t too good.

libuser

just wrapped up a stay here. Rooms are in desperate need of TLC and the staff is severely overworked, and or missing(wait an hour to be seated for brekkie with half the tables not occupied). The rooms are the same, about to fall apart. The latest TA reviews are spot on. For brekkie you get $60 off the total, and mind you the full menu was replaced by a makeshift menu with 5 items(two omelettes and pancakes, obviously no more buffet). The food quality is definitely a notch below IHOP on a Sunday night, so anywhere else you go for breakfast will be a better quality. One day it rained and there were leaks all over with buckets scattered around the property. I feel the Corona put any TLC effort on hold and they are just patching up stuff around or not

If I had to do it over again Id probably stay here again due to the very low rate and free parking(not because of breakfast because I only had it once), but if that weren't the case I would definitely avoid this place, and instead go to the brand new beachfront Marriott(afaik under a year old now)

River in Sight

Thanks for your update. We had a bad experience at the Hyatt House in July and considered the Sheraton VAB for this past weekend, but due to all the bad reviews we gave up on the oceanfront altogether and stayed at the Sheraton Norfolk, which was also sort of a dump but at least clean. A Delta Hotel is going to open next year on the bay front and I’m looking forward to that, hopeful it’s a good option.