typical

Odd - that was an option when I booked.

Here now. The non-Starwood feel of the place was surprising, to say the least. Gym not at all bad. Points are worth more to me than breakfast, so can't comment there (I do wish more properties in the US had lounges though, but that's another question).

alex7c

Stayed one night here last week. Upgraded to a corner room, but frankly the layout felt awkward.

Got called by reservation after checking out, asking whether I'm staying for another night because the room is still "occupied with my stuff still in the room," and they can keep me in the same room just letting them know.

Though at that point I have already received my final folio and on my way, their description of the things in the room doesn't sound like resembling any of my belongings.

I'm still wondering what've happened.

typical

I got upgraded to a high floor, nothing more. But not a quibble about a late check out (though they didn't activate the keys for it).

josep

Planning to gift a stay on points for mid June.

Do you think Park Central is a better option than Westin at Union Square?

In general reviews here seem to be more positive for the Park Central, but wondering if the fact they might leave the SPG system soon has any impact on a stay on points, regarding room allocation.

flyerbjorn

I asked the front desk last week. They made it sound as if they have a contract with Starwood until the end of the year.

If the hotel decides to leave Starwood, I'm guessing SPG will help you move to some other SF property, similar to what happened earlier this year.

flyerUSA

I'm staying here again tonight, after many many stays when it was a Westin, and it's basically the same still.

The breakfast here for platinums is VERY good. The buffet is real quality food. It's not the chintzy, carb-loaded fat crap you get at many other properties. So I enthusiastically choose that, over points.

The bathroom toiletries are strange this time. C.O.Bigelow conditioner and hand lotion, but some cheap-... gilchrest & soames generic crap for shower gel and shampoo. It's as if they ran out of the good stuff and stocked up on some garbage instead.

I'm really peeved, it's these silly little things I was counting on.

I actually called downstairs and asked, "are you guys out of shower gel or something?" They said no and sent some to the room....more of the same cheapo replacement. Grr.

flyerUSA

YES ABSOLUTELY BETTER.

The Westin St Francis is 2 buildings combined into one property. The old building is classic and very old, meaning a grand lobby with lots of beautiful character but a tower of rooms that are....just very strangely laid out, with terrible views, cramped spaces, like a big old prison. The old tower is awful.

The new tower is very generic Westin, the exact same look and feel as you get everywhere.

But if you are choosing the simple room on points, odds are very good they will stick you in the older tower which nobody wants to stay in.

Also, in terms of platinum amenities if that applies to you, the breakfast they offer is stingy nothing. It's a token credit towards something in their overcrowded lobby cafe area. Blech.

I will stay at the St Francis again, but the Park Central is more reliable IMHO.

---

Edit: I did enjoy a suite there one time that was absurd. They had stuck me in the crappy creepy tower and I asked for a better room...they moved me to the presidential suite for a night, I think it was all they had left. Quite impressive, I wish I could have spent more time in the room, it was amazingly huge.

Oxon Flyer

I'm intrigued. Could you illustrate with examples of each type ?

flyerUSA

hard boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, lox, cheeses, meats, just nice stuff.

Condition One

Eggs benedict too.

mahasamatman

Has anyone had any luck getting the $25 daily fee waived or modified as a Platinum?

flyerUSA

This seems to be not true at all per 2 recent stays? The amenities are no longer C.O. Bigelow (which were very very nice IMHO) and have been replaced with cheap garbage, some generic anonymous brand. I actually brought my own everything last week, to use instead.

flyerUSA

$25 daily fee for what? Are you talking about the right hotel?

mahasamatman

On the hotel's website (http://www.parkcentralsf.com/hotel), it reads
On http://www.parkcentralsf.com/facilities-fee, they claim "$100 total estimated value" (what a joke).

And, when booking, under Show Exclusions, it reads
Most of these are either standard at any hotel (like the discounts that are in any local advertising rack) or standard for Platinums (like Internet and health club access).

flyerUSA

I've stayed there at least 4 times, including just last week, and have never been charged this fee. Either (a) they aren't actually charging it yet, or (b) my corporate rate exempts me from it, or (c) being platinum got me out of it.

Next time I'm there I'll ask what's the deal about it.