CPRich

I tried them both again. Better room service offset an even noisier room at the Westin (495 side is louder than the Rt. 7 side). Sheraton is still a better pick, IMHO, unless all you care about is the bed and shower (which, I admit, is quite possible).

Uniter

Just an update... may stay at the Sheraton was very nice. I was given an upgrade to a corner suite on the 23rd floor. The exec lounge was very nice (good food in the evening). As many mentioned, the hotel seems to be falling apart though ... and I had to go downstairs twice because the lock was broken on my door and I couldn't get it.

Aside from that, it was a pretty decent stay. I'll see how the Westin compares next time.

luskinj

I stayed at the Sheraton for about 7 months straight and the only attractive thing about the place is Angie. She works at the front desk some evenings. I have been staying at the Westin for about 3 months now, so I can give everyone a very good assessment on both.

Cleanliness: Westin; Sheraton cleanliness always creeped me out. even when I stayed in the same room for 3 months straight.

Amenities: Westin; Starbucks coffee in room vs. Maxwell House. Good toiletries versus Vasoline brand.

Hotel Shuttle: Sheraton; the Sheraton Shuttle runs every 15 minutes from 7-9:30 am. This is huge if you don't have a rental car and are going to a local business. Note: the 8am shuttle always stops at Booz Allen first. The Westin has 1 shuttle and the drivers are not so good. I've mentioned this to the GM and they are lobbying the owners for another shuttle so they can duplicate what the Sheraton does.

Food: Westin; The Sheraton room service is a bit faster, but the food is not so great. However, if you want to get to a restaurant within walking distance of the hotel, the Sheraton is a much better option as there are 4 within walking distance.

TV's: Westin; The Westin has 32" flat screens and HBO. Sheraton has neither.

Gym: Even. Sheraton gym has more, but Westin equipment is newer and has TV's in the treadmills.

Pool: Sheraton; It's bigger and they also have an outdoor/indoor pool.

Platinum: Sheraton; Sheraton has a club lounge with a decent continental breakfast in the morning. Evening snacks are mediocre.

Hope this helps.

Uniter

I have to say, the Sheraton shuttle really annoyed me. I needed to get to the Metro, but they only take people to the Metro on the weekends, not during the week.

luskinj

That's because the Sheraton is mainly a business hotel. If you're taking the Metro, you'd be better off staying at the Westin in Arlington which is 2 blocks from a Metro station. It's probably more expensive, but a much, much nicer hotel than the Sheraton and many more food options within walking distance.

Uniter

Funny you should say that... I just booked my next stay there today! I'm anxious to check it out. Report are abound that claim its the best Starwood property in the DC area.

I still don't see why the Sheraton wouldn't take folks to the Metro ... they have about 5 or 6 buses out there. Why would all those business folks want to go to the Tysons Corner mall?

ldsant

Not sure where you heard the report that it's the Arlington Gateway is the best *wood property in the DC area. You may want to do a search here on FlyerTalk. I stayed there last year twice and will not stay there again - some of the rudest staff I've ever encountered. And complaining about the Sheraton not taking you to the metro; try getting a cab at the Arlington Gateway when you need to get somewhere. Rooms and lobby are very nice but that's about it imo.

Uniter

Hate to say it, but you might want to try a search here on FlyerTalk yourself. With the properties in DC getting very old, there's tons of posts about how the one in Arlington is the best to stay at. I'll let you know.

CIT85

I stayed at the Westin Arlington 7/14-16 and enjoyed my stay. I used it as a base for sight seeing in the DC area and it was convenient enough with light traffic in the weekend. There was always at least one cab in front of the hotel during the weekend. Perhaps it's different during the week. I asked and was upgraded to a suite on the 11th floor with Executive Lounge access. The staff were courteous and the lounge was decent. I would definitely return to the Westin Arlington again.

luskinj

I think the Sheraton will take people to the Metro, but the majority of the people staying there are consultants with clients in the area...Freddie Mac, Capital One, Booz Allen, etc. So the majority of people don't need to got to the Metro. Don't quote me on this, but I think after 9 they would take you anywhere you wanted to go. And nobody wants to go to the mall it;s just more convenient to be 5 minutes away from the client vs 30. Traffic is a SOB on 66 in the mornings.

Globehopper

An interesting feature of the Sheraton Tysons Corner is that the hotel GM personally emails you after your stay (at first I thought it was spam).

He then promises to personally read and reply to your email.

I thought this was an excellent customer service touch! So I sent him a few observations concerning my stay, and waited for his response...

and waited...

and waited...

then after about a month send a followup reminder, whereupon he said that he must have lost my email and would look for it and followup.

That was the last I ever heard from him.

Great customer service idea; not great followup.

I booked my next stay at the Sheraton Crystal City instead..

Totoro

Does anyone have more recent experience with these properties? The Westin received very poor reviews dating to 2010 without much to suggest improvement, and the Sheraton didn't seem much better. Specifically, I am interested in breakfast options as a Platinum member.

I previously had weekend stay at the Westin Arlington Gateway and received the full restaurant breakfast buffet (before the new Platinum continental breakfast amenity began). Given the mediocre reviews, I lean toward returning to the Westin Arlington Gateway although Tyson's Corner is geographically more convenient.

Thank you for your input!

DHAST

Where exactly do you need to be? I'm a local, so not in a good position to comment about the actual properties. Generally speaking, DC traffic is bad, and Tysons Corner is no exception. I'd recommend the closest property to your actual destination.

Totoro

Thank you for your response.

I need to be around Tysons Corner for part of the time and up in Bethesda for the remainder. This particular trip would be on a weekend, so I am not too concerned about traffic and will stay on the Maryland side if these properties are subpar. I'd rather spare myself an ordeal so that I can return to this thread and vent about my horrible stay!

DHAST

In that case, I think you'll be fine at the Westin Arlington Gateway. I happen to like the Rosslyn - Ballston corridor, and the Westin is at the western edge of it.