bigguyinpasadena

I have only stayed in one built from scratch Four Points,all the others have been reflags. I was very impressed with the new one-and I really do not care to stay in any of the reflags again.
So,it seems Starwood put this brand on the back burner for a while and are now opening a bunch of build from scratch Four Point.This is a good thing IMO.
What do you think?

tony2x

I have only stayed at two Four Points period, in Bakersfield and I think that was a refurb rather than a whole new property and I was *really* impressed. The rooms were spotless, with a brand new LCD screen, lots of good channels including BBC America and Animal Planet and a lovely pool to lounge by.

The one at Sacramento Airport is brand new and is also really nice. You can tell from the corridors that the Bakersfield property is older but that was the only real giveaway.

BL1KITW

I find it interesting that a new Four Points will be opening in December in Rancho Cucamonga (ONT) with a new aLoft having just recently opened nearby. Hopefully the Four Points will continue to have a comfortable TV chair in addition to the ergonomic desk chair. I'm going to avoid the aLoft properties if I can't relax and watch TV in my room.

DownUnderFlyer

They better be good because I don't want to see many more $500 per night 4Points....

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/prefer...ropertyID=1408

bigguyinpasadena

Another thing about the Rancho C. 4pts.It is on Foothill quite a ways from the airport.
Both this and the aloft seemed aimed a serving the business parks(of which there are plenty)more than the airport.
And I agree about the lack of a chair in the aloft rooms,I bet this design looked cool and "clean"on paper but the money/space wasted on the useless bench under the tv could have been used for a nice reading chair and a floor lamp.

bobsgt

Nov. 1st scheduled opening now delayed to December 11th, 2008. Hotel not bookable for December dates as of this writing. I guess I won't take the mrs. there for her Nov. 7th b-day, but it's the thought that counts. Or is it the starpoints that count?

izzik

Actually, I'm quite impressed by the Four Points Manhattan Soho Village.. I suspect it was refurbished and not built from the ground up.. but the interiors are smart, well-designed, and free ethernet/wi-fi goes a long way in my book.

sbtinme

I've long been a vocal critic of the 4Pts brand -- entirely due to the very lazy attitude about the brand and even lazier control over standards. This brand emerged when Sheraton decided it was time to kill off the old Sheraton Inn brand and raise the bar with the remaining mainline Sheraton name. Almost all Sheraton Inns at that point did one of two things:

1. left the Sheraton brand altogether
2. reflagged to the newly minted 4 Points brand

The trouble from the outset was that many of the old Sheraton Inns were quite old and a hodge podge of standards. So, instead of building a fresh, new brand in the way that Marriott did with Courtyards and Fairfield Inns, or the way Hilton has done with Hilton Garden Inns, Starwood ended up with a messy mid range brand that had virtually no consistency. The core problem, beyond that (at least in my opinion) is that there was precious little effort made for the next TEN YEARS towards addressing some of these serious issues. Bathrooms continued to be brown and dark. Bedding ranged from okay to horrific. Stained carpets, missing bathroom tiles, and unkempt lobbies were too common. How some of these places stayed in business (anyone remember Austin? how about Burlington, MA?) is completely beyond me.

Fast forward to about a year ago. There were new brand standards launched, a new logo, new bathroom amenities, and a lot of focus finally put on this ailing and weak brand.

On my last few stays, I'm still not loving it, but they've come a far way. The lobbies are being aggressively contemporized -- in the direction of what element and aLoft are aiming for....lots of open, community space in the lobby. Bathrooms are finally being addressed, with the old crap being removed and new tiled floors and showers being installed with tremendously better lighting.

Last week, I was chatting with one of the managers of a 4 Pts and she showed me the catalog of their new uniforms. 1000000 times better -- no more miserable maroon polo shirts.

I have a sense that these places are finally heading firmly in the right direction. They were never meant to be luxurious properties, so it's not fair for us to expect them to offer more than what they stand for. They are basic properties with some newly added features that make them much more competitive --- time will tell if these changes will work or if they were too late.

bigguyinpasadena

4pts "SoHo"is a brand new build.Stayed there opening week.

itsaboutthejourney

I think FourPoints is the underdog of Starwood. Sure there are some bad ones, but I appreciate having a value product among Starwood's mostly high end properties. Agree the the new Four Points are much much better than the re-brands. Both NYC and the Chicago property stand out.

kendalh

I love the fourpoints calgary. Feels like a mountain resort property.

doodiedan

I recently stayed at the 4pts in Leominster, MA. It was OK, but the Mrs. really likes her new socks!

theplug

I've stayed many times at the New 4 pts in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada (Meadowvale)and it is very nice. Has the same look and feel as a W with flat screen tv's, ceramic shower and even fireplace in the suites. The 4 pts in Levis (suburb of Quebec city) is also under the same theme. It was built from scratch with the new convention center. It has a great restaurant downstairs. The 4 pts Quebec city has a different look and feel. More like a ski lodge atmoshere but built from scratch as well. It is also located on a golf course which is always good during the summer months.


Keep it up 4 pts!!^

1George

Saw the post above mine and decided to spend a night at the Four Points Meadowvale. I have to say I was really impressed by the room and the decor. Looked like a room that was worth much more than $80 a night!

Obviously the location is out of the way but if you have meetings in the West end its a fantastic choice!

CIVET FIVE

My introduction to Starwood with the 4P in San Diego, and have racked up about 30 stays over the last 3 years - and haven't had a complaint about it. It definitely looks like it used to be a low-rise office building, but the bed is comfy and the location decent.

The 4P Magnificent Mile in Chicago is another stand out in my mind, while the 4P MUC Central is another example of a converted office building.

I've never really had an awful stay at a 4P, which isn't something I can stay of other brands.