A weekend at the Westin Seattle

I stayed at the Westin Seattle over the weekend to attend a conference. I had chosen this hotel mostly for its location, but also because they advertise 24 hour room service, and I knew there were going to be some late nights ahead, and from past experience during covid there is no food available in the downtown core past midnight. Also, the hotel was laid out as two circular towers, which I wanted to experience.

I arrived the first evening close to midnight. You could tell the check-in area was understaffed; they had a Bonvoy elite line but no agent to work the desk, leading to much confusion. Upon check-in,  I was told that there would be no room service, which was one of the main reasons I booked the property.

I was greeted by a mandatory "destination fee" of 25$, which got you the following:

I had thought I left the resort fees back in Las Vegas. How very wrong I was. At the very least, the Westin tried to take the sting out of it by giving you some credits, forcing you to spend time at the in-property spots. More to come about this later.

The uber credit didn't work, there were some "technical difficulties" the first two days. I asked for it again as I departed for the train station on the last day and it was fixed by then. 25$ also gets you the slowest internet in the world, easily rivalling the frustrating experience at the Caesars properties in Las Vegas.

It was my first time staying at the Westin, I messaged the property a few days before arrival and asked whether there was a chance at an upgrade. The reply was a canned response that managed to simultaneously annoy and give you no information and if I had not known better could have came directly out of ChatGPT. Despite this, at check-in, I asked for a room on a higher floor, which was accomodated.

Behold, the room:

The view was very nice, as I found out while doing some work at the desk next morning.

I normally do not dine at the hotel restaurants, but the destination fee forces a 25$ credit on you and it was very late, so I went to the 1900 Lounge on the lobby level to get some food in before turning in for the night. What a mistake that was.

There was some corporate event going on in the lounge, and as a result, there was about 50 people milling about clamouring for drinks and the two poor staff trying their best to accomodate everyone. Even though it was open seating, it was nearly half an hour before you got any service, and by the time you ordered, the kitchen was closed. The steak-frites I opted for was very poor quality and nearly cold by the time it came to the table, and I wouldn't have ate it if I wasn't so starved from the journey in.

Westin also seem to have taken a page out of the "predatory microtransactions" book of the mobile gaming industry, because the 25$ credit they force on you from the destination fee is not enough for anything in the lounge. The disappointing steak came to 40$ after taxes. I went out to a dive bar after to drown my disappointment.

I left the room pretty early the second day to attend the conference. Before I left, I stopped by the front desk to ask for housekeeping. When I returned well into the late afternoon, the room was exactly as it was in the morning. Housekeeping had not stopped by the room. I went down to the front desk again, asking for the same. It was only after I was forced to ask the third time did housekeeping finally get done.

It's clear that the hotel is more than a little understaffed, and yet the hotel feels it proper to charge you a "destination fee" on top of what you pay for the room. On this injustice, and the terrible housekeeping service, and the horrible way the lounge was run, I cannot in good conscience recommend the property. Next conference in Seattle I will opt for the Hyatt property down the road.