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WA Seattle Sheraton Hotel and Towers Downtown


epicureangirl
By epicureangirl,
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Just got back from a weekend stay in Seattle -- 1st night was at the Sheraton, which I got for $96 + taxes and fees on Hotwire. It was rated 4 1/2*, but I didn't know what the hotel was because one of the icons was recently dropped.

Anyhow...

We self-parked (valet available as well) and took the elevator up to a large, nice lobby with Dale Chihouly art glass featured in display cases. Not particularily opulent, but very nice none-the-less. This is a large, convention-style hotel and throughout the day we saw many different flight crews checking in.

Service at the front desk was smooth, however the Starwood Preferred check-in was closed as they were having 'computer problems' so there was a small wait. Check-in was fine, as a Starwood member they at least asked us if we'd prefer a higher or lower floor and if we wanted to stay on the Club level for an additional $30. The only difference between other floors and Club level, is supposed to be the hors d'ouvres and breakfast offered -- we took a pass on the upgrade as I'd rather spend my money on a restaurant of my choice.

This hotel has recently undergone renovations, most people comment on the contemporary Chihouly prints decorating all the rooms and hallways. I think he should stick with the glass-work, but I suppose that's besides the point. :)

Accents are light wood, pale neutral colours and the style is somewhere between contemporary and new-country (gingham and plaid accent pillows and traditional looking beds). The bathroom has a granite countertop, modern light fixture and a contemporary black & silver framed mirror. The bathtub-shower combo is cleanly tiled and has a curved bar for the shower curtain (so you get a little more room while showering) which was a thoughtful touch. Of course the bath is very shallow, and I can't imagine using it. Shampoo and other items are all "Sheraton" products and I particularily hated the smell of the conditioner -- I didn't bring home ANY of the unused products (and I love all the little shampoos and soaps usually) so I think they could do better in this regard. The bedding was nice, but the cover was a bit light-weight for this time of year, so it would have been nice to have plusher bedding.

Overall the room is large, we had a good view, everything worked, it had lots of drawers (if you were staying for awhile it would have been a bonus), all areas of the hotel were clean and very decent. I have no complaints, but would prefer to stay in a hotel that had more style, it just didn't 'wow' me when I got into the room.

Parking ended up being $22 (which isn't bad for Seattle... I think I paid $30 at the Hyatt). I was a bit surprised that the local calls were so expensive though. They were about $1.60 or so each which I thought was a bit much. One of the calls I made connected to a FAX machine, so I called the service line about it and they IMMEDIATELY removed the charge from my account. It was absolutely smooth and I checked out on the TV the same minute the adjustment had been made. Their service guarantee is really impressive. I feel if I would have had any problem, they would have corrected it to my satisfaction.

The hotel has an amazing location, is near all the shops and only 5 blocks to Pike Place Market. I really think this hotel would make any visitor quite happy, I can't really say anything bad about it. I just didn't fall in love with it, so I probably will only stay again if the price is too good to pass up.

I don't have any problems recommending this hotel overall. Great location, nicely decorated clean rooms and public areas and good service.

Cheers.

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I forgot to mention that I did receive Starwood points on my parking and phone calls (just not the room), so do present your card even if you make the reservation through Hotwire or Priceline.

Also, there were no robes in the rooms (so bring your own) -- I would have expected it from a hotel at this star level.

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  • 3 months later...

We stayed on a $75 Priceline bid on May 8 '04, our second stay there, and first Priceline stay. Epicureangirl's review is really quite thorough, and I don't particularly disagree with anything. However, I will give up the "style" for the location any day. As she said Pike Place Market is just a few blocks away, down Pike Street, which also happens to be a pretty flat street (Seattle is actually quite hilly). We walked to the Market for Mother's Day breakfast Sunday morning (as odd as it may sound for breakfast, there is some good asian Hom Bow, or as my east-coast husband calls it, Shu Pow (phonetic)). Going down Pike is also the way to get the free buses in the downtown area (walk down to 1st St), which we used for getting to and from the Yankees (I mean Mariners) game Saturday night. Couldn't be easier. There is a ton of shopping close by, and our favorite restaurant is around the corner from the Sheraton. It is a great location. There were several times I left Mr. and small Deleted to "run" back to the hotel to get something or drop something off, and it was so convenient for me just to walk a block or two and not mess with a car and traffic, I paid $26.11 tax included to self park the car that never moved.

Our bedding was fine for May, not too light, not too heavy.

Small deleted was delighted with the city and water view.

We've stayed there before, and will probably stay there again.

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  • 1 month later...

This trip I stayed in a Club Level room, so thought I'd tell you the differences I experienced and a few general comments...

When I went to check in, I got in the Starwood Preferred Guests line, but then so was everyone else (there was only one desk clerk on duty). The person in front of me was complaining about the wait time and poor service (in not-so-nice terms). In a few minutes, a second person helped at check-in, which sped things up. Last time I stayed, the check-in was also the weak-point (if any). I had faxed ahead, with very specific room requests, as we were bringing our daughter and would need a non-smoking room and roll-away etc. There was no note on my reservation, it was as if they did not receive anything so I made all my requests in person. Fortunately, they still had a room on the Club Level that met my requirements (I had asked for the upgrade for an additional $30).

We got our corner room on the 32nd floor, where the Club Lounge is located. The first thing I noticed, is that the carpets were wet, just cleaned, but I didn't mind -- seeing as they were actually CLEAN. :) Being on such a high floor puts you above many of the surrounding buildings, but not all -- so any views are partial, through surrounding towers. The room is actually much the same as the standard King rooms, but the bedding was a bit different. Instead of country-checks and stripes for coordinates, the accent pillow on the bed was white-on-white embroidered silk. The bathroom was the same as the standard, but had a magnifying mirror, bath gel, 2 bottles of complimentary water and some Scope mouthwash (the other toiletries were the same as in the standard rooms). The only other additions I noticed were the in-room fax machine and bathrobes. My parents were also staying in the hotel at the same time, so my mother confirmed the differences when she came up to my room. Overall the room is NOT different, just a few of the amenities and bedding. This in itself is not worth the $30, in my opinion.

The other perks made the difference, however. I have a letter from my room which outlines the Club Level amenities (in summary): Continental breakfast in the Club Lounge on weekdays, Full Breakfast Buffet at The Pike St. Cafe on weekends, Evening Hors d'oeuvres in the Club Lounge nightly; Use of Club Lounge equipped with Internet/HP Printer/Fax/Copier and self-serve tea & coffee service; In-room speakerphones; complimentary local calls; in-room high-speed Internet access (additional charge); turndown service on request; USA Today or local paper; use of Health Club; private concierge services.

Unfortunately, I didn't need to make local calls (like I did last time), which are usually $1.60 each. We took advantage of the evening hors d'oeuvres. Children are not allowed to stay in the lounge (after 4PM by law), but you can get your food and take it back to the room, which is what we chose to do. Selections were nuts, fruit, vegetables, dip, many cheeses, crackers and bread. There is a bartender available to mix you drinks (additional charge for cocktails), but wine and non-alcoholic beverages are complimentary. They ask you to fill out a card with your name and room number and there's space on it (of course) to include a gratuity.

My husband used the health club, and I used the pool. I found out that the pool/sauna/whirpool is available to all guests without charge, but the health club is actually just the gym area -- which incurs an additional charge unless you're a Club Level guest. The pool was a bit crowded for my liking (laps not possible), but was great for the kids as they have kick-boards available. Piles of towels are available poolside, but no staff were on duty when I was there. In the evening, we had the cot delivered (it showed up at 9PM, exactly as requested) and turn-down service. The turn down was not-very-special (compared to other hotels), but my daughter happily ate the 2 mint chocolates provided.

The highlight was the weekend buffet breakfast. Coffee, tea and juice is also included in your complimentary buffet. Food included made-to-order omelettes, blintzes, smoked salmon, Belgian waffles, eggs, all the standard breakfast meats, buttermilk biscuits, fruits, deli meats, salads, hot porridge, yoghurt, desserts galore and much more. The buffet is priced just under $22 per adult and $7 per child, so this alone was worth $51 for the 3 of us. The only cost for this was the gratuity. Granted, I'm not usually one to spend a huge amount on breakfast, but it really made the $30 upgrade seem WELL worth it. I'd definitely do it next time.

As for price, my room was $98 on Priceline (plus $30 upgrade) and self-parking was $26. I'm not too sure about how they price the the parking... there is a price range for parking if you check their website. Earlier, when I booked using Hotwire, I was charged $22... this time (as with the last poster who booked through Priceline) it was $26.

Other than the line at check-in, their service in every area was excellent. The Sheraton is really growing on me.

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  • 2 years later...

I have stayed here a couple of times and it is a not-too-stylish but quite comfortable downtown convention center-linked business hotel. Plusses are the location and, in the right rooms, the views. But otherwise, it's your regular Sheraton. I will say that everytime I've stayed the service has been really professional and courteous.

Having said that, I stayed there for one night last week via Hotwire and was disconcerted about the major construction going on during my stay. I would not have booked the hotel had I known that construction starting at 8 in the morning would actually involve, apparently, the frame of the building. The vibration of all metal bits of the room from the construction (A/C, heater, etc.) woke up both of us, and we're not light sleepers.

So, once the construction is over I would recommend it, but not until then.

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  • 1 month later...

I was here for a Friday/Saturday night stay at $110 per night. Still a bit of a construction zone up front, and because the hotel was the site of several dinners, valet parking at $26 per night was the parking choice.

We did not call ahead with our desired room amenities. We were given a non-smoking king room on the 7th floor. We presented a Gold Starwood Preferred Guest card, and were given the option of a 4 pm checkout, which we gratefully used. We didn't collect the SPG points (at least we think this), but it was nice to get the perks associated. The room itself was spacious and clean. The washroom was not a bad size, and was equipped with all the basic amenities. The only criticisms of the room I had were of the carpet, which looked worn, but given the fact they are renovating the hotel, might only be a short term issue. The other criticism was the temperature of the hot water in the shower, which wasn't very hot even by hotel-regulated standards. I also have issues with the $9.95 internet charge. I recognize that it is a great revenue generator for hotels, but at the same time, if places like La Quinta can give access for free, I can't see why higher end hotels can't either.

The location of the hotel was perfect, right in the heart of downtown Seattle. The world famous Pike Street Market was a 6 block walk away from the hotel, and the shoreline not too much further . Numerous restaurants surround the area: The Cheesecake Factory, Fox Sports Grill, Morton's Steakhouse, and Todai Sushi are within spitting distance. There is a fair amount of shopping available in the area. We also took in a performance at the 5th Avenue Theater, which is a very grand place to see a play. That was less than 5 minutes away walking as well.

Service at the hotel was good. The valet parking team got us in and out very quickly. We noticed that our room was equipped with feather pillows, and not equipped with slippers or bath robes. Those things were changed quickly. The hotel also offered us a computer to use to print out our boarding passes.

Would we stay there again? Yes!

Proud to be Canadian!

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  • 7 months later...

:)

I stayed here for one night before and one night after a cruise. Cab fare to the pier was $12 + tip each way.

The location could not be better. I have arthritic knees, but could walk the two blocks to the monorail station that goes to the Space Needle and the easy, relatively flat walk to the Pike Street Market. The first day I had breakfast on the water and bought wonderful and inexpensive flowers for the cabin on the cruise. The second day I caught a tour that picked up right at the hotel. There is shopping of all kinds, including two drug stores, very close by.

Unlike other posters, I found the wait at the front desk short or nonexeistent. When I was waiting at the Concierge desk, an assistant concierge came up to help.

There is a business center that has free internet access 24/7. I also was able to fax a document home for free.

The carpet looks tired and the lobby is scaled down due to the construction, but there was no construction noise or dirt. The meals in the cafe were priced too high. The breakfast buffet was not wonderful on the Saturday that I ate there.

Yes, I would gladly stay here again for the price. I paid $95 + tax for the weekday - Thursday - night and $100 + tax for the Saturday night.

If convenience is important to you, stay here.

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  • 3 months later...

The Good

As far as I could tell the construction work is now over and they have certainly made a great job of the reception and lobby area.

Despite the constant throng of arrivals and departures the team out front do a great job marshalling the press of traffic, parking and retrieving cars, getting cabs and keeping everything moving smoothly.

The location for enjoying Seattle

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I spent four nights there in June and really enjoyed my stay -- except for the dreadful person in the next room who stayed up late every night and slammed her door repeatedly (but that's not the hotel's fault). The major renovations there seem to have paid off; the hotel is fabulous! Food was great (if you like burgers try their Angus Burger - OMG it was amazing, melt-in-your-mouth beef!), very professional staff, clean and comfortable rooms. I stayed on Club Level (which is in the old tower and it was really nice) and got free breakfast and hors d'oeuvres; both were VERY tasty. The breakfast included larges bowls of fresh in-season fruit and had the best raspberries I've ever eaten. Great high-end pastries, too. The housekeeping staff was exceptionally gracious and helpful. Had a room on the top floor with views of the mountains and water. Located in the middle of everything and I had a chance to walk all over the place, including just a few blocks to the Pike Place Market. Shopped at Macy's and had great service there.

Just did a PL bid for the week of Thanksgiving and got $100 per night. I'm thrilled to be going back to the Sheraton.

GO BLUE!

:)

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  • 9 months later...

Most people seem to really like the Sheraton so we were very happy we received it on Priceline for our vacation 7/7 to 7/11. But were we ever disappointed! Our room was dirty! Not just that they didn't clean it dirty, but the carpets were dirty and stained, the furniture had a thick layer of dust that could be seen when you sat in the chair. The beds were uncomfortable and worse, they don't use fitted sheets so when you wake up in morning the bed is all unmade and you can see the mattress and see how stained and old it was. The smoke detector was broken and had no top. The sink drain stopper was broken and did not open. If you ran water in the sink to brush your teeth, the sink would fill up with water and you had to hold up the stopper with your hand to let the water drain out.

This is a no frills hotel, since you have to pay for everything..parking, internet, no breakfast, no in room refrigerator (you do have a honor bar, but it is full and can not hold anything you want to put in it and it has no freezer). We have had better service and a nicer room at a hotel in Seattle priceline rates as a 2.5 star. We truly were expecting a better quality hotel room then what they gave us, which we figured was a room they have not remodeled yet and they give it to Priceline customers. No one paying $230 night would ever except it. And since we were told they were booked full we had no choice but to except it or leave the hotel.

And to top it off, the pool is closed until October. No one told us that when I called to ask for a room near the pool so my kids wouldn't have to walk thru the lobby in their suits. I was told "no problem", not "I'm sorry, we are doing construction currently and the pool will be closed during your stay".

If had not paid thru priceline, we would have walked out and found a different place to stay, but losing $650 is hard to swallow so we stayed. Never again will we stay at a Sheraton! Highly disappointed and we would never recommend this hotel.

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  • 1 year later...

We recently stayed at this hotel booked through hotwire for 3 nights (reported Hotwire hotel win). I was a little worried before after reading about the fact that rooms booked hotwire might get the lower-graded rooms within the entire hotel. And in this case, we would most likely get the older tower.

We arrived at the hotel around 2pm (an hour before the usual check-in time). The line-up to check-in went smoothly. It only took us 5 minute in the line. The staff asked if we wanted a upper-floor room or lower-floor, and we opted for the upper-floor of course. We did indeed get the older tower, but on the top floor (26th). Our window was facing the other tower, we could see the Cheesecake Cafe (Sidenote: It opens till 11pm. The staffs there were amazingly friendly. One night, we decided to have a late dinner around 11pm, and most places were closed already, we got to the place across the street at around 10:55pm, and the server was super awesome to let us in). Anyways, the view wasn't spectacular, but the room comfort exceeded our expectation. It was at a comfortable temperature. It included 2 double beds (for 3 of us). It would probably be a little tight for 2 larger-built people to share one bed. Nevertheless, the bed was very comfortable to sleep in with warm blankets. There was a complimentary small bottle of waterin the bathroom each day (The larger bottles sitting next to the TV were 5USD each). I wouldn't say the room was spacious though, there wasn't that much room between the end of the beds to the desk. But there were empty spaces on both ends of the room to lay our luggages flat. Like others have mentioned, free 45-min access internet in the lobby with printer. Pool was really small though (opens from 5am-11pm). But the hot tub was fantastic with strong jets). It was a good view from up there though consider that it's on 35th floor of the new tower.

The hotel was situated in a convenient location to the Pike Market (10 min walk) and shopping district (There's H&M & AE right across the street!). We arrived in Seattle via Amtrak. The walk from the Union Station (Amtrak stop) to the hotel was a good 20-30 minute, uphill walk...it was quite a walk considered each of us had 1luggage with us, and it was dreadful having to drag them up the steep street. So if you have lots of luggages going from Amtrak station to the hotel, taking a cab might be a good idea. My guess is it's prob less than 10 bucks to cab over. Oh, the walk to Pike Place is relatively flat compared to the eastern side of downtown, so it's not a hard walk at all.

So overall, for 99USD each night booked through Hotwire, we had an amazing experience. I would definitely recommend others to stay there.

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