NE Omaha Sheraton

[windymulder]

Now for the review:

This hotel is located in a historic building that is tastefully refurbished. I found it difficult to park out front, but after my 3rd turn around the block looking for a parking spot, I managed to notice that there was a rear parking lot. You can enter the parking lot, but need a code to get out, which they provide at the front desk. Check-in was pleasant and friendly. They had already assigned me a room, but when the young lady noticed that I had three children with me, she cheerfully changed me to a room with a 2 beds. The room was noticeably older and could have used some updating. The bathroom had a Jacuzzi tub, but was messily caulked and you could tell that the front had been removed and then caulked back on. Everything was clean and comfortable. We ordered room service and I had the best hamburger I have ever had in my life! Cooked to my spcifications and served with awesome french fries. There is an 18% surcharge and a $2 fee tacked on to the bill, but I still only paid about $25 for my meal and three kids meals. The one bad thing that I can think of for this hotel is that there is a lot of street noise. I noticed a lot of sirens-so if you or anyone in your party are light sleepers, this could pose a problem. I could hear noise in the hall, but not from other rooms. There is no pool or any other entertainment for kids. The Children's Museum is 2 blocks away, but we got in too late to visit. In all, this was an enjoyable hotel.

[gruntlumber]

We stayed here the night of 10/8/05. I initially was bummed I got the Sheraton since often times these should be 2.5* instead of 3. Plus, after reading an onslaught of negative reviews on Trip Advisor I braced myself for the worst.

The location is good for downtown Omaha. I was expecting parking difficulty (arrived about 9pm) and prepared to pay for hotel parking, but there were a few free spots scattered around the block. They were metered during the day, but luckily the next day was Sunday so I didn't have to worry about early-morning meter maids. The lobby was awesome. Very historic, clean, well decorated, very cool. The hotel wraps itself around a central outdoor courtyard area very much in a European style. Guest rooms along this courtyard have a tiny little patio area with tables and chairs. Nice place to sit and relax as long as there are no other events going on. The fitness area is step above average, complete with your typical cardio machines, yoga ball, free-weight dumbbells, very large weight machine, and a great sauna (in my experience saunas never work well at hotels for some reason). We did not eat at the restaurant nor did we use the shuttle service, though they made us aware of it at check-in.

Many of the complaints I read about this place were regarding the old, deteriorating condition, musty oders, noise, and small rooms. First of all, this is a HISTORIC hotel, so small (read: quaint and cozy) rooms should be expected. I detected no musty oders at all. We were on the second floor with 2 double beds and everything was as I expected. It's definitely worth noting that the beds are AMAZING. They market the heck out of their Sweet Sleepers, and I must say, they are true to their word. The hallways were clean, and I never saw any damage anywhere. Maybe they've fixed this place up in the last year because I don't understand where all these harsh reviews were coming from. As far as the noise, well, there happened to be a wedding reception at the hotel that night, so we could hear/feel the DJ until midnight. It was mostly muffled but moderately disturbing. Only a small red mark for that.

I'd give this place mostly high marks. One downside was not having a pool or hottub, but I knew that before booking anyway. I would have no problem staying here again.