Hotwire Hotel: 3.5* Norfolk-Virginia Beach (Downtown) Sheraton Waterside

[reid77]

More info for the data bank here:

Area: Norfolk (Downtown)

Star rating: 3.5-star

Amenities: Fitness, Pool, Restaurant, Business, High-Speed Internet

Dates: Aug. 18-19, 2009

Price: $67 ($83.50 with taxes/junk)

Hotwire says... Sheraton Norfolk Waterside

We'll check back after the trip with a report. Hope that helps!

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your success and thank you for sharing your results with the board.

This property is conencted to a mall-like building that has a few stores (more like 'vendors' than 'stores'.. don't expect any namebrand chains here) in it but is mostly home to a food court, restaurants, and a couple of bars.... free internet in the mall :)

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases.

Enjoy your stay.

[reid77]

OK, here's the review:

The Sheraton Waterside is a decent city-style mid-rise; a fairly unremarkable full-service chain hotel. Nice check-in agent, double room with everything we needed, including crib for the toddler. The flatscreen HDTV was a nice touch; I don't yet take that for granted -- batting about .500 on them, even in "name" places.

Other reviews had noted the thin walls and noise spillover from adjoining rooms, but I didn't notice anything in our case. (We also travel with a white noise machine, which probably helps.)

We were just there for a short overnight, so I was left with just a few quibbles. Parking is $22 on-property, or $12 in a garage a block away. That is, it's $12 if you jump through the right hoops (and get the right piece of paper from the front desk.) We got charged $13 by a lot agent who clearly couldn't care less about customer service, and when I mentioned for her to cancel the transaction so I could get the proper document from next door, she said, "nope, already did the transaction," without so much as an apology.

After experiencing the dead zone that is downtown Norfolk (occupied by suburban-style buildings with attached parking garages, a hulking downtown mall and ZERO street life) that was the last element of the unfavorable, unwelcoming impression of the whole area. I don't think I'll be returning by choice any time soon.