testa

Has anyone stayed at this Westin? I'm trying to make a decision whether to stay in this hotel for this coming June. My main consideration would be to try to be as close as possible to the Metro toronto convention center. Any comments about this hotel greatly appreciated. Thanks

Eastbay1K

I have stayed there at least 3 times. The staff has always been accomodating, and the "problems" ever encountered have been minor, except when the property was under renovation (some time ago). The fitness center/pool area is outstanding, the views are great, and it is the first stop inbound/last stop outbound on the airport bus. So getting there is nearly as fast as a taxi from YYZ for a fraction of the cost.

There's also a light rail line (subway level) right across the street that hooks you up to the main subway. I would stay there again.

YYZ

Excellent hotel. It is where all of the hockey players stay when they are in town - right by the Air Canada Centre. It is the closest Starwood property to the convention centre (about a 5-8 minute walk), a dreary walk in the cold, although it is pretty nice during the summer.

It is situated in Queen's Quay however, which is south of a couple of expressways and kind of segregated (if you can call a 5-8 minute walk segregated) from the city, except for the waterfront activities. However, it is the closest Starwood property to the convention centre. The Sheraton Toronto Centre is located in prime Toronto location, close to almost everything (about a 8-10 minute walk to the convention centre). It is also nice, but in terms of strictly hotel, I would choose the Westin. For convenience to get to other areas of downtown Toronto, I would stay at the Sheraton (also right on the subway line).

If closest to the convention centre is your priority, there is a Crowne Plaza which is connected to the centre (you don't even have to go outside).

Good luck.

[This message has been edited by YYZ (edited 04-06-2000).]

Hotel Guy

I'd sleep on a park bench before I return to the Westin Harbour Castle (and I'm a Starwood PLATINUM member!).

The staff here have a severe attitude problem!
I once got checked into 2 dirty rooms -- in the same night. On another occasion, my room wasn't ready by 3pm. Stale snacks in the mini-bar. The Lighthouse Revolving Restaurant is okay, but pricey, otherwise the food is lousy.

Even though they are located across the street rom the Toronto STAR building, you are hard pressed to get this newspaper delivered to your room. Do yourself a favour and stay at the Royal York.

Bluebonnet

I stayed there about a year ago, and I had an excellent experience! The staff was quite pleasant, I had a wonderful harbor view, and it was easy to get around to other parts of town from the hotel. My room (not an upgrade, just a regular room) was quite large. (Not that it makes any difference in the hotel, but I really like the Garden Botanika toiletries they provide.)

kapil dev

Great hotel with beautiful view of lake ontario- close to sky dome(blue jays ) / air canada ctr(Toronto raptors)etc.Downtown is not too far-10 min walk to Yonge street(most vibrant street in Toronto).

Also DONOT miss Benson&Hedges fireworks-usually held 3rd week of june - 1st week of july(wed & sat of the week).



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kapil dev

1983-long live KDN.

wsboth

Hotel Guy: I'm sorry you had such a bad time at the Westin Harbour Castle, I lived in the BIG T.O. for a couple of years and yould go at least once a month. I loved it. I have never had any thing I would call a problem. The Staff have never had an attitude problem with me. I have noticed that when the Hotel, Airline, car rental, f&b etc. staffs get an attitude it is because someone like say an arrogant plutonium member gives one first. I am always very gracious and my mommy taught me to say please and thank you not I want it all, I want it now, give to me yesterday or else. Mistakes happen, even to plutonium members, I have gotton more being calm and nice to these people, like free upgrades to 1st class, nicer views, little extras etc. I had even a hotel security guard gave me some scraps of prime rib for my little dog at one hotel because I was nice. Any way back to the topic at hand, The Westin Harbour Castle in YYZ was very nice loved the view. The revolving Light House spins ( and is the only one in the world to do so) counter clockwise.

testa

Thanks for the great recommendations. Interestingly other hotel forums also indicated some 'unpleasant experiences' in some other YYZ hotels as well and may be part & parcel of whatever (bad hair days, large conference or meetings etc) who knows!
But will try westin anyway if it is not already booked up. Also the Crowne plaza & York look strategically located near the convention center. Will explore these too.

BTW, if the Westin is the first airport shuttle stop inbound and the last stop outbound to the airport, would'nt the bus be quite full by then? Thanks

Hotel Guy

As far as I am concerned, the staff here had a bad additude long before I became a Starwood Platinum Member. Of course, it only takes a few bad apples, right? Do I smell union?

You should note, this hotel charges guests a $25.00 penalty for early check-outs!!!

And NO, I did not receive a welcome amenity on my last visit (surprise, surprise).

monitor

I'm with Hotel Guy. The Royal York is the place for me. The service and ambience there compared to the Westin is like day and night.
I also realize that nobody goes to Toronto in the winter for the weather, but the location of the Westin is particularly dreary on most winter days.

Neal

I had what was probably the worst hotel experience of my life at the Westin Harbor Castle. In all fairness to Westin, they more than made up for it when I wrote a letter to their corporate headquarters. (This was before Starwood took them over.) If you want to stay in a really nice hotel in Toronto, try the Royal York. Their club floor is about the best I've ever experienced. The hotel is very old but kept up well and is quite elegant. You can take the elevator to the Arcade level and connect underground to Union Station, the subway trains and tons of shops.

dr mike

I will be staying at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto over Memorial Day weekend.

I was initially given a smoking King (ignoring my profile) and was told the best they could do for a non-smoking room was one with two twin beds. AS a SPG Platinum, this surpised me a bit.

Well I called the Platinum concierge, and they had the hotel change my reservation to a non-smoking King. Is this an indication of what to expect when dealing directly with the hotel? Anyone with good or bad experiences to report?

Should I switch to the Sheraton in Toronto? I would base my decision on expected service and locations (and given that this is my first trip there, I'm uncertain about location as well).

Appreciate any help.

Thanks,

dr mike

Stephen loves Starwood

In terms of you not getting your requested non-smoking room this doesn't really surprise me during busy times at hotels but I'm not worried with you since you seem to have things quite under control. Starwood Platinum is a great service provider.

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The Westin Harbour Castle (WHC) is a nice hotel right on the waterfront. You can catch a ferry to Centre Island (think of park, picnics, and some R & R). It is a little removed from the main drags of Toronto although not too far from the train station (VIA Rail). I assume that you'll be renting a car from Pearson airport in which case note the high parking fees at the WHC. If you only want to park overnight or over the weekends however, you can use the lots next to the WHC for about a third of the price.

The Sheraton is within walking distance to a lot of the nightlife including many more choices of restaurants. It's location is better but it's really hard to say that it is a better choice than the WHC. I would say that their different and that they both merit a stay. It depends on what you are looking for and on your personality.

You can always split up your stay between properties to experience more of the city and its offerings and to take advantage of the Starwood promotion towards earning free weekends.

Besides the WHC and the Sheraton downtown, there is the Sheraton Parkway (one of my favorites) and of course the Sheraton Gateway (great bathrooms) at the airport. The Parkway is somewhat removed from the center of the city (about 30 minutes door-to-door) but it feels much closer. It all depends on what you plan to do with your time.

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Got points ? Got smiles !

T3

I've stayed a number of times at both the Westin Harbour Castle and the Sheraton City Centre. In my experience the service at the Westing is somewhat variable - somedays it's great, others not too good.. Now that they've replaced their revolving restaurant at the top of the south tower, it may be worth a try. It's no longer revolving but it has to be an improvement.

The downtown Sheraton has a great location if you want a choice of restaurants and entertainment or if your business is in the financial/business district of downtown. The service for me has always been good (and sometimes terrific).

Parking charges downtown are significant at both hotels. But as Stephen points out the lots beside the Westin are considerably cheaper and for the Sheraton parking is available across the street under city hall with direct access to the hotel. (If you plan to use the valet parking at the Sheraton, it can get quite slow at times to retrieve you car.)

yihao

I stayed there last winter as a platinum. It was a ok service. Nothing special for me except two bottles of water and some snacks. I would rate the service as average or below among all starwood hotels. I prefer Sheraton at the airport, which has 24 hours of hot-tub and swimming pool with better services.