I stayed here recently from 1/30/10-1/31/10. The renovations seem to be complete. As a SPG credit card holder I was able to check in at the Elite desk. I booked the club floor and was given a corner room on the top floor. Everything looks and feels brand new throughout the hotel. I was also given free breakfast and wi-fi as part of the club floor. Overall, I was happy with the stay and would recommend it as a inexpensive option for someone who wants to stay in Tampa.

/mod

Pre 2010 reports can be found here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...er-thread.html

/mod

Post-renovation, this may be one of the better Tampa properties (I was less than impressed with service at the Westin Tampa Bay). The rooms are very nice. If this is what Sheraton Suites are retooling to across the brand, I may add them back into my preferred options for SPG stays. On to the photos:

Looks nice, I'm not a Sheraton person, but I would stay there based on your recommendation.

Property looks nice now. It was in a desperate need of repair back in April when I stayed there.

Ya looks good ^

One thing I've noticed it seems the new updated Sheraton uses a different showerhead. They are using Kohler fixtures instead of the Speakman head. Doesn't really matter that much, in fact I prefer the Kohler Forte head anyway (has 3-settings).

The Sheraton Vancouver Airport is also a very recent total makeover (from Best Western) and the design is very similar to your pictures.

Renovation turned out great. I am in a room on the top floor (8th floor). Very nice rooms. Yes, Kohler fixtures in the shower. I actually prefer the Speakman showerheads but the Kohler stuff is great. Two nice flat screen TVs. Nice new microwave and mini fridge in the room.

But, the "soft" products were inexplicably stingy (not sure if I am using the correct terminology when I say "soft). I booked a suite for three people with two queen beds and a sofa pull out. The room came with one 12 ounce bottle of water. Were we supposed to split the water, 4 ounces each? And, the room had two bath towels. Two. For three people. Were two of the adults supposed to share one bath towel? I found that to be very odd.

Consistent with the stinginess trend, my keycard envelope included a coupon for one free breakfast. Again, the room was booked for three people. Upon a return to the front desk, a second breakfast coupon was quickly proffered.

Why spend mega-money on a renovation (and have it turn out so impressively) and then be so stingy with the easy stuff (two bath towels in a suite booked for three people)? I don't get it.

I would stay here again and they did a great job...they just fall short on the really easy stuff.

When did free breakfast and water become part of the Platinum benefits?

Water @ Sheraton = years ago for Plats.

1. Water is not an amenity. Why would you think there would be more than one bottle. Hotels most likely do not put more than two as the markup is so high nobody drinks it. Why do you think there should have been more water and free?
2. Breakfast is not an SPG amenity. The coupons were most likely a property specific benefit. (I didn't look at either of the threads discussing breakfast for elites/platinum members). Why do you feel as though the property was "stingy" when they didn't have to offer this at all?

What's that got to do with today's SPG benefits?

Not an SPG benefit, but it is a brand standard for Sheraton properties to stock only one bottle of water, without deference to how many guests are booked into the room. If one of the guests is a Gold or Platinum member in SPG, a second bottle may be requested on a complimentary basis, but one assumes that a third would reflect a charge.

It should be noted that even the one-bottle Sheraton standard probably does not apply to all Sheraton hotels worldwide. This is determined on a regional basis and there could be some Sheratons that do not have to offer any complimentary in-room water at all. This, of course, would not apply where the local water source is non-potable where up to two bottles of water are furnished on a complimentary basis.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

All right....well, aside from all the jibber jabber since my mini stay report, I will say that I slept in one of the most comfortable beds of all-time last night. Wow. Truly incredible mattress.

Now that I've stated that, the silliness above can resume...

No silliness friend. It is all good.

Maybe I wasn't clear when I posted my mini-stay report, so let me clarify.

The point of the post was that I thought the property did a great job with their renovation. My suite was really quite nice. I just thought it negatively impacted all the money they spent and effort they put into the work by leaving two bath towels in a suite booked for three people...or putting one 12 ounce water in the room. Sure, maybe it is brand standard to leave one water or two bath towels, but it looks cheap. Why spend major smackers to make the place so nice and chintzy out on the bath towels?

Having said that, the property is quite nice and the bed is truly unbelievable. I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again. Now, if you guys want to continue with mindless jibber jabbering above, be my guest.

Having just checked in today I was a bit surpirsed by the 2 towels + 1 bottle of water ...

That said, I was here last year at the same time prior to the renovation and was happy with the property ... this time, one of my fellow travellers noted "these rooms seem bigger" ... we looked at pictures and noticed the difference in furniture / etc and frankly have no complaints.

I would think 2 bottles of water in any room would be standard along with at least 3 towels; especially on an SPG floor. I will gladly come back to this property and simply request additional water / towels / coffee as I did earlier today. Promptly delivered with a smile nonetheless.