dhammer53

I checked in to the WESTIN Pasadena last Saturday. Got a rate of $99 on the SPG website.

Clerk assigned me a room on the club floor. I asked about a suite upgrade (I'm Platinum).

He said the hotel had 2 suites, and they were taken. Other clerk overhears conversation, then upgrades me to a much larger and very oversized corner room on the club floor. Room 1108.

As I passed a regular room (it's door open as the maid cleaned it), I saw a normal sized room, with all the WESTIN trimmings.

When I opened my room, I was in for a pleasant surprise. It was gigantic; almost like a mini-suite.

The room had large louvre windows everywhere, overlooking the interior courtyard and pool of the hotel.

Under the 12' window, there was bench window seating. Very nice. The room was decorated like it was a combination of Westin and private home. Some cane trim.

Extra large bathroom, and separate dressing area.
This room was the largest on the floorplan. Approx 350 sq. ft.

The lounge had free beer/wine and a nice asortment of edible food. Probably could make a meal out of it.
Breakfast was a step up from the usual. Friendly staff.

Overnight parking $8.

I peeked into a suite, located below me on the 10th floor. Looked like 2 rooms connected by a hallway. I'm talking big, light, and airy. The suite should be considered more of a penthouse suite, as it had a very long/wide balcony suitable for Flyertalk get togethers.

I'd stay here again in a heartbeat.

The hotel is 2 blocks from Colorado Blvd. Then about 6 short blocks to where 'everything' is located.

Dan

runningshoes

Dan - I stayed there for the first time last month and also received a room on the club level like you describe. The price was also great, and it's a much nicer property than the Sheraton a few blocks away. The only thing is I got charged more than you did for the parking - wonder if they have a different rate for Friday nights?

kelly786

Was there for a conference April 10th for 2 nights.
1. Was upgraded to club level
2. Staff from front desk on were very accomodating and cheerful.
3. Restaurant food/service very nice.
4. My colleague found the behaviour of one of the staff members in the club lounge to be somewhat less than professional. She wrote a letter to the manager. The following week she got a letter from the general manager of the hotel thanking her for her input and giving her follow up on the concerns she had addressed. She has since become a member of spg .

While this is not in the same league as St. Regis etc, they certainly are outstanding in their category and probably a good option for the Pasadena area unless you are going for the Ritz. Location is great as it is right across from Paseo Colorado and very central to many shopping and dining options.
kelly786

DivMiler

I'll be staying at the Westin Pasadena in late June. I am Gold, and looking forward to it. I received some information about the hotel -- what is "Westin Executive Club"? Is it different from the "Club Level"?

It comes with butler service. Any chance a Gold will be upgraded to such a lofty plane of existence?

izzik

I also had a great stay at the Westin Pasadena.. only a few months after it opened.

Oddly enough, when I asked for the manager's full name (I was only given a first name), they refused to give it to me. Not sure why-- are they potential stalking victims?

stimpy

At the Westin Pasadena this weekend I saw on the reception desk a sign advertising that for $16 per day, you get free high-speed internet and free local and long distance calls (not free for international). I asked how much they normally charge for 800 and local calls. It's $2 for 800 and $1.50 for local. While it's all still too expensive, it made much more sense for me to do the $16 per day so I did. It also makes filling out the expense report easier.

Any other Starwood's doing this? Or any other hotel anywhere?

ElmhurstNick

I think this is slowly being rolled out to various properties. The Westin La Cantera had a similar deal, and I think I saw that when I booked the Westin Indianapolis for this weekend's FT event.

Starwood Lurker

It was also available at The Westin Riverwalk during our last stay there.

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

[email protected]

PremEx

I don't know if it was the first time this was mentioned here on FlyerTalk, but I do know I first reported seeing this Communications Package option at the Sheraton Manhattan over a year ago back on February 7, 2003:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=172237

I've seen it at dozens of others hotels since then. Sometimes they advertise it...sometimes you have to ask if it's available.

sbrower

I have personally seen and used it at Westin Bonaventure (LA) and Westin Peachtree (Atlanta). I believe it is "common" now.

AZ Travels the World

I've seen at Westin Denver at Tabor Center and other places that I can't recall at the moment. It would appear a lot of places are implemented it.

ConsultantFlyer

Westin Santa Clara is doing it as well.

stimpy

It was my first time seeing it, but then again I'm rarely in the US. It would be nice to find this in Starwood hotels in Europe and the Middle East.

SST

I've stayed at what is now the Westin Pasadena for years, since it first opened as a Doubletree. It was, IMHO, the finest hotel in the pre-hilton-era Doubletree chain: Superb rooms, well maintained, a good health club, great location, easy parking relatively cheap, and nice common spaces. Its only drawback was a lack of a decent bar or restaurant, but with downtown Pasadena turning into a destination, there was plenty to do for the last 7-8 years of my stays, and whenever I had business in this area, that was my first choice if the rate was right.

Now, it's a Westin. My last two stays there were fine. Sure, there is a certain unfinished strangeness to it--- a paper "Westin" sign in the elevator evidently covering up the Doubletree etching on the brass plate (so what?). I like the new bedding, which is standard Heavenly. Generally, one would think this could do nothing but improve things.

Not last night, nor my prior trip.

First, I was advised by telephone reservations at the Platinum Concierge that there were "renovations going on in some room areas during the day". Fair enough: I would be arriving at 6pm and leaving at 7am--not a problem for ME. Well, I have no idea if they're renovating rooms noisily, but nobody advised me on these things:

1) As a platinum I couldn't get an upgrade even to a King bed, despite the fact that the parking area was half empty. Hmmmm. Again, no problem: the twin beds in Heavenly livery were pretty comfy, and I was alone.

2) Nobody mentioned anything about the lounge at the desk; it didn't even occur to me to ask because I've been there so many times, and this is a nice hotel.... Silly me, at 6am I can't remember what floor it's on. I call down, and am told that there is no lounge because it is being renovated. Expecting them to give me a restaurant coupon, I tell them I'm a Platinum and I ask for suggestions for a coffee and croissant: they tell me to go to the Oaks. I go there. Closed. Open at 6:30, and I don't have time to wait (8am flight, why push it). I mention this to the desk clerk supervisor, who informs me that they have no lounge: "It's not standard at Westin."

I *hate it* when hospitality staff lie to you pretending that they know all. It's unprofessional and gives anybody with any contrary knowledge a true tacky feeling about a place or firm.

3) When I checked in, I had to go to a meeting right away, so I didn't park. I told them I would be parking when I came back after dinner, and was told to bring the ticket to the desk to get a pass. Fair enough. I did. There was another person at the desk, and when the clerk saw me with ticket in hand, I was told to put my room number on it and they would send a pass up and slip it under the door. What a nice touch! I went to bed thinking how much I liked that kind of service, not making me wait for some guy who was disputing some portion of his bill, and sending me to bed. But you know what happened: no ticket or pass under the door when I got up early.

So I call down: what should I do? (I now have neither pass nor ticket to get out of the lot). No problem Mr. SST, just stop by the front desk, it'll be ready. So I go down there at 6. Nope. Nobody knows what I'm talking about. No pass waiting. The clerk hears my story and makes up a pass for me, after a minute or so of typing into a terminal. Moral here: high expectations, unfulfilled.

4) So let's talk facilities. My tub didn't drain. 5 minutes after I got out, still trickling out, and I stood in a lake while showering. And the newly-installed double Heavenly SHowerheads were fine, I guess, except the last person had turned the second one off, and it was just not a lot of water in any case even when I figured how to get them back working again. I mentioned that somebody ought to look at the tub drain to my checkout guy, and got an "OK" from him. I got no feeling that anyone would.

The TV, while a "flat screen"(but not a flat panel; just a cheap Zenith), had serious reception problems. Snow?????? In the media capital of the world? On channel 4? I tried fiddling with the cable connections on the back of the tv, but to no avail. Fortunately, I was tired and hit the sack immediately and only half watched the sports on the late news. Nevertheless, a new TV should have a fine picture and not look snowy on every channel.

Parking: many of the spaces are too narrow. I had a Cavalier, and I had trouble with a couple of them. What happens if you drive a Lincoln? (you use the valet). There were plenty of open spaces. That's because people parked every other space, trying to avoid being the crunch-ee.

SO, OK, that's all my observations. To sum up, it's a fine hotel, or it has been, and I expect it to keep being one. The Westin beds are a good improvement, but the staff has some problems delivering on what Westin usually means to me. And I appreciated that the Starwood reservations people warned me about renovations, so I could make my lodging choice fully aware. But I DO NOT believe staff who tell me that a lounge isn't standard at a Westin (especially when other staff told me it was being renovated), and I don't appreciate being directed to a restaurant that isn't open, for a comp snack that isn't offered. And there's no excuse for a slow drain in a hotel. SOMEBODY puts water in that tub every time there's a guest who leaves----- didn't anyone notice? Didn't anyone tell Maintenance? And TV should never be a problem, especially in LA. (Note: a good channel lineup, too. Too bad the reception is poor and the tube is cheap with a poor quality picture, not sharp.) And I still wonder whether they really didn't have any better rooms available for somebody who checks in before 6, with a history of stays, and Platinum Number on the reservation.

Was I offered the Starwood Promise for any of this? Would I be writing this if I was? I probably wouldn't; I'd be thinking I helped them out telling them, and counting my points instead. But nobody offered, and I've grown weary of hinting, especially when the staff seem uninterested in your comments.

I already had to book the thing by phone because of this week's SPG website downtime, so theoretically I'll get an extra 500 points from that inconvenience. But I'm beginning to miss chocolate chip cookies.

KathyWdrf

It's the Sheraton Promise, not the Starwood Promise. I guess Westins are "above" offering anything for cr*ppy service.

Thanks for the warning, in any case. I stay in Pasadena hotels occasionally. There aren't that many in Pasadena itself, so maybe the lack of competition encourages mediocrity???