Vancouver Westin Grand reviewed

Vancouver is a city I love to be in.  I think Vancouver has the best big city feel of any West Coast location. 

The Westin Grand is another beautiful piece of architecture with a curved line frame of a grand piano rising 31 floors in this all-suites hotel on Robson Street, near the Yaletown District.  The 200-room all-suites nature of the Westin Grand hotel:  61 Superior one-bedroom suites, 104 Deluxe one-bedroom suites (larger) some with balconies,  21 large, open-space studio rooms (usually referred to as junior suites), and 18 Executive Suites on Floors 30 and 31, is an advantage for SPG members without platinum status who desire a larger room.  Platinum elites are likely to receive complimentary upgrades at the much larger Westin Bayshore (500 rooms) or Sheraton Wall Centre (700 rooms) hotels.

Vancouver Westin Grand, Robson Street side

Rooms at the Westin Grand are various sizes.  We had a rectangular corner Deluxe One-Bedroom Suite  facing north and west, but looking at the hotel floor map in the room there are a variety of shapes and sizes and our room looked to be seventh in size of the nine rooms on the 25^th floor.  It was one of the three rooms facing north, and probably the preferred view if we could have actually seen the mountains around Vancouver on the cloudy days.  Floors 30 and 31 are listed as Executive suites.  Here is the Westin Grand website photo that looks exactly like the room where we stayed.

Vancouver Westin Grand, north side seen from Homer Street

We had a great view of the Harbour Centre tower from the Westin Grand and the lighted clock and the top of the Vancouver Fairmont Hotel. The Sheraton Wall Centre room had a more expansive view of the city.  The Westin Grand would have had lovely views of the mountains just a few miles north of downtown, but we hadn’t seen a mountain in three days in Vancouver due to low clouds.  Which hotel room had a better view is subjective.

Vancouver Westin Grand, west facing view at dusk

Temperatures were actually in the low 60s most of the days in Vancouver.  Thankfully, the rain was very light and we didn’t even use an umbrella or raincoat until the last day of the trip, Remembrance Day – 11/11. Tuesday the weather changed and the rain and wind took over.

Vancouver Westin Grand, north facing view from Floor 25

Westin Grand Deluxe One-Bedroom Suite

The room upgrade to a one bedroom suite at the Sheraton Wall Centre made that hotel room about the same size as the Westin Grand room.  Immediately upon entering the room is a bathroom door in front, closet to the left, and kitchenette to the right.  The kitchenettes contained a microwave, dishwasher, sink, toaster, mini-bar, and utensils.  The main sitting room is past the kitchenette. 

Vancouver Westin Grand kitchenette

The sitting room featured a couch, small table, cushion chair, desk, and TV cabinet.  The couch was more comfortable than the Sheraton couch, but the Westin Bayshore had the best room furniture of the three Vancouver Starwood hotels.

Vancouver Westin Grand Deluxe one-bedroom suite sitting room

Frosted glass panel doors separate the sitting room from the bedroom.  Unfortunately, light from the TV can shine light through the glass into the bedroom.

Vancouver Westin Grand TV cabinet

The suite was a comfortable size with a sitting room, kitchenette, bedroom and double door bathroom. 

Vancouver Westin Grand Deluxe Suite sitting room

Westin Grand Bedroom

The bedroom itself was tiny with only enough space for a queen size bed and two night stands.  I thought the small bed odd until I measured the room at 8’x9’ in the main rectangular section. The queen size bed allowed just enough space for a small nightstand to be squeezed between the bed and wall.  Fortunately two doors, one to the bathroom and the other to the sitting room, when open made the small bedroom feel more spacious. 

Vancouver Westin Grand Deluxe Suite bedroom

One poor design feature of the bedroom was the TV cabinet in a recessed area of the wall which extended 7 inches into the room leaving only a space of 13 inches between the cabinet knobs at shin height and the bed.  A fat person or someone with mobility issues would probably need to walk out the bedroom doors through the living area and around the room to approach the bathroom from the other side.   The cabinet was mostly nonfunctional space. 

 Westin Grand TV cabinet takes up 1/3 of walking space between wall and bed

A simple solution to free up precious room space in the small room and aid mobility between the wall and bed would be to replace the cabinet with a wall-mounted flat screen TV.  This simple change would alter the space between the bed and cabinet from 13 inches wide to 20 inches between the wall and bed.

The Westin Grand bedroom telephone had a red light blinking when we arrived.  I played around with the phone and could not get a dial tone or stop the flashing red light.   I placed a washcloth over the phone to conceal the flashing light.  Eight hours after being in the room and a few hours after being asleep, the phone decided to wake-up at 2:34 am and sounded a loud busy signal and dial tone.  I had to unplug the phone to stop it.

Westin Grand Two door bathroom allows bedroom to be closed off from sitting room

Westin Grand Bathroom

The Westin Grand had the most spacious bathroom of the three with a separate shower and tub.  

Vancouver Westin Grand tub in Deluxe Suite

The Westin Bayshore hotel also had a nice bathroom with a separate shower and tub, however, the glass shower stall was abnormally narrow at the Bayshore.

Vancouver Westin Grand bathroom

Westin Grand Facilities

The Westin Grand is described as a boutique-style hotel.  I found the lobby to be an uninviting space.  A grand stairway from the street level leads to the second floor reception and Aria Bar and Restaurant.  Aside from the reception desk and the restaurant/bar partitioning the open lobby, the remaining public space was not set up for guest mingling.  The lobby was not a conducive space for socializing outside the Aria area. Both the Sheraton Wall Centre and Westin Bayshore hotels have numerous seating arrangements in public space areas of the hotel and lobbies.

Vancouver Westin Grand pool

The 3^rd Floor held the workout room, sauna, steam rooms, and a heated outdoor pool and adjacent whirlpool tub and a Spa.  The workout room had deluxe equipment, but too many exercisers for me to get good photos.  I liked the feature of a swimsuit water extractor.  I have traveled a number of times with a wet bathing suit and that can create problems in a suitcase.

Vancouver Westin Grand 3rd floor workout room

Westin Grand SPG Platinum Treatment

I received an upgrade on the Superior one-bedroom suite room category I purchased.  I landed a rate of $155CAD that was only around for one day during the three weeks I searched rates for this hotel.  The Westin Grand is typically the highest priced hotel of the three Starwood hotels in downtown Vancouver.

I received 500 platinum amenity points.  There were no other benefits. 

The Westin Grand does not have an SPG lounge, free internet, or any other elite benefits.  Internet was $14.95 per day.  I asked about a laundry machine at the hotel and I was told there is a daily dry cleaning service or a laundromat is a five minute taxi ride.

Vancouver Public Library across Homer street from Westin Grand Hotel

Westin Grand Location

The Vancouver Public Library is across the street from the Westin Grand.

Features of the Westin Grand location include proximity to the Yaletown district of Vancouver.  This area is planned community development in the False Creek waterfront area that featured urban industry up until the 1980s.

Vancouver Yaletown district

The Westin Grand is the closest Starwood hotel to the event venues of GM Stadium and BC Place Stadium in Vancouver.

Independent fast food Japanese, pizza, and burger places are across Robson Street, a block east of the hotel.  A 7-11 store and a Subway sandwich shop are on that block.  There is a food court on Robson Street adjacent to the Public Library. 

Construction of a building was occurring directly across from the Westin Grand south facing rooms and perhaps the north facing room was the hotel’s positive consideration to my guest experience since I don’t know how loud the construction noise may have been on the other side of the hotel with the curved room windows.

Vancouver Westin Grand, southeast side

Beer in Canada

“You can’t be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline –
it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons,
but at the very least you need a beer.” Frank Zappa

A liquor store is adjacent to the entrance of the Westin Grand hotel on Robson Street.  Vancouver has limited locations for buying bottled beer so this is a great feature of the Westin Grand location.  Finding a pub or lounge serving alcohol is no problem in Vancouver.

The beer and wines are so expensive that paying 30% more to drink in a pub/bar is a good alternative for a tourist on a limited stay. 

I remember beer being expensive in Canada.  I didn’t remember it being as expensive as beer in Australia and New Zealand.  Beer runs $15 to $18CAD for a 6-pack of Canadian microbrew or an import like Kronenbourg 1664 or Stella Artois in a liquor store.  There is very little discount, perhaps $1, if buying a 12-pack. 

I used to ravenously try all the Canadian microbrew varieties when I have visited the northwest coast.  At these prices I felt compelled to stick with the European beers I know.  We had a good deal in the Black Frog pub in Gastown drinking imperial pints of Kronenbourg for $5.25CAD.  The imperial pint is 20 imperial fluid ounces and is equivalent to 568 mL, while the U.S. version of a pint is 16 U.S. fluid ounces and equivalent to 473 mL. (Wikipedia).  Beer only cost about 30% more to drink in a pub compared to purchasing beer in a store, whereas in the USA, a bottle of beer is about $1.00 to $1.25 in the store and $3.00 to $5.00 in a pub or bar. Alcohol cost is 200% to 300% higher in US bars than US stores.  

Bottom line: you might as well drink in the pubs and lounges since alcohol will take a pretty penny out of any budget if drinking in Canada. 

Winter Olympics 2010 – #1 Tip = BYOB.

Bring Your Own Beer/Booze – Alcohol prices in the stores are shocking.  If driving to Canada – take what ever alcohol fixtures you desire and the cost should be less than 50% of Canadian store prices.  Bottle of vodka is $26CAD per 750 ml.  Beer $16CAD per six pack.

I spent three days in Vancouver November 8-11, 2008.  I stayed one night in each of the downtown Vancouver Starwood Hotels: the Vancouver Sheraton Wall Centre, Vancouver Westin Bayshore, and Vancouver Westin Grand.

There are significant differences between the three Starwood hotels in Vancouver and I will highlight some features of each Starwood hotel in these hotel reports.

Any of the three Starwood hotels in downtown Vancouver are a good choice of lodging for a stay.  I spent three nights in Vancouver and wished I had stayed a fourth night.  There is plenty to see and do and four nights is a good length of stay to have reasonable time to see shops, eat, visit sites and museums, go to GasTown, Yaletown, Granville Island, False Creek, Chinatown, Robson Street, and Stanley Park, exercise and swim in the hotels, not to mention trying to squeeze a trip over to Grouse Mountain, a day trip to Victoria, or a city stadium sporting event.  I never pack too much into a stay and we only did a few of these things.  I maintain the philosophy of just being anywhere and what I don’t get around to this trip, perhaps I’ll do next time.

Vancouver Sheraton Wall Centre

Vancouver Sheraton Wall Centre is a major city center hotel with over 700 guest rooms in two glass exterior skyscraper towers.   The architectural beauty of the Sheraton Wall Centre complex makes this my favorite hotel of the three Starwood Hotels in downtown Vancouver. 

 Vancouver Sheraton Wall Centre Hotel, South Tower

Vancouver Sheraton Wall Centre Hotel, North Tower

Complimentary food and beverages (alcohol costs money in evening social) is another reason I favor the Sheraton Wall Centre.  

Vancouver Sheraton Wall Centre Club Lounge Breakfast, Floor 25, South Tower

Sheraton Wall Centre Club Lounge access through Club lounge doors on Floor 25 is coded into key card for platinums and is door for stairway to business center in the room on Floor 26.  Floor 27 is a separate room and entry.  The lounge rooms can be accessed throughout the day for TV, newspapers, chilled non-alcohol beverages, wireless internet access, and the lounge computer.

 Spiral Stairway leads to Floor 26 SPG Business Lounge

Platinum members receive complimentary passes for wireless internet on the Club Floors 25-27.  Ask at front desk or concierge in lounge for complimentary pass codes for internet access. 

Vancouver Sheraton Wall Centre SPG Business Center in 26th Floor Lounge, South Tower

A nice feature of our room location on Floor 27, South Tower was easy access to the SPG Club Floor TV room on Floor 27.  The SPG Club Floor TV lounge has a large screen TV, board games and magazines, and iced drinks (sodas, juice drinks, and sparking water) and coffee throughout the day.

Vancouver Sheraton Wall Centre, SPG Club Floor TV room, Floor 27, South Tower

North Tower is said to have nicer rooms, but that is all relative to your view and whether you are upgraded to a suite or possibly have a balcony room in the South Tower.  My reservation was changed from the North Tower to a Club floor one-bedroom suite on the 27^th floor South Tower.  All of my hotel stays have been in the South Tower.  This stay was a Best Rate Guarantee that lowered the room rate from $169 CAD to $129 CAD and garnered a 2,000 Starpoint bonus for a successful Best Rate Guarantee claim.

Sheraton Wall Centre patio table and chairs in suite

The Sheraton Wall Centre 27th floor guest suite itself had minimal furnishings.  The couch was the least comfortable of the three Vancouver Starwood Hotel suites.  Westin Bayshore had the nicest furniture of the three hotels.  The highlight of a stay at the Wall Centre are the high floor views from the floor to ceiling windows.  And there really isn’t a bad direction to be facing in Vancouver.  The view from up high is all good. 

View to the north along Burrard Street, Vancouver

There is a 3rd floor interior walkway between the South and North Towers, however, you must walk by the conference center rooms which could be crowded at times.  The workout room, spa, sauna, and indoor pool area are located at the base of the North Tower.  Large changing rooms are available at the gym/pool area.

Vancouver Sheraton Wall Centre North Tower pool

An attendant manages the door entry for the gym/pool and swimming hours are 5am to 11pm daily.  Facilities include a large workout room stocked with a variety of machines and weights, a steam room, and a sauna room.

Vancouver Sheraton Wall Centre workout room, North Tower

Starbucks at North Tower entrance and reception and bar up escalator to main lobby

Vancouver Sheraton Wall Centre is in the geographic center of downtown Vancouver.  All the downtown districts are within easy walking distance from Granville Island, Yaletown, Downtown hotels and restaurants and Robson Street shops, Gastown, and even the Coal Harbour waterfront is only a 20 to 30-minute walk.

The architecture of Sheraton Wall Centre is striking and looking out the hotel floor to ceiling windows from the 27^th floor is the kind of experience I find invigorating as a small town resident where very few buildings are more than four stories tall.

 Vancouver Sheraton Wall Centre, North Tower

The Sheraton Wall Centre takes up a city block and has two hotel towers, South and North with Convention Center rooms between the towers.  A third tower is a residential unit.  A parking garage is below ground.  Parking is $26CAD per day.

The South Tower is the older building and has 35 floors.  The SPG lounge floors are 25, 26, and 27.

South Tower on left and Residential Building at Vancouver Sheraton Wall Centre

The North Tower is a striking piece of architecture prominent in the Vancouver skyline as it stands higher than most surrounding buildings. 

Sheraton Wall Centre North Tower (tallest building in center) as seen from Westin Grand

Marriott Rewards represents 2,800 hotels worldwide and the 30 Millionth (30,000,000) member, Kristen Johnson, happened to be a guest who signed up November 14, 2008 during a stay at the JW Marriott Camelback Inn.   

JW Marriott Camelback Inn – Scottsdale, AZ 

How do these things just randomly happen?  What are the odds?

The 30 millionth member didn’t sign up online or in some out of the way low level Marriott brand hotel.  Scottsdale, Arizona  Camelback Inn resort is one of only 19 JW Marriott hotels in the USA, Marriott Rewards’ most exclusive brand.

JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort – Scottsdale, AZ

I imagine the party plays a little better for executives at JW Marriott Camelback Inn in Scottsdale than a grand shindig at the Fairfield Inn, Fayetteville, Arkansas.

JW Marriott Camelback Inn – Scottsdale, AZ

A statement I agree with from the Marriott Press Release – “Marriott Rewards is about much more than just points. It’s about easing the stress of travel and making life more rewarding for members while they are on the road,” said Ed French, senior vice president, Marriott Rewards.

This week I have discussed elite status for 2009. My motivation for encouraging travelers to plan for attaining hotel loyalty elite membership as a travel tool is a belief in hotel loyalty reducing much of the stress of travel.  Travel stress is walking into a crap hotel room after a 12 to 16 hour travel journey and feeling ripped off for what you paid.

A hotel loyalty program like Marriott Rewards, Hilton HHonors, Starwood Preferred Guest  narrows the choices from over one hundred hotels in most major cities and dozens in smaller cities and rural areas to provide a standardization of the guest room and hotel experience.  You may pay more here or there for a hotel room, however, you will be able to stay for free at some other time and save a lot of money here and there.

Camelback Inn, A J.W. Marriott Resort & Spa – Scottsdale, AZ

The most important provision of the Hilton Grand Vacations Club 2008 Grand Giveaway sweepstakes should be told first.

“By providing my name and phone number, I am providing my electronic signature and consent to be contacted by Hilton Grand Vacations Company regarding future programs and benefits.”

The Prizes:

Grand Prize – 2009 BMW 750Li or $79,500 in cash.

1^st Prize – Hawaiian Getaway for 7-nights, airfare, and $5,000 or $11,100 in cash.

2^nd Prize – Orlando Getaway for 7-nights, airfare, and $5,000 or $8,900 in cash.

Hilton Grand Vacations Club 2008 Sweepstakes

Link: www.hgvcsweeps.com

Main Terms & Conditions:

1.       Only open to residents of 50 USA, D.C., and Japan.

2.       This has been a one year promotion since January 2008 and ends January 31, 2009.  Go online at www.hgvcsweeps.com to enter.

3.       Drawing will be held March 2, 2009.

Hilton Grand Vacation Club Grand Giveaway Official Rules link.

The Marriott Sweepstakes was so popular on Loyalty Traveler that I’ll spread the word on more dreamscape opportunities for you to win a free automobile, one-week vacation, or even versatile cash.  Back in 2000, I won 50,000 Starpoints in an online marketing contest having nothing to do with Starwood Hotels, so random lucky people do win these online prizes.  My one hit this decade may have been my once in a lifetime probability for contests.

The economy is falling at an accelerated pace and hotels along with hotel guests are just more dominoes waiting in the line.  Your personal financial situation may or may not be on the skids.

If 2009 is looking brighter than sleeping on your couch and watching TV glare, then here are some more tips for planning hotel elite status in 2009 for travelers who have not yet locked up elite status in a hotel loyalty program or are looking to change brand loyalty for 2009.

InterContinental Hotels Group  - Priority Club Rewards

No more Four Seasons or Mandarin Oriental hotels budgeted for your business retreats?  Is 75 nights for Marriott Platinum looking as easy to see as Russia from Wasilla, Alaska?

IHG Priority Club Rewards is the hotel loyalty program for around 4,000 hotels worldwide.  Priority Club has more hotels than Marriott or Hilton and covers the major IHG hotel brands of Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express in addition to several other brands in the upscale and luxury segments and two extended stay hotel brands. 

On the luxury side is the InterContinental Hotels brand, originally started as a division of Pan Am airline back in the 1950s to place luxury hotels in major cities around the globe.  InterContinental Hotels has a separate, highly rewarding hotel loyalty program with a $150 annual membership fee  – InterContinental Ambassador – recommended for Priority Club members planning stays at InterContinental Hotels.  (A link at the end of this post has more on elite benefits of Priority Club Rewards and Ambassador.)

Crowne Plaza is the more prevalent IHG upscale hotel brand in the USA.  Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites round out the IHG chain as extended stay, apartment style brands. Hotel Indigo is the newest brand filling a boutique niche, but still relatively few in number with less than 30 hotels currently open.

Top Elite for Cheap

Priority Club Rewards offers the cheapest route to top elite among the major hotel loyalty programs and is expedient.  Basically, Priority Club allows you to buy elite status.  Priority Club Gold Elite membership is available for just $50 and offers some amenities like a 10% points bonus for hotel spending. 

Priority Club Platinum elite is the top-tier membership available through two different qualification standards:

1.      Stay 50 nights during a calendar year at any of the IHG brand hotels. 

2.      Earn 60,000 Priority Club points in a calendar year.

The 60,000 points method is the fast-track way to Priority Club elite.  One of the features of IHG Priority Club that is different from other hotel loyalty programs is allowing points earned from activities other than hotel stays to count towards elite status. 

Fast-track to IHG Priority Club Rewards Platinum Elite with more cash, fewer hotel nights

Earning Points Option 1: The current Priority Club Rewards VISA credit card offer is 30,000 points for new cardholders. You are Gold elite after reaching 20,000 points and this current credit card offer puts you half way to Platinum elite membership.

Earning Points Option 2: A points purchase of 30,000 points for $345.00, in addition to the credit card 30,000 points, puts the member all the way to Platinum elite membership.

Alternatively, a member can buy 40,000 points ($460) and probably earn the remaining 20,000 points through hotel stays, promotion registrations, or online shopping. 

Caution: There is a 40,000 points purchase limit per 12 months.  Do not purchase points in 2008 unless you can reach 60,000 total points for 2008 and you will have Platinum elite for all of 2009.  Elite status is based on points earned in a calendar year.  Your Priority Club elite qualification points are reset to zero (0) on January 1, 2009. New Priority Club Rewards loyalists should wait until January 2009 to buy points and when you reach 60,000 points in 2009 you will have Platinum elite for all of 2009 and 2010.

Priority Club Rewards Bonus Points

Priority Club Rewards Bonus Points can be purchased as an addition to your room rate for many hotels.

InterContinental San Francisco regularly awards 2,000 Priority Club points per stay.  The regular rate for Nov 26 is $169 and offers 1,000 bonus points.  The Priority Club member will receive 3,000 Priority Club points for a one-night stay. 

Another rate plan offers 4,000 bonus points for $179 rate.  The Priority Club member will earn 6,000 Priority Club Rewards points for this stay.  To earn 3,000 additional points will only increase your room rate by $10 (actually $10 + 14% San Francisco hotel tax = $11.40 more).  $11.40 for 3,000 points is less than 1/3 the purchase price to buy points from Priority Club.

Priority Club Bonus Points can add 1000s of points at low cost

Priority Club Rewards Shopping Partners

Priority Club has an extensive network of more than 200 online shopping partners.  And 25 of the merchant partners are offering double points for the holiday shopping season. 

Word of caution if planning elite status around shopping bonus points.  Elite status is based on calendar year activity.  Bonus points earned will be posted to your Priority Club account no later than 12 weeks after the promotion ends. Bonus points will appear as a separate deposit into your Priority Club account.

Earning 60,000 points before December 31, 2008 will give you platinum elite status for all of 2009, however, if you earn 60,000 points in January 2009 through credit card activity, online shopping, points purchases and hotel stays, your Platinum elite status will be valid for all of 2009 and 2010.

Points purchases will post to your account almost immediately and are the way to go if you are within reach of Platinum elite for 2008. 

A new member to Priority Club should try to push online purchases as close to the end of December as possible to allow little time for the points to post in 2008.  Ideally you will receive your points in 2009, and can then apply for a credit card, or purchase points, or sign up for Priority Club bonuses and begin earning hotel stay points in January.  60,000 points is not a difficult threshold to meet for Platinum elite.

Priority Club is the easiest program to reach top elite membership without having to spend money on hotel stays.  Of course, top elite status only has value if you are planning hotel stays for 2009.  And if you are looking for the amenities and benefits of top elite with the widespread availability of hotels in both the upscale and mid-market segments, then Priority Club Rewards may be a good option for your hotel loyalty in 2009.

Priority Club Double Points Merchants for Holiday Shopping

Priority Club Shopping 2008 Holiday Promo Terms and Conditions

Double Priority Club Rewards points will be awarded to members for each qualifying transaction made only through the Priority Club Shopping site between November 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008.

·         Apple Store (2 points/$1)  remember i-Phones are excluded

·         Barnes & Noble.com (8 points/$1)

·         Circuit City (2 points/$1)   

·         CompUSA (4 points/$1)  

·         Current Catalog (8 points/$1)

·         Dell Home (2 points/$1)   

·         Dell Small Business (2 points/$1)    

·         Hickory Farms (10 points/$1)

·         HP Home Store (4 points/$1)

·         JCPenney (4 points/$1)   

·         Kmart (4 points/$1)   

·         Lands’ End (8 points/$1)

·         Macy’s (6 points/$1)

·         Nordstrom (8 points/$1)

·         OmahaSteaks.com (8 points/$1)

·         Overstock (6 points/$1)  

·         REI (8 points/$1)

·         RitzCamera.com (4 points/$1)  

·         Ross-Simons (8 points/$1)

·         Sears (4 points/$1) –  

·         The Home Depot (4 points/$1) – you can’t sell it so you might as well fix it up

·         TigerDirect (4 points/$1) – one of the best online computer discount store

·         Victoria’s Secret (6 points/$1) – just don’t tell her you did it for the points

·         VistaPrint.com  (20 points/$1) – get your new business cards ready

·         Walmart.com (2 points/$1) – points are even more value for your money

No bonus points will be awarded for purchases at any other merchants at Priority Club Shopping. Double point offers only valid on the US Priority Club Rewards Shopping mall website. Points per dollar spent are awarded on purchase totals before taxes and shipping costs.

Bonus points earned will be posted to your Priority Club account no later than 12 weeks after the promotion ends. Bonus points will appear as a separate deposit into your Priority Club account.

Participating merchants may have additional terms and conditions, see website for details.

I was thinking of an i-Phone purchase for points (played around with my sister’s and loved it), but then read the fine print to find i-Phones are excluded from earning points.  There is a lot of fine print and I have included it here.

Three of these merchants award points for gift cards: Overstock.com, Sears.com, and TigerDirect.com.

Merchant T&Cs and Custom Exclusions

Apple Store Exclusions: As of March 22, 2008 purchases of iPhones are not eligible to earn Priority Club points. Purchases of iPhones, gift certificates, gift cards, prepaid cards and gift wrapping are not eligible to earn Priority Club points. You will not earn Priority Club points from Apple iTunes if you click the Apple iTunes tab from the Apple Store website link. To earn Priority Club points from the Apple iTunes, shop directly with Apple iTunes.

Barnes & Noble.com Exclusions: Not valid with any other offers or promotions.

Circuit City Exclusions: The following are not eligible to earn Priority Club points – Circuit City Gift Cards and/or all other gift cards/prepaid cards purchased through Circuit City, Purchase of Music Digital downloads, Memberships, Subscriptions, Car Style and Performance Parts, Wireless Phones (not including Prepaid Wireless or Wireless Accessories), Vonage or any VoIP items, or any services, including but not limited to: Direct TV installations, Home Theater installations or Home Network installations or any purchases made from partner links where the customer is leaving the CircuitCity.com web site.

CompUSA Exclusions: Purchases of training, services, Business Sales and gift cards are not eligible to earn Priority Club points. The CompUSA Business, Auction & Clearance sites are excluded from earning Priority Club points.

Current Catalog Exclusions: Purchases of gift certificates and gift cards are not eligible to earn Priority Club points.

Dell Home Exclusions: The following are not eligible to earn Priority Club points – Dell Auction@DellExchange, Dell Donation@DellExchange, Dell Host, Dell Employee Purchase Programs, Dell’s Business Systems Division (“”BSD”"), purchases of gift certificates and gift cards. You will not earn Priority Club points from Dell Small Business if you click the Dell Small Business tab from the Dell Home website link. To earn Priority Club points from Dell Small Business, shop directly with Dell Small Business.

Dell Small Business Exclusions: Purchases of gift certificates and gift cards are not eligible to earn Priority Club points. You will not earn Priority Club points from Dell Home if you click the Dell Home tab from the Dell Small Business website link. To earn Priority Club points from Dell Home, shop directly with Dell Home.

Hickory Farms Exclusions: None.

HP Home Store Exclusions: Purchases of gift certificates and gift cards are not eligible to earn Priority Club points. Only purchases from HP Home Store and Home Office Division are eligible to earn Priority Club points. Purchases from other areas of the HP site, including Small Business Division, are not eligible to earn Priority Club points.

JCPenney Exclusions: Purchases of gift certificates and gift cards are not eligible to earn Priority Club points. Sephora orders made through JCPenney.com are not eligible to receive Priority Club points. To earn Priority Club points for Sephora purchases, shop directly with Sephora.

Kmart Exclusions: None.

Lands’ End Exclusions: The following are not eligible to earn Priority Club points: Products listed on the www.landsend.com website as “not available”, gift cards, orders that include products with custom embroidery or logos including products listed and/or purchased under the Lands’ End Business Outfitters portion of the web.

Macy’s Exclusions: The following are not eligible to earn Priority Club points – Gift Certificates, Gift Cards, Electronic Gift Cards, Virtual Gift Cards, Macy’s Bridal, Macy’s Wedding & Gift Registry and Phone Orders (which include Tag Heuer).

Nordstrom Exclusions: Purchases of gift certificates and gift cards are not eligible to earn Priority Club points.

OmahaSteaks.com Exclusions: Purchases of gift certificates and gift cards are not eligible to earn Priority Club points. Orders that use a “priority code,” or orders placed through the “Order from a mailing” link are not eligible to earn Priority Club points.

Overstock.com Exclusions: Purchases from Overstock Auctions, Overstock Cars and Overstock Real Estate, as well as travel and the redemption of gift certificates or gift cards are not eligible to earn Priority Club points. Purchases of gift cards are eligible to earn Priority Club points.

REI Exclusions: Purchases of gift certificates and gift cards are not eligible to earn Priority Club points.

RitzCamera.com Exclusions: Free Shipping Offer – Free Shipping offer applies to US orders over $100 and excludes Auction, Clearance, Oversized Items, Limited Specials, Heavier Items and service to AK & HI. If other shipping is selected, consumer will be charged the cost of the upgraded service.

Ross-Simons Exclusions: Purchases of gift certificates, gift cards and loose diamonds are not eligible to earn Priority Club points.

Sears Exclusions: Purchases made on Sears auctions, Sears Canada, Sears Showplace, Room for Kids, Homecenter, Protection/Service agreements, delivery, installation or any licensed partners are not eligible to earn v points. Purchases of gift cards ARE eligible to earn Priority Club points.

The Home Depot Exclusions: The following are not eligible to earn Priority Club points – Gift certificates/Gift Cards, Installation Services, Contractor Services, and purchases made from links where the customer is leaving the Homedepot.com web site.

TigerDirect Exclusions: The following are not eligible to earn Priority Club points – “out of print”, “hard to find”, and “special orders” (or other words to similar effect indicating that a product is not readily available for delivery). Business Sales, Government Sales and Educational Sales. Purchases of gift certificates and gift cards ARE eligible to earn Priority Club points.

Victoria’s Secret Exclusions: Purchases of gift certificates, gift cards and products offered by third parties at the time of checkout are not eligible to earn Priority Club points.

VistaPrint Exclusions: Purchases of gift certificates, gift cards and products offered by third parties at the time of checkout are not eligible to earn Priority Club points.

Walmart Exclusions: Purchases from Sam’s Club and Samsclub.com, pharmacy, optical products, travel, tires, financial Services, Wal-Mart Connect Internet Service, movie downloads, gift cards, online gift cards or purchases made from links where the customer is leaving the Walmart.com web site are not eligible to earn Priority Club points.

Related Loyalty Traveler post:

IHG Priority Club Rewards Elite Status Overview

http://boardingarea.com/blogs/loyaltytraveler/2008/08/25/ihg-priority-club-rewards-gold-platinum-ambassador-and-royal-ambassador/

Hotel Loyalty Program Elite Status

Lots of people don’t focus on hotel loyalty or elite membership.  There are traveler types who will go to a place that is trendy while it is becoming “the trendiest place to be”.   Lodging options from the top resort on the island or the coast, the city apartment in the local neighborhood, the newest happening hotel, or couch swapping are the stories we often read in travel magazines and I hear from my relatives and friends.  

Lodging experiences are great, but I also need high value.  Finding good value experiences is fundamental to my time-rich, job-poor lifestyle as a hotel travel analyst.

A hotel loyalty program focus for elite status is important to me when traveling.  Unfortunately, my hotel loyalty program focus often comes to the exclusion of other interesting and wonderful lodging options. 

Basically the question of whether elite status will be a high value proposition for your travel lifestyle comes down to a numbers game:

• How many hotel nights do you actually need in a year?,

• How much can you afford to spend?, 

• How much do you value paying more to get better lodging?

2009 Hotel Loyalty Program Advice (from this elite Loyalty Traveler)

1.      Estimate Your Hotel Nights for 2009 travel for vacations, visiting family and friends (and really ask yourself do you want to sleep in the children’s bedroom again?), and other leisure days away from home.

2.      Estimate Your Hotel Nights for 2009 Business. 

a.      Do you have control over choosing the hotel brand where you stay?

b.      If not, do you know cities for travel and which hotel brands you will be staying for business

c.       If not, then business travel may only be useful for a couple of stays and you will need to focus on discretionary travel if you want elite membership privileges.

3.      Add total nights for leisure and business travel

a.      If less than 15 nights in a calendar year – you may not want to concentrate on any single hotel loyalty program. 

Go for the best deals you can find and sign up for hotel loyalty program promotions when they fit your travel plans or fit your travel plans to take advantage of some of the high value promotions.  There are promotions every year allowing a frequent guest to earn $1,000+ in future hotel value when spending an equivalent or lesser amount on hotel stays to fulfill the promotion terms – if you plan for that outcome. 

b.      15 to 30 nights in hotels in a calendar year and you may be a candidate for high elite membership if you focus your hotel stays within a single hotel loyalty program and take advantage of promotional bonuses for even more added value.  Reading Loyalty Traveler is a great way to learn how to reach high elite membership with relatively economical spending.

c.      30 nights or more in a calendar year and you may save money by always finding the best deals, however, by concentrating on a single hotel loyalty program and elite status, you should be able to improve your lodging and hotel benefits to receive much higher value for your money by focusing on high elite membership.

d.      50 nights or more in a calendar year and you are wasting money or getting less lodging than you could for your money if you don’t receive high elite membership recognition in terms of upgrades and benefits with the majority of your hotel stays.

In 2008, Hyatt Hotels Gold Passport and Starwood Hotels Preferred Guest (SPG) ran promotions for earning Double Stay credit for elite membership qualification.  These two hotel loyalty programs both have the same threshold of 25 hotel stays or 50 hotel nights during a calendar year for top-tier elite status: Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond and Starwood Preferred Guest Platinum.

A hotel stay is one or more consecutive nights at one hotel, regardless if different reservation numbers. A hotel night is any eligible, paid night at a hotel member in the loyalty program during the calendar year.

Guests paying for a 3-night weekend stay at the Hyatt Regency Monterey receive one (1) stay credit and three (3) night credits towards the 25-stay or 50-night Diamond elite membership qualification threshold. 

Guests staying Friday night at the Hyatt Regency Monterey, followed by Saturday night at the Hyatt Carmel Highlands, followed by Sunday night back at the Hyatt Regency Monterey receive three (3) stay credits and three (3) night credits towards the 25-stay or 50-night Diamond elite membership qualification threshold.

“Hotel hopping” is a good way to quickly increase your stays and see a variety of hotels.  Of course, changing hotels mid-day is time-consuming and may not always be a viable option on your vacation or business trip.  Personally, I try to make frequent hotel stays when I am not taking a vacation.  Redeeming points for a multi-night vacation stay is the benefit from all the hotel hops planned to earn lots of points for a nice long stay at a vacation hotel.

A guest with no elite membership will receive mid-tier Hyatt Platinum elite membership after 5 stays or 15 nights at Hyatt brand hotels and Starwood Preferred Guest mid-tier Gold membership after 10 stays or 25 nights at Starwood brand hotels.

The high value benefits come with top elite status (Hyatt Diamond or SPG Platinum).  For most travelers not regularly spending 50-plus nights in hotels every year, reaching the top-elite threshold takes a plan.

Reaching top elite Gold Passport Diamond or SPG Platinum required only 13 hotel stays in 2008 for both Hyatt and Starwood during their open enrollment promotions available to all members.  Hyatt’s Double stays was January-March 2008 and Starwood’s is October 1-December 31, but members had to register for Double Stays by November 15, 2008.

My Pacific Northwest trip included six (6) Starwood Hotel stays and I am registered for the Starwood Double Stays promotion through the end of this year.  I earned Hyatt Diamond membership in March during Hyatt Gold Passport’s “Stays Count Double” promotion.  My general rule of thumb is top elite status will provide $100+ in additional benefits for every full service hotel stay.

During the Pacific Northwest trip I received additional benefits at all six hotels as recognition of Starwood Platinum status.

I learned Starwood’s two newest hotel brands, aloft and Element, the new extended stay hotel brand, do not have to offer suite upgrades to SPG platinum elites as a condition of their loyalty program participation agreement.  This was reported in an aloft hotel suite thread on FlyerTalk by Starwood Lurker, Starwood Hotels’ representative on FlyerTalk. My two stays at aloft hotels earned 250 points each as a Platinum member amenity.  There were no other special benefits at the aloft Portland.

The Nines Portland provided complimentary lounge access, a privilege that comes with a $200+ price tag to purchase with your reservation at the hotel.  I did not receive a room upgrade.

Sheraton Wall Centre, Vancouver upgraded my room to a full suite, provided complimentary wireless internet access, lounge access with breakfast and an evening social (alcohol not complimentary), and all-day access to sodas and juice.

Westin Bayshore, Vancouver upgraded my room to a full suite.

The Westin Grand, Vancouver is an all-suites hotel.  I did not see any additional benefits for the Westin Grand aside from the 500 Starpoints Platinum amenity gift.

Added value from Platinum elite membership for six hotel stays included two room upgrades to a suite ($200 value); two hotels with lounge access and complimentary food and drinks ($150 value), and 2,500 bonus Starpoints for Platinum Welcome amenity gifts ($87 value), in addition to the 800 elite bonus points on top of base points ($28 value).

Added value due to platinum elite status with Starwood Preferred Guest = $465 for six stays.

·          

The hotel industry forecast is looking rather gloomy in most of the industry research articles I’ve read since returning home.  Expect 2009 to be loaded with loyalty program incentives and some great discounts.  I think Hyatt and Starwood will continue Double Stays for fast-track elite qualification in early 2009. 

I know times are bad for the hotel industry, but what is the rationale for having a $500 cancellation penalty if the reservation is cancelled within two days of arrival?  The last-minute cancellation penalty is nearly six times greater than the AAA room rate I reserved for the Westin Casuarina, Las Vegas. 

The Westin Casuarina currently has prepaid, nonrefundable room rates at $85 for the dates of my stay.  The AAA room rate at $84.95 per night is refundable up to 48 hours before arrival.  The small print in the rate terms is the real shocker. 

“If you cancel between 11/19/2008 and 06:00PM hotel time on (the date two days before arrival), there will be no forfeiture amount. If you cancel after 06:00PM hotel time on (the date two days before arrival), the forfeiture amount will be USD 499.95.   There may be additional applicable charges and taxes.”

I think I will switch to the internet-only nonrefundable room rate with a maximum liability of $85 if I miss the reservation. 

Is this a new revenue stream strategy for making profits with fewer guests?

 Westin Casuarina, Las Vegas

I think it was the Starwood Hotels Better Tomorrows promotion launched early last month that got me thinking about a west coast drive.  Now, back from Vancouver, Canada and my two week business holiday, I reread my post from October 13 about the Starwood Hotels 50% off the 2^nd Night Sale, “Better Tomorrows”.

As often happens when I start research on a topic the real story surfaces from the data I find. 

Analysis of Better Tomorrows Promotion – One Month Later

The real story concerns the real value of a hotel room rates sale with restrictive nonrefundable conditions for the consumer.  The concept of Starwood’s 50% off 2^nd night sale, which I like to call a 25% off sale since the total discount is 25% off the regular rate on a two-night stay, is designed to make the consumer feel the deal is so good for the hotel reservation that there will be no better time to book the hotel stay at a lower rate.  The great rate is offset by restrictive nonrefundable, no changes or cancellation rules for the special offer.

I searched and published hotel rates on October 13, 2008 in this Loyalty Traveler blog  for three hotels for a stay on this coming weekend Friday-Saturday, November 21-23 using the “Better Tomorrows” sale rate:

·         Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre British Columbia, Canada;

·         W Hotel San Francisco, and

·         Westin Portland, Oregon

My finding today is all three hotels have lower total rates if booked today through regular internet searches than what I would have paid for two nights using the Better Tomorrows sale rate last month.

The Better Tomorrows rates based on a nonrefundable, no cancellation or changes special offer rate if booked last month would have cost significantly more (16% higher) when looking at the same three hotels for the same dates if booked today for this weekend and a Friday arrival. 

Undoubtedly there were some good bargains with the Better Tomorrows sale. The savings turned out not to be there for the small sample of hotels I checked and could have booked a month ago for this weekend.  An extra 16% is too much a premium to be paid in a nonrefundable reservation in a hotel market that is dropping as fast as the housing market in some locations.

Just another Loyalty Traveler reason to avoid nonrefundable, nonchangeable, no cancellation rates.

Another Starwood Hotels’ website Rate Search Anomaly 

In my searches the past week I have frequently seen rate changes when searching for a hotel by city. The initial search shows a rate higher than shown when you select a specific hotel.

Notice the Planet Hollywood room rate of $88:

Search for Starwood Hotels Las Vegas Shows Planet Hollywood is $88

Frequently these city rate searches show lower rates when selecting the Book Now button.

Planet Hollywood rate drops to $59 after selecting Book Now

The hotel rate shift is not a Las Vegas anomaly as I have seen this same occurrence today for hotels in San Francisco and Vancouver, Canada.

November 17 is the last day for the Better Tomorrows offer (see related Loyalty Traveler links from October 13 Better Tomorrows post and November 17 Analysis of Better Tomorrows - One Month Later), but this promotion is being followed by the Sheraton and Four Points College Football Fans Invited 50% off 2^nd night sale.  The hotel selection for the College Football sale is reduced to these two Sheraton brands and reservations are being accepted through March 31, 2009.  The sale seems to have little to do with College Football as San Francisco isn’t really much of a college football game city location and most of the reservations timeframe is well after college football season.

Promotion: College Football Fans 50% off 2^nd Night at participating Sheraton and Four Points by Sheraton hotels in USA.

·         Special Rate Code = ZBT

·         Booking Deadline: None stated

·         Reservations Period: now through March 31, 2009 and requires a Thursday through Saturday night arrival.

This promotion has lots of technical glitches on my computer when I have searched for sale rates over the past couple of days.   On Saturday, Nov 15, the website kept flashing and reloading every couple of seconds and the unstable visual imagery was annoying.  Fortunately, that glitch stopped when I checked the website on Sunday.

The real issue is the advertisement for 50% off the second night for participating Sheraton Hotels.

I looked up California and the Carlsbad Sheraton Resort and Spa listed as a San Diego hotel in the California City choices.

Carlsbad Sheraton is a participating hotel in Football Fans Invited Promotion

The Carlsbad Sheraton says “valid for arrival any Thursday –Saturday.  When I click on the “Book Now” link I am redirected to the standard “Save 20% on a two-night stay” promotional page for “Z2R” resort multiple night stay discounts that has been an ongoing promotion throughout 2008.

This webpage is not correct link for Football Fans Invited promotion

Mathematically, 20% off a two night stay is equivalent to a 40% discount on the second night, whereas, the Football Fans Invited promotion states a 50% discount for the second night applies.

What’s up Starwood?

My 50% off rate should give me a total room rate of $199 for the first night and $99.50 for the second night for a total of $299.50.  The 20% off rate gives me a two night stay rate of $318.40.

Starwood is overcharging $18.90 for this two night stay compared to the advertised promotional rate of 50% off the second night.

The links for the California hotel options are messed up.  Some hotels show no discount page and go directly to the regular booking page for Sheraton (Sheraton Petaluma), some hotels feed into the 20% off a two-night stay (Sheraton Carlsbad, San Francisco Sheraton Fisherman’s Wharf), and some hotels feed into the “Better Tomorrows” promotion booking page and work (Sheraton La Jolla, Sheraton Pasadena) and some hotels feed into a “ZBT” booking page that responds with the message  “We are sorry, but that promotion code is not available for the dates selected.”,  regardless of the dates I try.

The promotion works for some hotels in California and worked for hotels in three other states I searched and found the second night at 50% off, however, the working links feed into the “Better Tomorrows” rate page which is the 50% off the second night promotion for all Starwood brands ending today, November 17. 

Whether these links will work tomorrow remains to be seen.

I have been working and driving for 20 hours straight.  As a reader, don’t expect this to be a focused post. 

The essence of travel is the experience of little alterations to your normal existence. 

Vancouver Moosecot

Images and experiences of the past week are all rushing through my mind.  The journey has truly been a trip.

Why do they park this way in Seattle?

Seattle drivers back in for diagonal parking

Last Saturday I was in a Seattle Fremont neighborhood pub talking with my sister.  I told her this Northwest driving trip was a practice run to see if I can work effectively while traveling around.  The waitress overheard me and said, “Oh, you’re multi-tasking.”

Lenin Statue in Fremont District, Seattle

Three days of driving in torrential rainstorms, two days visiting my sister in Seattle for the first time since she moved there in 2000, three days of hotel hopping around Vancouver with my wife who flew up to Canada from California for the long weekend, and three freelance assignments that came in my email box over the past week kept pushing the Loyalty Traveler blog to the back-burner.

It’s a grey day and the pine trees are dripping…

In a grey world my reality is slipping

   ‘Grey Day’, Jesse Colin Young

Portland, Oregon was déjà vu yesterday with the drive from Seattle to Portland as rainy as the drive last week across Oregon to Portland.  The Pacific Northwest matched its average rainfall for the entire month of November in the past week and I drove through a good portion of the heaviest downpours.  The weather report today says the next week will be dry and tomorrow it will be in the 80s here in the Big Valley of California.  At least my luck was good for Vancouver with beautiful weather for the duration of my wife’s visit.

View from Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia

I arrived at the Holiday Inn Express in Yreka, California a couple of hours ago and wondered why I was searching for a parking spot at 5:00pm on a Thursday.  In the lobby I discovered I arrived for the hotel’s Grand Opening Open House.  The hotel opened about ten weeks ago and the public was invited to view several rooms on display.

What luck!  I was able to tour the hotel and see a suite, a bedroom with a whirlpool bath, and take advantage of a reception with live music, complimentary Heineken and Sierra Nevada beers, wine, and appetizers in the lobby. 

Yreka, California Holiday Inn Express

My second stay at a Holiday Inn Express and I am pleased with my two experiences.  I have said this before and I really think 2009 is going to be the year when this Loyalty Traveler gets to know Priority Club and the InterContinental Ambassador programs on a more personal level.

·          

I anticipated hotel prices to drop in November 2008 for San Francisco just as they do every year, but low  San Francisco hotel rates are blowing my mind the past couple of days.  Le Meridien San Francisco, a Category 5 SPG hotel is going for $119 per night – the lowest rate I’ve ever seen for this hotel.  The Palace, a Category 5 Luxury Collection hotel is $136 – the best rate in about two years.  Westin Market Street is $119 (and I actually see a $109 Best Rate Guarantee claim for tomorrow night, but Ms. Loyalty Traveler is going to change the locks if I don’t go home).  Looks like double stays for SPG Platinum renewal is going to be completed with some good deals.

Le Meridien Hotel San Francisco at $119 is luxury at a bargain price

Vancouver on my mind

“Take my hand and come with me

                Into this Crystal Village”

                                –Pete Yorn

Vancouver’s crystal tower village view from Granville Island

Vancouver is a beautiful city of crystal towers on the waterfront.  I have been to Vancouver a couple of times before, but I don’t remember the city being so compact.  I think this was my first visit when the weather wasn’t freezing cold and walking around for hours each day was a delight.  I’ll have hotel reports over the next week from the host city of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Inuksuk in Hyatt Hotel Vancouver – 2010 Winter Olympics Symbol

The Nines, Starwood Luxury Collection, Portland, Oregon

The Nines in Portland, Oregon is a recent addition to Starwood’s Luxury Collection brand.

Staircase between The Nines 8th Floor lobby and 6th Floor conference rooms 

The Luxury Collection brand of Starwood Hotels is a small collection of about 70 unique hotels, many existing as renovated historical buildings.  Europe has several Luxury Collection properties on the Condé Nast 2008 Readers Choice Awards list.  The United States has seen several of the latest hotel openings for the global Luxury Collection including the Joule in Dallas, the Equinox in Vermont, and the SLS Hotel Beverly Hills.

The Nines is located in central downtown Portland across from Pioneer Courthouse Square.  The Square was designated as one of the 10 Great Public Spaces in the USA by the American Planning Association.  With over 300 events annually on Pioneer Square Courthouse, the likelihood of something happening right outside the hotel during your hotel stay at the Nines is fairly good. 

Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland, Oregon

The Nines Hotel:

The Meier and Frank building is a historic property originally designed as a major department store in downtown Portland.  Architect A.E. Doyle’s terra cotta design building was the largest department store west of the Mississippi in 1932 at the time it was completed, 75 years after the first Aaron Meier store opened in Portland, Oregon in 1857.  May Company purchased Meier and Frank in 1966, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, and in 2005 the May Company became Macy’s. The bottom floors of the building with the Nines Hotel comprise Portland’s flagship Macy’s store.

Historic Meier and Frank Department Store Building is The Nines Hotel

Meier and Frank was known as “the Store for Service and Accommodation”, a legacy the Nines seems to emulate.  I overheard the concierges at the Nines 12^th floor hotel Club Lounge assisting several guests with dining and activity plans in Portland and then following up with guests the next day.

The Nines Urban Farmer Restaurant in lobby

The remodeled hotel opened at the end of October 2008 with 311 rooms, including two Presidential suites, a hospitality suite, and ten junior suites.  I stayed in Room 1128 and while the room seemed small at first with a bedroom space of only 12’ x 13’, I felt the room contained everything I needed for a comfortable and luxurious stay.

A guest enters the building at ground level and takes an elevator to the 8^th floor lobby check-in.  The 8^th floor is mostly a large open-space atrium containing the Urban Farmer Restaurant and a variety of public spaces for seating.  The Library is a quieter place on the 8th floor with a pool table and books from the local Powell’s Bookstore in Portland. 

The Nines, 8th Floor lobby and Urban Farmer restaurant, Portland, Oregon

The rooms are wrapped around a square of hallways and the interior of the building is the large central atrium extending from the 8^th to 15^th floors.  Rooms facing the interior atrium have large windows and some have sliding glass doors.  The volume from the diners and guests in the hotel atrium was substantial during the evening of my stay and I imagine the noise from the dining area could make these rooms inconvenient at times with the window open. 

Interior atrium facing rooms at the Nines, Portland, Oregon

The Room:

My exterior-facing city view room, 1128, on the 11^th floor faced north with a northeast view through the small 30-inch wide window in the corner.  The lack of natural light was compensated by the wonderful hanging chandelier light reflecting crystal patterns on the wall paper. 

Room 1128, The Nines, Portland, Oregon

The 42” Phillips TV provided lots of light in the small room and even some HDTV stations, however, the delay between channel changes on the TV was quite annoying and I kept the channel card within reach to travel directly between channels I wanted to view. 

The Nines, Portland TV and desk

The four lamps in the room were all art pieces. 

The Nines Desk Lamp

These are the kind of electronic features I desire for my home. 

The bed was the most heavenly bed I have slept in for some time with the full array of bedding amenities one would expect in a luxury hotel.  

The Nines bed

A comfortable 7-foot sofa provided a nice seating option for the room.

The Nines, sofa, Portland, Oregon

The Boston Electronics clock/radio was turned on by the maid service while I was lounging in the 12^thfloor club lounge drinking a large glass of wine (concierge filled a water glass liberally with a Kendall Jackson 2004 Meritage which took me the good part of an hour to drink).  A couple of tasty chocolates along with the bathrobe were placed on the bed for the turndown service.

The Nines turndown service, Portland, Oregon

The marble tiled bathroom only had a shower, no tub.   Bath amenities are “Gilchrist and Soames” brand soaps and shampoos.  Toiletries included bath soap, face soap, hair conditioner, body wash, mouth rinse, body lotion, and a couple of bath amenity packs. 

The Nines Bathroom

The bath towels are absolutely heavenly.  The 72”x36” plush towels are a delight to wrap around your body after stepping out of the shower.  Dual flush toilets are a green feature of the hotel rooms. 

Dual Flush ‘green’ toilet at the Nines

Free wireless internet and local/toll-free calls make the Nines in Portland a delight for the Starwood traveler.  The telephone clock was one hour ahead on both room phones which had me confused on the actual time when I returned from the Club lounge.  The phone did not work for outgoing calls at first and I called the desk twice before the phone functioned.  My primary complaint for the hotel was a rude awakening with a 12:31am phone call to find nobody on the line.  The hotel operator said there was no way to know who had called. 

The mini-bar was electronically locked and I called the desk soon after arriving in the room, but I didn’t really want an engineering visit just to see what was inside.  My London honeymoon hotel bill in 1989 cured me of mini-bar escapades.

The hotel has a variety of local artists’ pieces.  I overheard a couple of guests questioning the appropriateness of the mannequin display at the lobby entrance to the hotel atrium.

Art adjacent to 8th floor Reception Desk, The Nines, Portland, Oregon

The hotel has a classic feel of a luxury environment in an urban setting.  The guest room ceiling at 9.5’  is the type of space you tend to only find in older buildings in the USA.  The guest room floors have doorways on the elevator side and the opposite side of the atrium where guests can view over the railing down into the atrium (if you do not already have an interior atrium facing room).

The elevators require a key card for any floor besides the 8^th floor reception area and restaurants.  You have to be quick with your key card.  I found myself heading to the ground floor a couple of times when fumbling around my pocket for the card.

The 7th floor has a workout room and business center.  The 15th floor will be the rooftop Departure Restaurant and is scheduled to open in Spring 2009.

The Nines Workout Room is large with a variety of equipment

The 12th floor Club Lounge has several food presentations a day.  There were gourmet appetizers and complimentary wine and beer for the evening hours and desserts are brought out at 8pm.  The lounge can accommodate about 40 people, but the setting has only a couple of regular size tables for eating and the overall lighting is fairly dark.  There were only two small tables of regular dining height.  Couches and chairs are set up around coffee tables and at least five seating areas around smaller tables made the room a nice social setting.  Newspapers, a large screen Sony computer station, and a large screen TV in cabinet were available for guests.

Club Lounge at the Nines serves food several times a day

Two to three staff members kept service levels high every time I visited the lounge.  The young staff are quite sociable and pleasant and each concierge took the time to greet every guest entering the lounge.  In the evening there were just three to five guests in the lounge at any one time between 5:30 and 7:00pm and in the morning I saw a maximum of six guests at 7:00am to 7:30 when the lounge opened.

Breakfast spread included salmon, sliced meats, cheeses, pastries, cereals, small trays of sliced fruit, coffee, juices, and sodas.

The latest Starwood special offer has rooms for $199, however, Club access rates are $449 – a significant rate premium. SPG Platinum members receive complimentary Club Floor access.

The Nines lobby

All in all, the Nines is a fine addition to the Portland lodging sector.