Westin Fort Lauderdale Hotel

February, 2008

Above and Beyond

• I found the front desk staff incredibly pleasant at the Westin Fort Lauderdale Hotel.
• The room size is very comfortable with a little seating area.
• The bedding is very comfortable.
• The shower does have two shower heads which makes for a very pleasant experience. Both water pressure and water temperature were great.
• The flat screen TV is a nice size.
• There is a safe in the closet and it is large enough to store a laptop. The drawer space and desk space is plentiful.
• They do have internet access, which they charge for. It works perfectly.
• Lastly, they do have a very nice single serving coffee machine with Starbucks coffee supplied and included in the rate. For coffeeholics like me, this is very nice.

A Matter of Taste

• The Westin Fort Lauderdale Hotel is functionally OK. The lobby and restaurants are pleasant to dine in. I had a cup of coffee but did not experience the food.

Needs Improvement

• The Westin Fort Lauderdale Hotel is in need of cosmetic surgery.
• The carpeting in my room was dirty.
• The elevators are old and there are chips all over inside them.
• They did not fill the bathroom towel racks to make it look plush with towels. I found the amenities weak relative to the price paid. Again, you get more amenities at a Hilton Garden Inn and pay half the price. They did have shampoo, conditioner and moisturizer, but many hotels have a lot more today including shower caps, mouthwash, cotton swabs, etc…The soap bars supplied were sub par. They looked cheap. There is a telephone jack in the bathroom, but no telephone.
• The fitness center at the Westin Fort Lauderdale Hotel has outdated equipment. The room is a narrow room and the TV’s are mounted high on the wall. It is impossible to see these TV’s from most of the equipment, which includes all the treadmills. They do have a filtered water cooler in the fitness center, but they stock it with the “cone” style cups. Try putting a cone style cup in ANY piece of fitness equipment. One other big negative to the fitness center is one has to walk outside to get there. Now, it rains often in Southern Florida. You will get drenched getting there and not have much of a workout. I imagine their fitness center is empty during poor weather.
• The Westin Fort Lauderdale does have a decent size pool area. Unfortunately, it backs Interstate 95 and is very noisy.
• One ridiculous thing is that the Westin Fort Lauderdale hotel charges for parking. This is almost unheard of outside of a city hotel. Shame on them for doing this. The lobby and restaurants are pleasant to dine in. I had a cup of coffee but did not experience the food.

My Conclusion

This is a mediocre hotel. I tell it like it is and this sentiment is more reflective of the quality you get for the price you pay. Just to compare, I think you get a lot more for your money, and similar quality, when one stays at a Hilton Garden Inn then at the Westin Fort Lauderdale Hotel.

You won’t have an uncomfortable stay at the Westin Fort Lauderdale, but you will say you overpaid for the hotel.

Mandarin Oriental New York

February 2008

Above and Beyond

• I found the service at the Mandarin Oriental New York City to be spectacular. I had a minor problem with the toilet on arrival and it seemed the service was there before I hung up the phone.
• I stayed in a superior king bedded room at the Mandarin Oriental New York City. My room was on the 54th floor and afforded me great views of the Hudson River. Being in the travel industry, I loved seeing a Norwegian Caribbean ship (NCL) docked at the pier and watching it pull out traveling down the Hudson.
• The room has both great closet and drawer space.
• This is the second hotel that I have stayed in this week that has a great safe. The safe is both large enough for a laptop and other material as well as having an electrical outlet in the safe to charge the computer.
• The bathrooms at the Mandarin Oriental New York City are spectacular. First, they are large. They come with two sinks, a beautiful tub and separate shower. The shower has both a traditional head and a ceiling mounted head they call the “rain shower”. I found the shower pressure a little weak and the temperature not getting as hot as I would like in a shower. The bathroom comes with a small swivel TV that is very convenient to use while in the bath or using the sinks. There is a huge mirror in the bathroom as well as a full length mirror in the room. I know I am raving about the bathroom, but it certainly is one of the better ones in a standard hotel room. In addition to supplying you with plenty of towels, because of the design of this bathroom, the towel rods and bathrobe hooks are very convenient for use. Robes and towels are not stuck behind a door but rather hung where it makes it convenient to use.
• For those of you who read my hotel blog, you know how important the fitness room is to me. The Mandarin Oriental New York City has a great fitness room. Although the posted hours are 6 AM midweek and 7 AM weekend, they were quick to point out that security will open the room anytime I need it. Bravo Mandarin Oriental New York City.

A Matter of Taste

• The desk is more than adequate and this is another hotel that recognizes that the traveler today needs electrical outlets that are plentiful and convenient. I like a desk with drawer space, especially if I am staying several nights. The desk also has a great lamp that makes working very pleasant.

Needs Improvement

• I found the flat screen TV a little small relative to the quality of the hotel and the room they have to put a larger TV.

My Conclusion

Think Luxury when you think of the Mandarin Oriental New York City. This hotel is located in the Time Warner Building at Columbus Circle. It is located on floors 35-54 of this building.

Treat yourself to a stay at the Mandarin Hotel Oriental New York City. Have coffee, tea or a drink in their lounge on the 35th floor overlooking Columbus Circle and Central Park. The views are great and the service is wonderful.