The Westin, Calgary

...work. I was very impressed! The hotel is rated as a 4 star but I would say that it's actually on par with a couple of 5 stars that I have stayed in and certainly better than several other 4 star hotels that I have reviewed.

About the hotel:
The Westin is located in down town Calgary. The location is excellent but then Calgary is a pretty small place! I walked to the Calgary Tower in under 15 minutes. There are over 500 rooms.
...find the reception staff were actually waiting for us with our room cards already arranged for us. After a 9 hour flight this efficiency was most welcomed. The reception area is quite small but cosy unlike some hotels where it is very grand and daunting. There is a Starbucks on the left hand side of reception-there really is a Starbucks on every street corner in Calgary! There are also various seating arrangements and even a box with free bottles ... more

I recently had a short stay in this hotel whilst travelling with work. I was very impressed! The hotel is rated as a 4 star but I would say that it's actually on par with a couple of 5 stars that I have stayed in and certainly better than several other 4 star hotels that I have reviewed.

About the hotel:
The Westin is located in down town Calgary. The location is excellent but then Calgary is a pretty small place! I walked to the Calgary Tower in under 15 minutes. There are over 500 rooms.

Check-In:
I was pleasantly surprised to find the reception staff were actually waiting for us with our room cards already arranged for us. After a 9 hour flight this efficiency was most welcomed. The reception area is quite small but cosy unlike some hotels where it is very grand and daunting. There is a Starbucks on the left hand side of reception-there really is a Starbucks on every street corner in Calgary! There are also various seating arrangements and even a box with free bottles of water.

The Room:
My room was in the Business Tower which meant that it was an upgraded type of room. The room was very impressive. Large windows overlooking down town Calgary was a welcome change from the usual dreary car-park or brick wall view. The room was very nicely decked out with dark walnut furniture, king size bed and even a sofa. Everything was spotless clean and the room smelt fresh which is preferable to the stale smell and air freshener stench that many hotels seem to specialise in. There was a flat-screen television with many channels and an ironing board which is always better than having to phone Housekeeping and beg for one.

Rather than a battered kettle, Nestle coffee and chipped cups there was actually a coffee machine and several types of Starbucks coffee and Tazzo teas with the traditional Starbucks take away coffee cups. There was also complimentary spring water. The air-conditioning was also extremely effective.

The bathroom:
Shiny and clean as you expect with high-end toiletries. Unfortunately I cannot remember which brand they were but consisted of shampoo, conditioner, bath gel and moisturiser. I also liked the leaf shaped hand soap. The power shower was fantastic but got very hot.

Other features in the hotel:
There was free internet in rooms but not having a laptop with me I used the internet in the Business Centre which was free for Air Crew. It is however quite expensive if you aren't crew. There is a gym somewhere in the hotel and a rooftop spa and pool which I didn't see.

Eating and drinking:
There are several options for this. The Steakhouse, Starbucks, Liquid Lounge or the Essence Restaurant where the breakfast buffet is. Breakfast buffet was included in my room price and was excellent. There was a wide selection of fruit, cereals, hot food, bread, bagels, pancakes and even an omelette chef to cook you a made to order omelette! There were several waitresses to seat you and take your hot drinks orders. There is also an extensive room service menu with many healthy options.

Customer Service:
Without exception all the staff that I encountered were professional, very friendly and helpful. Excellent!

Price:
Staying here doesn't come cheap, according to Trip Advisor the average nightly price is £168. But I'm sure that if you shop around you will be able to find a cheaper rate.

The bottom line:
A fantastic central hotel, highly recommended.
 

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