StarMegaDO4: Sheraton Gateway LAX Review

a bed with white sheets and a red headboard

Just the beginning of my journey for StarMegaDO4.  Previous posts can be found below:

StarMegaDO4: Getting Under Way

I landed right around 8pm.  Since it was a nice night in LA and I was landing at T7 (making it a short walk) I decided to walk to Sheraton Gateway.  This was my first stay at the property though I’ve driven by it many times.

Check-in was relatively smooth.  I was given access to the club but told there were no suite upgrades available. I was told breakfast would be in the club the next morning.  I was given a normal room on a high floor.  The room itself was a decent size.  The soft goods all reasonably new and comfortable.  The desk chair was not exactly conducive to working for long periods of time so I found myself working from one of the side chairs and/or the bed.

LAX Review

LAX Review

Interesting note in the bathroom.

LAX Review

Now, this isn’t a 4-star hotel and I don’t expect actual glasses.  But, the note did remind me of a local TV news piece I saw 4 or 5 years ago where they hid cameras in higher end hotels (Ritz, Marriott, etc) and viewed the maids cleaning those glasses you always see in your hotel room using a variety of methods like glass cleaner, a toilet brush, etc.  Pretty disgusting and I generally avoid the glasses anyway, but interesting to see legislation passed in regards to something like this.

I had made a reservation for my father as well and he arrived about an hour after I did.  I spoke with him in the morning and he mentioned that he went to the front desk to swap out the voucher he had received the night before for a free appetizer.  The front desk gave him a voucher for free breakfast in the restaurant.  When I checked in there was no mention of breakfast in the restaurant (which is usually my preference) so I went upstairs to the lounge.  It was a decent sized lounge.  Most of the furniture looked in reasonably good shape.  However, the entire club was empty.

LAX Review

LAX Review

A quick trip to the front desk yielded information that they had decided to start renovating the club a day early, so they gave me a voucher for breakfast in the restaurant.  The voucher was for the buffet and the person seating me said there was no credit towards ordering off the a la carte menu.  So, I figured I’d choose buffet, which was probably okay because I was pretty hungry anyways.  However, most of the buffet was empty.  There was one bagel left, no toast, salmon platter completely empty, no eggs, etc.  It was pretty ravaged.  A manager came to ask me if I wanted some juice.  I told her I had already ordered some from the waiter, but was curious when they would be restocking the buffet.  She said she would check with the kitchen.

Another 5 minutes or so passed before the waiter brought my juice.  At this point, since it had been almost 15 minutes since I got there I ordered something off the menu since buffet restocking didn’t look imminent.  Another 10 minutes or so passed and someone finally came to restock the buffet.  At the 30-minute mark of my visit I finally decided I was famished and told the waiter I was switching back to the buffet. The food was fresh and your average hotel buffet.  Nothing great, nothing horrible, though the experience was soured by the long wait to get something to eat.  Also, the floor and table were shaking very noticeably the entire time.  I assume there was some sort of cooling tower or other hotel infrastructure underneath us, but it definitely contributed to wanting to be done with breakfast.

On the way back to my room to pack, I swung by the pool and health club.  Both looked fairly new with cabanas and comfortable furniture poolside and newer equipment in the health club.

LAX Review

LAX Review

This was a quick stay in a serviceable hotel.  It’s located close to the airport, and doesn’t seem to have a ton of wear.  This is my first time staying at an LAX airport hotel.  All my previous trips have found me staying closer to my destination.  Overall, I’d probably consider a different property next time through if I didn’t need a Starwood stay to keep my Platinum status intact.  I didn’t this time (I already have 80 nights this year) but I am still trying to finish up lifetime Platinum status, so this served just fine for a 10-hour stay before onward travel.

Our Lufthansa flight is a bit delayed this morning, but I’m headed there next to help get people checked in and begin the party.  More later!