Not my idea of a 4 star hotel
I have stayed at the Westin twice, booking both times through Priceline for a fraction of the regular room price. I have to say that the downtown Westin in Seattle is far from a 4 star establishment - really, it is 3 star at best. While the service is excellent, the lines for check-in and check-out are insanely long and there are exorbitant charges for amenities that, at other 4 star hotels, are included in the price of the room. For example, in order to access Wi-Fi in the room, the hotel charges $9.95 PER DAY. The only thing included in the room is a bottle of water and shampoo, conditioner, soap and lotion - I've been to other lovely hotels where so much more is offered, including the use of flatirons, hairspray, toothbrushes and other toiletries. Parking is very expensive - however, there are above ground parkling lots nearby that are half the price ($18 overnight) of the Westin parking lot.
The hotel is in need of upgrades - there are so many shabby features that certainly do not reflect 4 star quality. Fixtures in the rooms are cheap - in the gym, some of the equipment seems to be very 'base' model and many things do not work (for example, on the elliptical I was using the TV did not work - and the container that holds the wet wipes for wiping down equipment was broken so that the wipes could not be accessed)...Further, the workout rooms are windowless and there are no fans to be found. Very stuffy. Even some of the metal decorative up and down arrows that are located above each elevator are broken or hanging at unnatural angles. And the bathrooms in the lobby? Wow - Greyhound bus stations likely have nicer bathrooms. I have no problem with having to use a room key to access the bathrooms, but I couldn't believe how shabby they were. The metal utiltiation doors on each stall are found in most school and mall bathrooms..Very surprising.
As mentioned, we never pay full price so I can't feel ripped off...However, I would never in a million years pay full price to stay at this hotel. There are certain expectations associated with staying at a 4 star hotel and the Westin fails to meet most of them in my opinion.