Sad Hotel - "But good for LAX"
Of course, LAX is just a cesspool- indifference and rudeness seem to be the norm, in everything from how you are treated to how the roads, buildings are maintained...So the Westin LAX is in perfect alignment with this malaise.
First, check in - I stay at Starwoods A LOT. Nobody to check me in, wait with the others in the main line. I wanted a soda, gift shop closed, not available in the minibar- manager suggested that "you could walk outside and find a gas station". (Other starwoods I've gotten the "We can send someone out for you- how many would you like?") Instead I get a bovine stare of indifference.... from the Front Desk Manager
Room: Worn, dirty. and I was on the preferred floor. Counters stained in the room and in the bathroom- dried toothpaste stuck on the soap dish. No bathrobe, but a card saying "If you want to take this home, contact the front desk"...the little binder that had all the hotel details (room service, babysitting, etc) was missing a 'clip' so it would not hold together and read as a book. Carpet stained. Lamps worn.
Then I called to ask if there was complimentary bottled water for Preferred Members (current SPG policy). Operator said "oh it is in the refridg".. I said "are you sure, it says I will be charged if I removed anything". She said 'it should have a little tag on it". Nope. She said she would call back. 15 minutes later (now past midnight) I called. She apologized, said take the Evian in the minibar, that is free. (wait, you can see it coming, right?)
Bed- Fine. Clean, comfortable, nice pillows (some soft, some fluffy)
Wake up call at 6AM arrived.
Head to the shower- water cold, let it run. Check email on the ipad...Yes, $5.22 for the Evian. Call the desk, they will take care of it. (but still have not received a revised folio now 12 hours later.)
Shower... 10 minutes of cold water. Give up. Shower and shampoo 'on the edge of jumping out' ,,then, at final rinse the water got hot. decent rinse.
6:30AM leave this place.
Oh, then the shuttle. Asked the doorman when the next one arrives. "10 minutes" As I turn to walk to get coffee the bus pulls up. Fine, great- but he probably just lied to me automatically..he knew '10 minutes' was safe since they run every 20... took another 10 to load the shuttle and 12 people didnt get on! They are waiting another 20 for the next shuttle. people were complaining, and they just said "What are ya gonna do?"
Here's the problem with LA: NOBODY GIVES A CRAP. Everyone is doing as little as possible, up and down the chain of management/authority, that it is simply impossible to execute to anything more than some crappy standard. It isn't westins fault, they can only work with what they have....
For $110 a night, I'd stay again. Any more and I am looking elsewhere. But I suspect this property might rate higher when graded 'on the LAX/LA Area Curve'