The Westin Warsaw

I came with more than 100 colleagues, and we booked the whole hotel for two nights. The reception service was very poor at first. Zofia was the exception. She was amazing, knew exactly what she was doing, and seemed to be the only person there who spoke English. The rooms are really small. Mine was noisy, with literally no sound insulation, and didn’t feel worth the price. There wasn’t even a toothbrush, and when I asked, I had to go get one myself. The laundry service was a first for me, and not in a good way. They asked guests to bring their clothes to reception, hand over a bag, and pay before they would take the laundry. Even after payment, I was charged extra because the receptionist didn’t know what to write on the sheet. It took him forever to fill it in so I could pay. The massage was the one thing I liked. The person who did it was an absolute legend and clearly knew what she was doing. It was worth every penny. The hotel was a nightmare otherwise, and I don’t understand the good reviews.

My 18th-floor room was quiet and had amazing city views. The room was cozy, and housekeeping kept it spotless. The front desk team were efficient and helpful, and the turndown service was great. My only letdown was that the bed wasn’t as soft as I expected. The Westin is well placed for a business trip, less than a kilometre from Warsaw central station. The Big 4 consulting firms are nearby, and many guests seem to be business travelers or consultants working with them. Breakfast was excellent, with lots of hot and cold choices. The 19th-floor club lounge gets a bit busy, but eligible guests will find it stocked with snacks and fruit. I loved the place and will keep coming back.

The breakfast was okay, and the location was a little out of the way. The hotel feels outdated. The elevators were the only cool feature, and my room had just a kettle for boiling water, no coffee machine, despite being an executive room in a five-star hotel in 2025. The air conditioning was noisy enough that I needed earplugs to sleep. My first room smelled nasty, so I had to change rooms. Reception staff weren’t very helpful. We’d emailed ahead to ask for an extra bed, but it wasn’t there, so we had to ask again and lose time. After all these problems, including changing rooms just before New Year’s Eve because of the bed smell, nobody from management contacted us. I didn’t feel that being a Gold member of Bonvoy counted for anything.

The food was tremendous, all of it tasty and fresh. The live cooking was a highlight, and the prepared dishes had good variety. There were plenty of useful extras too, including unlimited apples, water and tea, plus access to the sauna and gym with all facilities. The rooms were well stocked. It worked well for a quick stay in a central location, with clean rooms and good amenities. The staff seemed split between people who could handle guests at a five-star hotel and those who might need extra training. There was no greeting or escort to my room, so I had to find it myself, and I didn’t see any luggage trolleys. The entrance felt unguarded. The rooms weren’t especially modern or especially obsolete, but there were no windows that opened to fresh air, and the atmosphere felt stuffy. It’s a good option if you want a central base, facilities to unwind, and varied hotel food. For a five-star luxury stay, they need to add some spices.