The Westin Fort Lauderdale

The pool and hot tub were nice places to unwind, and breakfast had everything we needed. There’s a small bar and restaurant on site with good service. Check-in was easy, and our room was spacious and clean. We were disappointed that the poolside bar didn’t open during our stay. Highway noise can get pretty loud, though the waterfall and speakers mostly cover it. There isn’t really anything nearby, and that’s on us for not checking.

The pool was the one good part of our stay. We checked in on the app early and asked for early access, but didn’t get a room until well after 4. When we finally got in, it wasn’t clean and there was broken glass on the floor. Housekeeping was still in the room at 4:35 pm while we were trying to get ready for our function. We waited over an hour to be served at the restaurant and never got food; most things were out of stock. There was mold in both the room and conference room, and people were leaving late at night because of it. This was a terrible experience.

Two expensive jackets were left by accident in the closet when I checked out of Westin Hotels & Resorts. When I came back for them, I was told lost items had to go through the separate Lost & Found department. They said the jackets weren’t there, even though their last confirmed location was inside the hotel room closet. I can only conclude that they disappeared after checkout, possibly while the room was being cleaned. For a hotel at this price and level, that’s unacceptable. I expected better professionalism and security. Guests should be able to trust that their belongings are safe in their room, but I got no urgency or accountability and was just passed between departments. Very disappointing.

The next day we were moved to a slightly better room, and it had mattress covers, surprisingly. The strong spray smell was still there, but I was glad to leave after that stay. I’ve stayed at many Westons and this was easily the worst Marriott’s we’ve been to, despite being a Bonvoy Platinum member. Check-in in the evening was easy, but the elevator was filthy. Our room looked like a 1 or 2 star place, nowhere near a 4 star hotel. I always check mattresses for bed bugs, and there was no cover, just a flat sheet laid sideways over a bare mattress, leaving your head and feet to touch it. The headboards were torn, painted over, and covered in dust. The couch was stained, torn, and grimy. There were broken bathroom tiles and an overpowering perfume-like spray smell. When I complained downstairs, the front desk staff looked sour and unapproachable. They said they didn’t have mattress covers, gave me extra sheets to cover it, and said we could change rooms the next day since we were in a studio suite. The hotel needs major upgrades and a proper cleaning. The website photos looked great, but they were probably years old.