The Westin Pasadena

The Westin made my first trip to California absolutely amazing. The staff were outgoing, helped with directions, and made us feel comfortable and welcome. We got better food and service at the hotel than in the surrounding area, which says a lot. It’s also within walking distance of essentials like Target, tea and ramen places, and shopping boutiques. I’ll stay here again!

The room setup could be awkward if you book two queens. In my room on the 12th floor, the gap between the beds and the closet and coffee area was extremely tight, making those spots hard to reach unless you could squeeze through. It felt as if two queen beds had been put in a room designed for one king. The hotel has only 3 elevators, and they’re slow. At busy times in the morning, getting down to the lobby can take a noticeable while, so plan ahead if you have a meeting or a tight schedule. The restaurant also seemed understaffed at times and struggled with the morning rush, though everyone was doing their best and the customer service was truly great. I spent four nights at the Westin Pasadena and had a very good stay overall. It’s in an excellent location close to everything, and the hotel is clean, comfortable, and well maintained. Service throughout was warm, professional, and attentive.

Breakfast starts at 7, which is too late for plenty of people, and there’s no lounge where business elite customers can get water or soda. Soda in the hotel shop costs $6, and there are no perks for business elite guests. Management needs to do more to look after business clients. The rooms are nice and clean.

I had a nightmare experience here and found the staff rude and poorly trained in customer service. After arriving from Miami, I discovered I’d left my credit card holder at my apartment in Florida. My bank card was loaded on my phone, and I’d used it for purchases on the trip, but this property wouldn’t check me in. My reservation was prepaid through a third party, and my credit card was on my Bonvoy account, yet they insisted on a physical card and offered no workaround. They told me to book another hotel. Carlos, the front desk supervisor, and the rest of the front desk staff were the worst Bonvoy staff I’ve dealt with. Before I left, I double-checked with Carlos that he’d approve my refund when Priceline contacted him. He assured me he would. Later, the Westin staff avoided my calls, and Priceline couldn’t get an answer. Priceline tried several times to reach the property for approval, but calls were put on hold indefinitely and managers and supervisors didn’t return them. They let my calls ring for 20 minutes, and Carlos dodged Priceline staff calling for approval as well as my own calls. I gave up on that route and disputed the transaction with my bank because the Westin Pasadena made it impossible to get a refund. I’ve never felt so marginalized by a group of young, poorly trained Gen Z people who seemed not to want to work. I’ll never give my business to the Westin Pasadena. I’m going to complain to Corporate. Customer service and staff friendliness were 0 out of 10. Motel 6 has better trained, nicer staff than this team. Mr. Santa Cruz, I appreciate you reviewing my complaint and asking management to look into it. I now work as an Enterprise Architect for OpenAI, and before that I worked for Honda Motors, where I was taught the essence of customer service. I say this confidently: your staff should be ashamed of the service they showed, both when I tried to check in to a room I’d already paid for and when I tried to get a refund. They tried to sweep me under the rug, hoping I’d go away. By contrast, the Residence Inn down the street welcomed me with open arms, and I was finally able to rest. It’s now up to you and your management team to address this poor example of customer service and member loyalty.