The Westin Richmond

I told the front desk this breakfast isn’t what we expect from the Westin brand. I even mentioned the Westin in Vegas, which has the best breakfast I’ve ever seen. They just shrugged and agreed that the Vegas one is pretty nice. So why isn’t this one? At the very least, platinum and titanium members should get a voucher for a proper restaurant breakfast. Instead, it feels too cheap and shabby to offer that. The breakfast amenity here sucks. There’s no full buffet or complimentary entrée like at 99% of Westins. What they serve is a tiny spread of awful eggs, sad sausages, and little pancakes that are basically like the ones from kids’ Lunchables. There wasn’t any bacon, either. You could get a better complimentary breakfast at a Motel 6 in Tupelo, which is a disgrace to the Westin brand. I booked this specifically to get a higher level of service than at a Fairfield Inn or Springhill. If that isn’t here, why am I staying? We’re never coming back. This place is a joke.

We stayed here years ago, and the location is great. The property is also very well maintained. What let it down was the executive concierge lounge. It’s extremely small and underwhelming, with nothing executive about it. The evening concierge was lovely, but the food and wine were garbage. Some bottles had clearly been opened and closed over several days and tasted like vinegar. The poor concierge called the kitchen several times for refills, but nobody responded. I’ve seen better offerings in car dealership service lounges. Disappointing.

Needed a good night’s rest on my NY/FLa drive, and this was just right. The hotel is a bit off I-95, only a couple of exits west, with free self-parking, and it’s conveniently close to the halfway point if you want somewhere more upscale. Even though it’s right by I-64, my recently updated room was super quiet, with no outside noise at all. The bedding was really comfortable, and the 7th-floor lounge was handy for a quick platinum breakfast. I’ve already booked again for my next trip 😎

The keypad-controlled movement was impressive, and the ladies on the club floor were exceptional. Tony at the front desk was fantastic, too, and made things more convenient during our three-night stay at the Westin Richmond. On arrival, though, the elderly man at the door, who seemed to be the butler, looked at us as if we didn’t belong and didn’t help with our bags. It felt inconsiderate. We also asked the front desk for extra towels, but they never came, so we had to ask someone from housekeeping instead.