Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles

Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles

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Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks
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Over the years I’m pretty sure I’ve stayed at just about every LAX-area hotel, be it through Priceline, on an airline’s dime when being bumped, or by choice.

I stayed at the Sheraton Gateway years ago with my mom on our way back from New Zealand, and it was definitely the nicest airport hotel at LAX. That being said, loyalty programs have gotten in the way since, given that I’ve lately made most of my stays at the Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn in order to earn Priority Club points.

Fortunately I’m now a Starwood Platinum member, which opens up two of the best LAX airport hotels to me – the Sheraton and the Westin.

This time around I stayed at the Sheraton for under $100 for the night, and it didn’t disappoint.

The shuttle bus from LAX runs every 10-15 minutes and it’s shared with a few other hotels, which makes it pretty convenient.

While the hotel has a dedicated Gold and Platinum check-in queue, nobody understood the distinction between that and the normal line, so people just randomly lined up in one queue or the other.

Check-in was prompt and I was informed that I had been upgraded to a suite on the 9th floor.

The suite was very nice with the bathroom at the entrance, leading to a seating area with a couch and some chairs.  That led to a desk and then the bed, which was extremely comfortable with lots of pillows.


Suite looking towards bed and desk


Suite living room


Comfortable bed


Bathroom


Shower


View from room

The furnishings were far from luxurious, though given the rate and the fact that it’s an airport hotel, definitely nice.

The next morning I had breakfast in the club lounge, which had a good spread as far as airport Sheratons go. There were pastries, fruit, bread, cereal, yogurt, etc.

The evening spread was also quite good with the usual fare – cheese, veggies, chips, etc.


Club lounge entrance


Club lounge


Club lounge


Club lounge tables


Breakfast spread


Tea and coffee

The highlight of the hotel had to be the Paparazzi Bar & Grill. It’s probably one of the nicest airport restaurants/bars I’ve been to, both in terms of food and service. I met a couple of friends there and we shared some appetizers.


Paparazzi


Dinner


Dinner

I was just spending a night at the Sheraton Gateway before heading to the Andaz for a couple of nights and figured that would be the extent of my stay. However, two days later after checking out of the Andaz at 2PM it occurred to me that my redeye on American wasn’t until 1AM, so I decided I might as well book another room at the Sheraton to get a bit of rest before the redeye. The fact that my stay would earn credit towards Starwood’s generous second quarter promotion was the icing on the cake.

Per a friend’s suggestion I requested a corner suite during my second stay, which featured even better views and was even larger.

At the end of the day this is an airport hotel, so don’t expect to stay here on vacation and be blown away. As far as airport hotels go, though, this is definitely the nicest I’ve stayed at near LAX, especially as a Platinum member, given their excellent treatment. I’ll be back!

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  1. Chuchairen Guest

    The good things about LAX Westin are they serve breakfast to PL and it is easy to get BRG there. Got two in this coming Sep already.

  2. lucky Guest

    @ Gary -- Hah, I agree the Westin isn't *great*, though there's not much competition among LAX airport hotels for being the "best." Westins have heavenly beds (even if they're stained pretty badly at the Westin LAX), which is better than just about any other property, except the Sheraton.

    @ Carl -- Have you taken a look at AAA rates?

  3. lucky Guest

    @ Andy Bluebear -- I remember taking pictures of the corner suite, though for whatever reason I can't find them. I checked again.

  4. Chuchairen Guest

    In general Sheraton's breakfast at the lounge is average at most when comparing with Hyatt's... Even though I am only 5 stays away from qualifying PL tier this year, the only real attractions of the program so far are the 3-to-1 free nights and hit or miss upgrades.

  5. Carl Guest

    How do you get the Sheraton for under $100? It always seems to be over $150 when I check it. It has another advantage - you can walk to Avis, Budget and the LAX transit center if you need a car or want to take a bus to head to Santa Monica or Westwood or even BH the next day.

  6. Gary Gold

    Dig the convenient Starbucks in the lobby, as well.

    I do have to take slight issue with one thing -- "I’m now a Starwood Platinum member, which opens up two of the best LAX airport hotels to me – the Sheraton and the Westin." The Westin is a dump..

  7. Dan Guest

    This is my most favoroite hotel at LAX over the years. It's cheap, and if you use points, it's cheap. I was never fond of the pillows.

  8. Andy Bluebear Guest

    No pics of the corner suite?

  9. Carl Guest

    Am glad you enjoyed it Lucky. I stay here once or twice a month, even if i am in town for 3 or 4 days. Just a wonderful property with a terrific staff who understand the little things.

  10. Michael Guest

    I agree it is the BEST LAX hotel.

    Other amenities I think are cool: free Wii in lobby for the kids; a very nice pool and jacuzzi with good poolside service and the hotel will accomodate you in your long-term parking needs, too.

  11. cedarglen Member

    Nice review, Ben. If we remember that most airport hotels are functional, rather than 'resort' types, they are usually adaquate. The tired, often internationally connecting pax does not need a lot of glitz, but does appreciate clean surroundings, 24/7 services and a reasonable aray of snack options. Those same less-than-resort hotels can be a God-send for bumped folks with vouchers. A bumped voucher plus some loyalty status with the brand usually achieves a pleasant stay,...

    Nice review, Ben. If we remember that most airport hotels are functional, rather than 'resort' types, they are usually adaquate. The tired, often internationally connecting pax does not need a lot of glitz, but does appreciate clean surroundings, 24/7 services and a reasonable aray of snack options. Those same less-than-resort hotels can be a God-send for bumped folks with vouchers. A bumped voucher plus some loyalty status with the brand usually achieves a pleasant stay, while those holding only a voucher may suffer a bit. I think it important to remember that these are two different hotel classes and that serve two very different purposes. -C.

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Chuchairen Guest

The good things about LAX Westin are they serve breakfast to PL and it is easy to get BRG there. Got two in this coming Sep already.

0
lucky Guest

@ Gary -- Hah, I agree the Westin isn't *great*, though there's not much competition among LAX airport hotels for being the "best." Westins have heavenly beds (even if they're stained pretty badly at the Westin LAX), which is better than just about any other property, except the Sheraton. @ Carl -- Have you taken a look at AAA rates?

0
lucky Guest

@ Andy Bluebear -- I remember taking pictures of the corner suite, though for whatever reason I can't find them. I checked again.

0
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