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Hotel & Lodging Reviews

Hawaiian Holiday – Four Points Sheraton SFO

By Alex Reed|August 23, 2012

The day started off a bit …. difficult.  You see, I’m not a morning person.  Not in the slightest way.  On weekends where I don’t have any obligations my normal “rise and shine” time is between noon and 1 PM.  Nothing can lure me from bed.  Not a ray of sunshine on my face, the smell of crisp bacon and sweet pancakes, or even the not so gentle nudging I often receive from friends and family.  I’m dead to the world and am perfectly happy to stay that way.  With that in mind, you can imagine what a surly sight I was at Chicago O’Hare (ORD) that fateful morning as I caught my 7 AM positioning flight to San Francisco (SFO).  Bleary-eyed and stumbling through the Admiral’s Club, I made an executive decision to sleep the entirety of my flight.  Which is why this trip report begins with a hotel review and not a flight description.  Having snoozed the entire four hour-ish flight to the California coast, there isn’t much for me to say.

Though I can probably safely assume that the flight attendants were efficient yet reserved, the cheese omelette was mediocre, the warm biscuit with butter and jam was delicious, and the reruns of 30 Rock were still funny despite having seen them 50 times.  Yes, I missing it all, but I’m willing to bet that’s an entirely accurate summary of what I’d have said should I have stayed awake.  Even with the service inconsistencies, American Airlines can usually be counted on to provide all of the above.

Perked up a bit and feeling refreshed after my nap, I made my way through SFO’s wonderful Terminal 2 (my favorite domestic airport terminal by far) and grabbed my luggage from the carousel (priority tags worked!).  I made my way out to the hotel shuttle pick-up gazebo that is fairly standard for most major US airports and waited for the free shuttle to the Four Points Sheraton SFO.  And waited.  And waited.  And waited.

Now I’m usually a very patient person and since I’m a leisure traveler am almost never in a hurry, but this shuttle took an extraordinarily long amount of time.  I started counting the arrival of other hotel shuttles and had 4 stops by the Westin SFO and 3 stops by the Hyatt Regency before the Four Points shuttle finally arrived to ferry me to the hotel.  I even called the hotel during this period and confirmed with the receptionist that I didn’t need to notify the hotel that I was waiting for the shuttle.  It apparently just takes that long.  Overall, not a major issue, but if I were in a hurry I’d certainly not be pleased with the long wait.

LOCATION

The shuttle for the Four Points SFO is shared with other hotels in the same area and is the last stop on the route.  The hotel is situated on a small parcel of land between the 101 freeway and Airport Blvd.  The location is not ideal for individuals who like to get out of the hotel to exercise or try to find a local eating establishment.  Both roads are fairly wide and have heavy traffic, making crossing a bit of a feat.  There is a cross walk across Airport Blvd that allows you to access the Houlihan’s or a rather run down looking Chinese buffet, both of which are attached to lower end airport hotel properties.

It only took approximately 10 minutes from getting picked up outside of Terminal 2 at SFO to our exit off the freeway, and the unloading of passengers at the other two properties was quick and efficient.  Overall, this is a rather typical airport hotel locations: isolated, little to see and do, limited food options.

SERVICE

Having waited almost 45 minutes for the shuttle and being rather unimpressed with the location of the hotel, I didn’t have high hopes for the service that would be provided at this location.

How wrong I was!

The gentleman staffing the desk greeted me with a big smile and welcomed me to the property.  I handed over my credit card and ID so he could get to work pulling up my reservation.  He quickly handed over a set of room keys to me and explained that he wasn’t able to give me a nicer room per the Starwood elite program standards (I’m currently only a Gold member), but he said he didn’t think I would mind too much since it was only 11 AM and it was the only room available at the moment.  I agreed, and thanked him for giving me a place to throw my junk and relax without waiting for a room to become available.  Considering the hotel’s location, I doubt that waiting for a “nicer” room would have gotten me anything better than a clearer view of that previously mentioned Chinese buffet.

At this point he noted that I looked a little tired and said that I should consider taking a free bottle of pop from the convenience corner located next to the front desk as a “pick me up”.  I asked if this would be considered my choice of a welcome gift (Starwood Gold members get to choose between free internet, a free beverage, or bonus points during each stay) and he laughed and said no, he had already put me down for the bonus points since internet was free at this property.  Considering the rather lackluster elite treatment I received during my stay at the Aloft Minneapolis (my first with Starwood elite status), I was very impressed with Four Points Sheraton SFO.

Check-out in the AM was met with the same friendly service.  I headed down at around 4:45 AM and was met with a sea of humanity awaiting the first shuttle to SFO that morning.  Despite all the people, I was able to check-out within 5 minutes and was on my way when the shuttle arrived.

The only negative I would add to the service category was that at times it seemed the hotel was understaffed.  Despite the super friendly and thoughtful service while checking in, there was only one agent at the desk and the phone rang multiple times which requiring him to stop interacting with me to put callers on hold.  The same could be said for the desk in the AM.  There was only one agent to handle the crush of people trying to check out and get on that first shuttle, which meant that person was constantly multi-tasking and trying to keep up with multiple requests coming from all angles.  The hotel should really consider staffing two people at the desk.

ROOM

The room was almost exactly what I’ve come to expect from a Four Points property.  Immediately to your left upon entering the room is the entrance to the bathroom.  The right hand side upon entering featured a closet and a small countertop with a coffeemaker and related accessories.  Below the shelf was a mini-fridge which I promptly placed my free Diet Coke in to.

The bathroom appeared a bit dated but was well-kept.  The vanity was a floating shelf directly under a large mirror with a rather gaudy frame that seemed out-of-place in an airport hotel.  The products were Four Points branded and while serviceable made me wish I had packed some shampoo, conditioner, and soap from home.  I have been cursed with rather sensitive skin since childhood, so I can be very picky about the types of products I put on my body and in my hair.  Despite this I’ve been playing Russian roulette lately when traveling and haven’t brought anything from home in the last year.  So far, so good, but I still am rather wary of low quality amenities like the ones at Four Points.

The bathing area was a low-lipped tub with a shower nozzle and standard issue white curtain.  The towels felt rough to the touch and smelled heavily of bleach.  While I’m assured of its cleanliness, it’s not the most pleasant of smells to be greeted with.  I also prefer my towels a bit softer but these certainly did the job of getting me clean and dry, so there isn’t much to complain about there.

The bed was certainly comfortable and came stacked with two firm and two soft pillows to use.  I was happy to see that unlike my stay at the Hyatt Regency Montreal, the sheets on this bed were spotless.   Directly across from the bed was a dresser with a flat screen tv mounted on the wall above it.  I made the mistake of assuming the tv was moveable since it was wall mounted, and at one point that evening almost ripped it off the wall.  Note to self – don’t make assumptions that could potentially cost you hundreds of dollars in hotel room damage.

Nestled in the corner of the room near the bed was a sitting area with a small chair and table to place food or a laptop.  Opposite of this sitting area was the desk which featured outlets to charge electronics that were easy to reach and ample space to work.

Overall, I was happy with the room.  Nothing fancy, but at the end of the day as long as the room is clean and I have a comfortable place to rest my body, I’m going to be happy.

The one thing that could be better?  The view:

GUEST SERVICE & IN-ROOM DINING

As I mentioned above, this property offers free WiFi to all guests.  Access was simple, fast, and reliable.  What more can you ask?

The hotel does feature a restaurant in the lobby, however the establishment has limited hours.  If I remember correctly, it is only open for breakfast and dinner, so no lunch service.  Typically I do not eat at the hotels I stay at because I tend to find the food extremely overpriced and the quality of food mediocre at best.  There are some occasions where I do sample what the hotel has to offer, and those occasions tend to be when I’m staying at an airport property.  As I noted above, many airport properties are located in isolated areas with limited dining options.  At the Four Points Sheraton SFO I wasn’t feeling particularly adventurous and was rather uninspired by the Houlihan’s and the Chinese buffet options, so I picked up the phone and placed an order.

The phone rang for a while before being picked up, and the person on the other end seemed to have quite a bit of difficulty understanding what I was requesting.  Eventually I was able to communicate what I was interested in having that evening – an appetizer of chicken wings to start, followed by chicken alfredo, accompanied by some hot green tea.  I was told the food would be up in approximately 30 minutes, and sure enough, it arrived right on time.

The gentleman delivering the food was very friendly and seemed to have a much better time communicating with me in person than on the phone.  He dropped off all the food and wished me well with my dining experience.

The started with the chicken wings and have to say they were enjoyable.  Nothing amazing, exactly what you would expect to be served at an airport hotel.  The sauces that accompanied the wings were bleu cheese or a sweet and sour sauce (not pictured, it was on the tray for some reason and I didn’t see it till after I photographed).  I had polished off the six wings in no time and was just about to dig into my chicken alfredo when I heard a knock at the door.  When I opened the door I saw the gentleman who had brought my food up to me.  He began profusely apologized for having forgotten to bring part of my order.  In his hands was a small plate of garlic bread which apparently was supposed to be included with the pasta dish.  I thanked him for his diligence and sat down to enjoy the rest of my meal.

The pasta dish was, sadly, sad.  The noodles seemed overcooked and the sauce was rather greasy.  The combination of mushy noodles and greasy sauce didn’t sit well with me and I only ended up eating a few bites before calling it quits and stacking the dish away.  The green tea was nice, coming with a large carafe of water and lemons on the side.  I was able to squeeze out three glasses before I also threw that back onto the tray and placed it in the hallway for pick-up.

OVERALL

Given the choice, I would return to the Four Points Sheraton SFO.  While the food didn’t impress, the friendly staff and their willingness to help elite guests really stood out to me as someone who is rather new to the Starwood brand.  The rooms were middle of the road offerings and exactly what you would expect from a lower cost airport hotel, but the staff seems to do a good job of keeping everything clean.

I stayed at the Hyatt Regency SFO last year for about twice the amount I paid for the Four Points Sheraton SFO.  While the Hyatt Regency certainly is much more up to date, elegant, and refined, the Four Points provides an excellent option for someone traveling on a budget or simply looking for good value.

Grade:  B-