Sheraton Norfolk Waterside.....A Watery Perch in Norfolk
Written: Aug 20 '09 (Updated Aug 20 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Excellent location on the river. Club floor has been renovated fairly recently. Large swimming pool.
Cons: Not exactly interesting, the hotel is perfectly functional. No real cons here.
The Bottom Line: A hotel in a good location which should serve most business needs admirably.
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| tombarnes's Full Review: Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel |
The Sheraton Norfolk Waterside began its life as the Omni International Hotel in 1973. The hotel's location on the Elizabeth River is probably its strongest asset. though I was pleased to see that many improvements have been made recently.
The wood paneled lobby is filled with light from several skylinghts above. What had been a mostly dreary space has been brightened considerably with the addition of new furniture. If you are wondedring why there's a garish mermaid statue in the lobby, this is a remnant of a recent craze to place mermaids at atrategic locations throughout the city (think Chicago's cows, Washington's Party Animals etc.).
I had stayed here before, but that visit was before the major renovation program had been completed.
Arrival
I had paved the way for our arrival with a telephone call beforehand to explain my room preferences. These had been noted and my request for a room on the club floor had been granted. I still decided to change the room in order to have a balcony with a view of the Elizabeth River. If you are going to stay here, why not enjoy the river view?
The staffers at the desk were helpful, if not entirely fluent in English. I suspect that they may have been part of an exchange program. in any event, we encountered no serious issues with the reception staff.
Room
Room 646 was a standard room with two double beds. What wasn't standard about the room was that it faced the Elizabeth River and offered a small balcony from which to take in the view. Remember that this hotel wasn't built yesterday and you might be able to take a more compassionate view of the general crowded feeling in the room (only 275 square feet!).
The vaunted Sheraton Sweet Sleeper beds were unquestionably comfortable and the room included a flat-screened television. Aside from these amenities, there was nothing particularly unusual about the room. Ergonomic desk chair, in-room safe....blah, blah, blah. You've heard it all before. The balconies are small and don't have enough room for furniture. It's still nice to be able to step outside and stare at the impressive workings of the busy shipbuilding operation across the river.
Bath
Another legacy from its early days, the bath was small and standard. they had done a bit of freshening up with big towels and a new shower curtain, but there was nothing luxurious about the bathroom.
Club Lounge
The tenth floor Club Lounge had been re-positioned since my last stay. I recall that it faced the city. This lounge takes in the sweeping view of the river and even has a balcony. New furniture upholstered in jewel tones and a huge television competed with the wraparound view of the river. The evening hors d' oeuvres were standard fare, but the wine appeared to be without charge- something I surely did not expect to find. Almost everyone charges for drinks on the club floors now. A computer served as a handy place to check e-mail (especially for my real estate frenzied older brother).
Another nice thing about the lounge was their provision of breakfast. One could dine quite happily on the little omelets, fruit, toast and cereal.
Pool
We didn't use the pool this time, but it's on the first floor and has a great view of the river. As it's outside, don't count on using it in the winter. A fitness center adjoined the pool, but we did not use it on this visit.
Dining
The restaurabnt had been changed too. My memories of the previous restaurant were of scripted spiels from the servers and generally lackluster food. Perhaps this is why we avoided it on this visit. Nonetheless, the room had been renovated attractively with tiles and cheerful plaids and took advantage of the waterfront view. Its new name is the City Dock. We didn't visit the bar either, but it was part of the restaurant.
Parking
Parking is available at the office building next door. they have a valet option if you don't want to bother parking the car yourself. it is not free. I think we paid $16.00 per day- probably a bargain if you are from a larger city.
Location
Did I mention that the hotel is on the riverfront? of course I did. That's it's strongest asset. You are right downtown and can take a stroll over to the Waterside, a struggling "festival marketplace" from the early 1980s which has degenerated into a clot of tourist trap shops and noisy bars full of obstreperous youth. Proceed with caution. On the plus side, you will also be a short walk away from the MacArthur Center shopping mall and the ferry to the Portsmouth waterfront.
Cost
The standard rates here are usually in the $160.00- $200.00 range, but we booked through Priceline and got a rate of $75.00. I had to pay an additional $35.00 to upgrade to the Club Floor. Pay for the upgrade- the difference will make the entire experience more pleasant for you.
Overall
The hotel left me with a general feeling of blandness, something like a warm bowl of oatmeal- nutritious and serviceable, but nothing you'd remember after the dishes had been cleared away. Staffers were helpful and polite, but not service-oriented in the way that one might hope for. The hotel doesn't really enjoy the preemnience it did in its days as the Omni International, but there are more options in Norfolk now. If my review may strike you as perfunctory, it is a reflection of the hotel itself.
Sheraton Norfolk Waterside
777 Waterside Drive
Norfolk, Virginia 23510
Tel. 757-622-6664
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
tombarnes
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 - Top 200 |
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Member: Thomas Barnes
Location: Fort Lauderdale & Washington, DC
Reviews written: 688
Trusted by: 444 members
About Me:
With Barbara in Miami, 2004
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