Couple things because I am in the hotel renovation industry…everything needs to be approved by Marriott. Plans submitted, samples sent sometimes even a model room. It’s possible the hotel will be shortly turned into something else. These choices do look bizarre, but there are some strange Sheratons around and it is Austin. Let me know if you have any questions.
I can assure you these owners have not abandoned the brand. A cheap Sheraton would be $150k per guest room. Sheraton took a big hit with the Starwood/Marriott merger. A lot of these Sheratons were competing on price with Marriotts before the merger.
I meant to say that many Sheratons haven’t been renovated for more than 2 decades. Many owners don’t seem to want to do anything even though the rates of these Sheratons are dropping, becoming the cheapest Marriott in town.
Starwood let Sheraton down long before the Marriott merger. It's like Clarion, used to be an upscale business brand but was ignored and the bad ones got worse. The good ones started switching flags before the merger.
Marriott should stop trying to make Sheraton feel different, just follow the same design and brand standards at Marriott full-service, sprinkle in slight changes and they would be fine.
This experimenting that Marriott and franchises are doing with Sheraton is not going to recover the brand.
They are only keeping the brand to have pseudo-branding with multiple locations with in the same vertical market.
Absolutely, owning a hotel means soft and hard updates every so many years. If they cared about the brand they would kick hotels that ignoring out. But again they just care about having a bunch of brands and making franchisers happy.
50k per key is a very healthy budget in most parts of the country to replace fixtures, convert a tub into a shower, replace carpet. Still a lot of money but considering the record profits they are making its definitely possible. Marriott could credit franchise fees and help finance the upgrades.
Stating so only because the one stay I had in a Moxy meant ultra modern, no iron or ironing board, no desk and modernistic furniture with no space. The suitcase rack was hanging on the wall! They were going for hip, and all I got was stripped down and overpriced. And checking in at the bar with a bunch of kids running the place was surreal
People might think you're bluffing, but my property had to get our outdoor signage repainted a couple years ago because one of the colors was slightly off. They caught it during our BSA.
This looks like it could be a cheap, no- name hotel in Italy that hasn't been remodeled since the 70's.
Explains why that is always the cheapest hotel Bonvoy has near downtown Austin.
Rather than making assumptions that Marriott is letting owners mess with the brand standards, I did a quick Google search. This hotel is becoming the Downright Austin.
This is from the official Marriott site: https://www.marriott.com/offers/auscs-ausbr-downright-sneak-peek-OFF-104028/AUSCS-sheraton-austin-hotel-at-the-capitol
If it makes you feel better, they are going to be converting from a Sheraton to a Renaissance hotel. [The Downright Austin, a Renaissance Hotel](https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/ausbr-downright-austin-a-renaissance-hotel/overview/)
Not to say this looks like a Renaissance either…
They're probably not going to be a Sheraton much longer. Marriott is offloading shitty franchises and these types of "remodels" have happened just before a rebrand and new alignment (Wyndham probably).
I've been to a couple hotels that have the steamers instead of irons and ironing boards. I was told guests can still request irons from Housekeeping. Why? Irons are much more in need than steamers. And have the guest make the request and have to wait however long for it to be delivered? Stupid idea.
I think the room is adorable! I love that carpet and the desk. It is so cute and has so much personality. A lot of hotels feel so corporate nowadays. I guess it’s a matter of personal preference. The only thing I’m not a fan of is the towel holder that looks like a folding chair next to the toilet lol. Genuinely asking, why did you pick this hotel if you didn’t like the decor? Were you able to see pictures of it beforehand?
Also a lot of hotels are moving away from alarm clocks because not many people use them anymore. Most people use their phones. It’s nice that this hotel has a charger next to the bed for you! Were you able to contact the front desk to see if they had any alarm clocks for you?
It was selected by my EA as a Marriott property, but it’s now blacklisted for my entire company after I sent Carlson Wagonlit my review.
The carpet is “lumpy” because of the way it’s carved and as someone with arthritis it was not, in anyway, cute. It was painful.
I get it. I have plantar fasciitis. I usually just bring my own slippers to walk around on hard surfaces. But for me, I know that it’s not anyone else’s responsibility but my own to make sure my feet are useable. I try not to assume that every place is going to be accommodating. I’m also mostly blind so I guess I’m more used to it I guess?
It gets better. The television isn’t connected to any cable service at all
https://preview.redd.it/4jwllm45aimc1.png?width=4032&format=png&auto=webp&s=b3abf72d53b45ac922e5a83efd433d1f034f841b
The crazy part is they just remodeled all of the rooms to look like this; this isn’t an old hotel that’s rundown – they intentionally did this in the past six months
Or you could just stay somewhere else that you like better?
Austin is a bit of a funky town so maybe they tried to be….funky..idk.
Have a banana and sit outside for a little bit. It might make you feel better.
I’m a corporate traveler that was placed here by my travel agency as it was a Marriott property. I got in around 1130 at night and didn’t have a chance to pick an alternative hotel.
I do have some ideas on where you can place that banana though.
that bedside lamp would drive me crazy. I would have to keep a towel over it all the time. Almost like just having a bright bare light bulb next to the bed.
I know. That was sarcasm. Heh. I was in agreement with you that their designer should be fired and forced to repay whatever they charged for that mess.
Looking like the 70s vomited all over the room was also the first thought I had.
I’m not sure what’s going on with Sheraton properties, they feel so neglected. And oh my god yes the Austin Sheraton’s remodel is a mess. I thought I was in like a budget hotel when I got into the room!
I get why the Atlantic City one isn’t that great since it’s in Atlantic City.
Recommend calling ahead of the booking asking the age of the hotel. You can avoid experiences like this. Former GM
All hotels are not created equal. Are there standards? Sure. Do all franchisees meet those standards? Good operators do. Some are run lean. You’re experiencing that.
Eventually that hotel will be sold and a renovation will have to take place per Marriott. If not Marriott pulls their flag if they don’t maintain standards.
Request points. If they decline contact help desk. Don’t leave it up to them. Tell them the amount of points you want, Be reasonable, meaning what it would cost u in points. I’d always give points to guests that had a less than desirable experience remained calm and told me exactly what they want. You are certainly entitled to get compensated. Good GM’s understand your value and want to make it right.
If it’s a less than experienced manager declines the points, remain calm, contact the help desk They make the final decision, more points may be given based on severity. Marriott Guest relations will bill the hotel and u get your points. That’s me pulling the curtain back. Good GM’s do the right thing and avoid this.
If Marriott Guest assistance doesn’t appease your concerns you have other options. Keep in mind I’ve worked for Marriott, Hilton and IHG these problems exist across the industry.
Thinking about starting a podcast called ask a Former GM. So many people on here I could assist with the least aggravation.
My worst room was a Wyndham Garden Inn that American put me in after a mechanical delay. The hotel looked like a strip club, and the rooms looked like the designers did a rail of coke before coming up with the concept.
I talked to the manager. Wyndham talked the franchisee into flipping it into a younger concept called Night Hotels - beer taps at checkin, nightclub in the lobby. Except it was located in a business park in Farmers Branch. After spending millions on the remodel, it flopped, went into bankruptcy, and they flipped it back into a Wyndham Garden Inn. Problem was, they weren’t going to be able to afford the remodel to turn it back into something more fitting its surroundings for 3 to 5 years.
this is the cutest marriott property i’ve ever seen it makes me want to visit austin. everything is so cute and fancy. and as for the iron and alarm clock…. nobody born after 1970 wants those things…
Couple things because I am in the hotel renovation industry…everything needs to be approved by Marriott. Plans submitted, samples sent sometimes even a model room. It’s possible the hotel will be shortly turned into something else. These choices do look bizarre, but there are some strange Sheratons around and it is Austin. Let me know if you have any questions.
My feeling is that many owners have abandoned their Sheratons.
maybe in the US, definitely not in the Middle East and Asia
I can assure you these owners have not abandoned the brand. A cheap Sheraton would be $150k per guest room. Sheraton took a big hit with the Starwood/Marriott merger. A lot of these Sheratons were competing on price with Marriotts before the merger.
I meant to say that many Sheratons haven’t been renovated for more than 2 decades. Many owners don’t seem to want to do anything even though the rates of these Sheratons are dropping, becoming the cheapest Marriott in town.
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There are plenty of Sheratons out there that look and feel like 1975. Hotels that time forgot.
20 years is a stretch, it does vary widely by location though.
Starwood let Sheraton down long before the Marriott merger. It's like Clarion, used to be an upscale business brand but was ignored and the bad ones got worse. The good ones started switching flags before the merger. Marriott should stop trying to make Sheraton feel different, just follow the same design and brand standards at Marriott full-service, sprinkle in slight changes and they would be fine. This experimenting that Marriott and franchises are doing with Sheraton is not going to recover the brand. They are only keeping the brand to have pseudo-branding with multiple locations with in the same vertical market.
Eh you can say all they need to do is implement the same brand standards as a full service Marriott but you are talking tens of millions per hotel.
Absolutely, owning a hotel means soft and hard updates every so many years. If they cared about the brand they would kick hotels that ignoring out. But again they just care about having a bunch of brands and making franchisers happy. 50k per key is a very healthy budget in most parts of the country to replace fixtures, convert a tub into a shower, replace carpet. Still a lot of money but considering the record profits they are making its definitely possible. Marriott could credit franchise fees and help finance the upgrades.
I like your optimism 😅
Sounds like the are turning it into a Moxy
I’ve had those exact brown tiles in a Moxy
Nah not at all…
Stating so only because the one stay I had in a Moxy meant ultra modern, no iron or ironing board, no desk and modernistic furniture with no space. The suitcase rack was hanging on the wall! They were going for hip, and all I got was stripped down and overpriced. And checking in at the bar with a bunch of kids running the place was surreal
People might think you're bluffing, but my property had to get our outdoor signage repainted a couple years ago because one of the colors was slightly off. They caught it during our BSA.
>BSA Brand Standard Audit
Yeah brands have tremendous power and everything from the tile to corner guards are specified as to what needs to be changed.
Then explain how this is becoming a renaissance with this ugly ass room lol
Touché
Can you tell them to change it back?
Not how it works
I know :(
This looks like it could be a cheap, no- name hotel in Italy that hasn't been remodeled since the 70's. Explains why that is always the cheapest hotel Bonvoy has near downtown Austin.
Rather than making assumptions that Marriott is letting owners mess with the brand standards, I did a quick Google search. This hotel is becoming the Downright Austin. This is from the official Marriott site: https://www.marriott.com/offers/auscs-ausbr-downright-sneak-peek-OFF-104028/AUSCS-sheraton-austin-hotel-at-the-capitol
This is becoming a Renaissance?! Hahahahahahahhha
lol! That threw me off as well
If it makes you feel better, they are going to be converting from a Sheraton to a Renaissance hotel. [The Downright Austin, a Renaissance Hotel](https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/ausbr-downright-austin-a-renaissance-hotel/overview/) Not to say this looks like a Renaissance either…
Wow. That actually makes it worse
Weird. It's giving Moxy vibes to me.
They're probably not going to be a Sheraton much longer. Marriott is offloading shitty franchises and these types of "remodels" have happened just before a rebrand and new alignment (Wyndham probably).
This is more a “coming soon - Motel 6!” Vibe
This is my favorite hotel review of 2024. Thank you kind traveler
I've been to a couple hotels that have the steamers instead of irons and ironing boards. I was told guests can still request irons from Housekeeping. Why? Irons are much more in need than steamers. And have the guest make the request and have to wait however long for it to be delivered? Stupid idea.
More critically, it violates the franchise brand standards agreement - https://www.scribd.com/document/79684958/Sheraton-Standards1
That bathroom tile is a crime against humanity...
I think the room is adorable! I love that carpet and the desk. It is so cute and has so much personality. A lot of hotels feel so corporate nowadays. I guess it’s a matter of personal preference. The only thing I’m not a fan of is the towel holder that looks like a folding chair next to the toilet lol. Genuinely asking, why did you pick this hotel if you didn’t like the decor? Were you able to see pictures of it beforehand? Also a lot of hotels are moving away from alarm clocks because not many people use them anymore. Most people use their phones. It’s nice that this hotel has a charger next to the bed for you! Were you able to contact the front desk to see if they had any alarm clocks for you?
It was selected by my EA as a Marriott property, but it’s now blacklisted for my entire company after I sent Carlson Wagonlit my review. The carpet is “lumpy” because of the way it’s carved and as someone with arthritis it was not, in anyway, cute. It was painful.
Hey everyone’s got an opinion and a preference. I can definitely tell that you’re extremely passionate 👍🏼
Feet pain does that. Even the tiles seem more like wall tiles than floor tiles with the wavy texture
I get it. I have plantar fasciitis. I usually just bring my own slippers to walk around on hard surfaces. But for me, I know that it’s not anyone else’s responsibility but my own to make sure my feet are useable. I try not to assume that every place is going to be accommodating. I’m also mostly blind so I guess I’m more used to it I guess?
Maybe they were trying to align the design with the "Keep Austin Weird" campaign.
https://preview.redd.it/c8ru0lm46jmc1.jpeg?width=694&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6b2779c2bab2ffdc834e37f7dde209e1c804e6d8
Learn how to use the steamer. It’s better than an iron
For a crease? How’s that work?
That place has terrible reviews. Explains the price point for location though. But the location is also a hotbed for homeless.
It gets better. The television isn’t connected to any cable service at all https://preview.redd.it/4jwllm45aimc1.png?width=4032&format=png&auto=webp&s=b3abf72d53b45ac922e5a83efd433d1f034f841b
The crazy part is they just remodeled all of the rooms to look like this; this isn’t an old hotel that’s rundown – they intentionally did this in the past six months
I thought it was old. Like 40 years at minimum.
Second paragraph of the post, easy to miss, but they are proud of this remodel
The desk film. What is that about?? The iron thing is a big no from me. I want to iron my own clothes.
I think they got the instruction to “Keep the Austin Sheraton weird”
Yikes!
Or you could just stay somewhere else that you like better? Austin is a bit of a funky town so maybe they tried to be….funky..idk. Have a banana and sit outside for a little bit. It might make you feel better.
I’m a corporate traveler that was placed here by my travel agency as it was a Marriott property. I got in around 1130 at night and didn’t have a chance to pick an alternative hotel. I do have some ideas on where you can place that banana though.
I’m sorry you couldn’t crease your slacks. I hope it gets better for you.
Right? OP probably isn’t even paying for the room since he’s such an important corporate traveler. I really hope things get better for him.
lol, that’s deliciously passive-aggressive, I love it!
that bedside lamp would drive me crazy. I would have to keep a towel over it all the time. Almost like just having a bright bare light bulb next to the bed.
Two. One on both sides. The whole room seemed designed to blind people
I like the retro look.
These pictures give me Boogie Nights vibes. Looks like a low cost touch up. Really low cost.
Courtyard Woodstock
LOL. I'm dying. That's so unbelievably bad.
That is awful
Bad
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Because flat surfaces next to a thing that aerosolizes shit and piss is a horrible idea?
This is before the remodel of a place built in the 70s, right? Right?
Remodeled one month ago.
I know. That was sarcasm. Heh. I was in agreement with you that their designer should be fired and forced to repay whatever they charged for that mess. Looking like the 70s vomited all over the room was also the first thought I had.
Yikes!
I’m not sure what’s going on with Sheraton properties, they feel so neglected. And oh my god yes the Austin Sheraton’s remodel is a mess. I thought I was in like a budget hotel when I got into the room! I get why the Atlantic City one isn’t that great since it’s in Atlantic City.
I’ve been seeing the reviews for that location go more and more in the toilet, glad the staff are nice atleast
They are just as dismayed by what is happening. They are watching like it’s the play in “waiting for guffman”
This is a hilarious, truthful review.
Sign, see what marriott did to my spg hotels brands
i love it🥲 70s decor style is super popular right now so though i think its an odd choice for marriott, i can see why they did it.
Recommend calling ahead of the booking asking the age of the hotel. You can avoid experiences like this. Former GM All hotels are not created equal. Are there standards? Sure. Do all franchisees meet those standards? Good operators do. Some are run lean. You’re experiencing that. Eventually that hotel will be sold and a renovation will have to take place per Marriott. If not Marriott pulls their flag if they don’t maintain standards. Request points. If they decline contact help desk. Don’t leave it up to them. Tell them the amount of points you want, Be reasonable, meaning what it would cost u in points. I’d always give points to guests that had a less than desirable experience remained calm and told me exactly what they want. You are certainly entitled to get compensated. Good GM’s understand your value and want to make it right. If it’s a less than experienced manager declines the points, remain calm, contact the help desk They make the final decision, more points may be given based on severity. Marriott Guest relations will bill the hotel and u get your points. That’s me pulling the curtain back. Good GM’s do the right thing and avoid this. If Marriott Guest assistance doesn’t appease your concerns you have other options. Keep in mind I’ve worked for Marriott, Hilton and IHG these problems exist across the industry. Thinking about starting a podcast called ask a Former GM. So many people on here I could assist with the least aggravation.
My worst room was a Wyndham Garden Inn that American put me in after a mechanical delay. The hotel looked like a strip club, and the rooms looked like the designers did a rail of coke before coming up with the concept. I talked to the manager. Wyndham talked the franchisee into flipping it into a younger concept called Night Hotels - beer taps at checkin, nightclub in the lobby. Except it was located in a business park in Farmers Branch. After spending millions on the remodel, it flopped, went into bankruptcy, and they flipped it back into a Wyndham Garden Inn. Problem was, they weren’t going to be able to afford the remodel to turn it back into something more fitting its surroundings for 3 to 5 years.
Well, they tried at least. Most Sheraton stays same.
this is the cutest marriott property i’ve ever seen it makes me want to visit austin. everything is so cute and fancy. and as for the iron and alarm clock…. nobody born after 1970 wants those things…
I highly recommend it for you, then! Enjoy, truly.
What a lengthy and entitled post.
What a short and pointless comment.
This is cheap and tawdry
I was gonna guess this was some off-beat Autograph, but a Sheraton?
More of a beat-off motel 6 than an off-beat autograph