Review: Sheraton Lima Hotel, Peru
The Starwood properties in Lima are rather interesting.
Book the Sheraton Lima Hotel here.
The Starwood properties in Lima are rather interesting. There is a new Westin that catches room rates above $250, a Four Points by Sheraton which sells for $150 and a full service Sheraton Lima, which can be had for as low as $75. Why would a FS Sheraton be so much cheaper than a Four Points? Well - the location is simply not desirable. While it's downtown Lima, there isn't much else besides a mall and some museums. It's not the safest neighborhood - certainly not a place I'd go for a walk at night.
My flight from Atlanta arrived late into Lima and it was almost 2 AM when I arrived at the hotel. I was hoping for a quick check-in and some shut-eye. But that was not to be. There was a large group of 20+ people in line wit 2 check in agents working through them slowly and individually. After about 30 minutes the line had'nt moved much. I asked around if I could get WiFi access while we were waiting, but nobody could help me without a room number.
Finally after almost 45 minutes an airline crew arrived and was promptly served - it turned out the group ahead of me was from a cancelled flight and the hotel did a painfully slow job collecting the personal data. So after more than 45 minutes everyone without status was checked in and the only person with VIP status was still waiting in the line :(
I complained to the agent and while friendly he wasn't apologetic - this is how it's done at the hotel! I did not want to let it go and called for the GM but he was sleeping soundly.
I got a room assigned but asked if any suites were available. My Starwood Platinum status shoudl give me access to the best room available at no cost incl. Junior Suites. The agent found one and changed my room keys after another 10 minute wait.
This was officially the slowest check-in of my life! I can't see how it can get much worse. 2 agents working a crowd of 45 people at night with lots of bureaucracy.
The suite itself was huge and consisted of two big rooms. The bathroom setup was great with a large walk-in shower and a bathtub. It was in a more modern condition than the rest of the hotel. The only issue which I discovered later was the proximity to the elevators. If they moved (and they did during the night) there was a very audible whooshing sound. My earplugs helped but it wasn't ideal.
The WiFi at the hotel was rather stable and fast.
In the morning I decided to have breakfast in the lounge. The items were just ok quality but nothing really standing out. The lounge reminded me much of the Lounge at the Sheraton Buenos Aires.
Next door to the hotel is a shopping mall called Real Plaza. It has the typical suspects of bad (American) fast food and local chains. My adventure to get a local SIM card would keep me busy for the rest of the morning (but that is for anther post).
When I returned the GM had called and sent up a cheese plate. I called him back and he apologized and promised a better coordination of the check-in process.
Overall this isn't such a bad hotel. It's incredibly cheap with $73/night and it offers the full range of services for Starwood VIPs. It's about 20 minutes (without traffic) from Lima airport and a good place for a short Lima stay. Just note that the immediate neighborhood does not have much to offer - taxis are cheap and traffic is bearable in Lima so it isn't a big deal to stay somewhere else. Just try to be extra patient at check-in :)
Book the Sheraton Lima Hotel here.
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