Continuing my tour of Calgary hotels, I had the pleasure of spending a night at the Westin on New Years Eve. They were hosting a party that I attended with some friends and offered a reduced rate to anyone who was going to it. I thought this was an innovative way to show some responsibility and try to cut back on the number of drunk drivers. Good on the Westin.
I was however, honestly underwhelmed with the hotel itself. There was nothing glaringly wrong but some of the facilities left something to be desired when this place is being marketed as high-end venue. First off, the pool was gross. We had arrived early to take advantage of the hotel's facilities and part of me honestly wishes we hadn't. None of the in-pool lights worked and since the room mostly relies upon natural lighting, this was somewhat unpleasant once the sun started going down. The level of chlorine in the pool was also definitely too high. Even after showering, my friend and I both felt itchy and had red blotches from the harsh water.
The party venue later in the evening was incredibly boring. I know a lot of decorating is up to those hosting an event. However the hall itself couldn't have been more generic if they tried. The pizza buffet was also really gross.
Finally, I HATE hotels that charge extravagant fees for wireless Internet access. If I can go to Starbucks for a $5 coffee and use free wifi, it shouldn't cost me $12.95/day to use the Internet when I've already paid for a room. I get that you might have to charge for security purposes, but that much is ridiculous.