Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel

I arrived for check-in at 3 PM, after a long flight that started at 8:30 AM. Despite having Titanium status, I found myself in a rather frustrating situation. The hotel had two check-in lines, one for elite members and one for regular guests. To my dismay, the elite line had only one person working it, while the regular line had three. This resulted in the regular line moving much faster than the elite one, which contradicts the purpose of having an elite line meant for expedited service. I ended up having my wife stand in the regular line while I waited in the elite line, which was the only way we got to the check-in counter, because the elite line never moved. When I finally reached the desk around 3:15 or 3:20, the staff member informed me that my upgraded room was not ready yet. I explained that I had a meeting at 5 PM and a dinner shortly after, so I needed the room to get ready. She responded that check-in wasn’t until 4 PM and that my room would be ready at 4. I found this response quite unrealistic, as it seemed unlikely that all rooms would magically become available right at 4 PM. Furthermore, I was concerned about having to wait in line again to pick up my key once the room was ready. When I expressed this concern, she reiterated that I could use the elite line, which, as mentioned earlier, was inefficient. She them said that the staff needed breaks (as the reason for there only being one person working the elite line), which is understandable, but it points to a management issue of inadequate staffing rather than a guest's problem. Upon receiving my room key, I noticed that the lady checking me in did not acknowledge my status or ask the usual questions regarding if I wanted credit versus points, where the lounge was, etc. I had to inquire about these details myself to ensure I received the points I was entitled to, as well as how to get the complimentary breakfast. While she appeared professional, her actions did not reflect the level of service expected. Entering the room, I found it quite small but was relieved to have a place to rest. However, the toilet did not flush properly, and we discovered trash from the previous guest in the closet. This raised concerns about the thoroughness of the housekeeping service. I spent that first night in that room, then asked to be moved to a new room the next morning and they gave me the upgraded suite room, but it was with two queen beds instead of a single king. This was fine with me, as long as the room was functional and comfortable. This new room was quite large and very nicely set up. The rest of the stay at this property was actually quite nice, as the staff members we encountered were helpful and friendly. We really only seemed to have the single issue with the lady who checked us in, she didn’t seem to match the level of service provided by the others. Additionally, this property is very easily walkable to many sites in the area, such as the convention center, the 16th Street Mall, and many restaurants and bars. It wasn’t until we went to check out that I opened the safe to see what was in it and found lip gloss from a previous guest (shaking my head over this)… Not sure what is up with housekeeping and management at this location, but those seem to be an issue. I also feel that it’s such a large property (at 1380 rooms, it was once the largest hotel in CO, it’s now second largest behind the Gaylord) and they’re so close to a large, popular convention center that they don’t care. There are many other properties in the area, lots more are closer to the convention center. Next time I’m in town, I’ll choose one of those instead.