The Westin Calgary

Good staff. Located in downtown and close to everything. A bit old but highly recommend it if you are planning to stay downtown.

When I found out we were staying in a Westin for our trip to Calgary, I was pretty excited. We came for the Mac’s Hockey Tournament on Christmas Day and left on New Year’s Eve, and our weather was probably an average of 16° for the week. The hotel was nice and clean, the beds were nice and comfy, the wifi was strong, and the rooms were normal. If you hang a placard on your door that says you don’t want your room cleaned, you get a $ 5 voucher for food/​points every day so that’s pretty neat.
The Cold
So we’re from California, I realize that when it comes to chilly weather, we’re more sensitive than others. But waking up freezing every morning in our hotel room was not fun. Getting out of bed was so uncomfortable. Early on in our stay, I asked the front desk if there was maybe a trick to the heater (we had it at 32 °C and were still cold) or if maybe our heater was broken. The front desk suggested a humidifier (which we already had brought up to the room) and then said it helps to keep the curtains closed to trap the heat. She also said she’d send someone up the next day to check on it and see if it may have been broken. Now I have no idea whether or not that ever happened since no one ever talked to us about it again, but I couldn’t believe that in order to get warm in a nice hotel, we’d have to live in darkness and close off our view of the city. Nevertheless we tried closing the curtains all day and night, which (surprise!) didn’t work. We wanted that «Ah» feeling when we came in from the cold, but it wasn’t like that at all; it was just less cold than outside. «Maybe hotels in Canada are just all cold and we’re babies», I thought. But we happened to walk into the Sheraton down the street, where the lobby was warm, cozy, and actually decorated for Christmas. For a higher end hotel, I expected the Westin to at least have warm rooms when it’s cold as butt outside.
The Room
They were pretty nice, normal rooms. Comfy bed, desk, TV, dressers. The beds don’t have a fitted sheet, so you have to re-​cover the mattress when you wake up if you move in your sleep. Since the cold was an issue, we ended up taking showers to warm up. A bath would’ve been nicer, but wouldn’t you know it, the rooms don’t have bathtubs. Oh, and only one outlet in the room worked, and it was being used by the humidifier and light. Good thing we brought our own external battery chargers!
The Staff
Every single one of the staff who didn’t work at the front desk was amazing. I’ve never met friendlier maids at a hotel and every staff member who brought anything up to our room was nice, funny, and so helpful. We used our vouchers at the end of our stay to order room service and I called the front desk beforehand just to make sure that the vouchers would cover not only the food, but all the taxes and fees involved. She told me it would be covered and we were good, so we went ahead and ordered. We got our food, Enzo brought it up and was super nice, and we’re starting to eat when I get a call from room service saying that the voucher doesn’t cover the fees and taxes and the money would just be added to our bill. I tried to tell her that the front desk lady had told me I’d be ok, but she didn’t seem to care and was short with me. It was frustrating because it just seemed like the front desk never had it together throughout our stay and everyone seemed to tell us different things. This review almost went down to 2 stars, but Enzo came back up and apologized profusely for the mix up, even though it wasn’t his fault at all! He even brought up a bowl of ice cream. That spoke volumes to us. The only time the front desk was at all helpful was when my dad went down to talk to them, and ONLY when they found out he was an SPG Member did they attempt to remedy any problems. If you pay extra to be a member, the staff will do their jobs well but if you aren’t elite enough, you’re out of luck at this hotel.
The Pool/​Lack of Jacuzzi
So there’s a heated pool and small gym area on the top of the hotel with a cool view of the city. We couldn’t figure out how else to get warm and relax, so we headed up to the pool. Now we were with a hockey team of 18 year old boys and knew the hotel was full of hundreds of teenagers so we obviously couldn’t expect to be alone. Every time we went up, the pool was full of not teenage boys, but a bunch of little kids splashing and screaming. We know this is out of the hotel’s control, but it would’ve been SO nice to have a jacuzzi to go relax in. We know there’s a sauna, but my husband and I didn’t want to sit and sweat in separate rooms. You would think a high end hotel in Canada would have a jacuzzi! But not even a bathtub.
I feel like my expectations weren’t crazy. I just expected a warm building to walk into and sleep in while it’s freezing outside. If you’re booking high-​end in Calgary, try the Sheraton.

Overall, nice hotel. Finally found the fitness center on the 20^th floor of the business tower. The pool looked nice, but the selection of weights was very limited. Anymore than one or two people in that room would be awkward at best.

I love this hotel! I came once alone to work on a thesis and another time for a get away with my son. Both times I was greeted by Steven at the front desk with nothing but kindness and professionalism. He helped me find the perfect room for my needs.
This place is sleep heaven! It is quiet, comfortable and the bed and linens are amazing. I look forward to returning.
Thanks Steven for your hospitality. I hope to be back again soon!

I used to love the Westin… I am highly disappointed now though. I have a stay booked though a 3^rd party coming up. I understand when you use these companies there is usually a no cancel policy… but sometimes a little compassion will go along way. This booking company told me they would refund me if the hotel was okay with it (an unforscene event in my life has happened)…I called the hotel and the reservation manage Ying Ying Wu would not even hear me out when I explained what happened… I have since emailed her and she will not return my emails. This has always been my go to hotel in calgary and i used to refer people here. I wont any more… all I asked for was a little compassion I even gave over a month notice… they had plenty of time to fill this room again

Ok. Paid 4 bucks at the bar for a coke to take to the room. Was stopped by security and told my glass did not conform to the rules for tiling drink out of the bar. I told him I could do this at the Ritz and he said they were not the ritz. I agreed and gave him my 4 $ coke.

I stay here often for work and I have to say that it’s probably one of my favourite hotel stays in Canada. The rooms are wonderful: quiet and clean, always. The front desk staff are always friendly and accommodating, and have even on occasion gone above and beyond in helping me out!
Extremely conveniently located to almost anything you’d need: shopping, good food… and even connected via pedestrian pathway to most anywhere else in downtown Calgary, which makes walking in the freezing cold during winter months a non-​issue.
The gym, albeit on the (very) small side, is clean and located on the very top floor, so there is a beautiful view of the downtown core. My only critique is that I wish the gym were a bit more spacious… when there are more than 2 people in there, it begins to feel a little crowded.

Not a bad Westin, just not anything you would want to write about. They recently redecorated the hotel, so its quite pleasant inside. A couple of decent restaurants (Keg, Ki) and a Starbucks moved next door, so the morning coffee and after flight meal is sorted. The rooms are always quiet, very clean and have a nice ensuite, comfy bad and flat screen.
Then again, its around $ 400 per night and the building is rectangular, gray and exposed concrete.

Terrible shower design. Small washroom. The interior besides washroom is alright but for what I usually get at Hilton chain seems far more impressive.
This washroom is terrible though. Much worse than Hampton Inn. Or maybe it’s a Calgary downtown thing. Would definitely not come back.

My friend and I stayed at the Westin in downtown Calgary for one night last weekend. We paid $ 150 (tax included) for a standard room with two queen beds. For being right downtown (literally a block from Eau Claire Market), and for being a last minute booking during Folk Festival weekend this wasn’t a bad deal.
Checking in the reservation was quick and easy, and the lady at the front desk was really nice. Westin charges for in-​room wifi, but if you are a Starwood Preferred Member (their loyalty club, it’s free to join) you get free wifi in your room for 4 devices.
The hotel room itself was nice. The view wasn’t anything amazing, but I don’t really care about that (mostly saw construction and a parking lot, but you could kind of see some of Eau Claire Market). The beds were super comfortable, and the décor was light and modern. The bath product line the Westin uses, has a really nice green tea scent and isn’t too perfumey.
One thing that was weird about the room was the bathroom. There was no door for the bathroom, which I’m not sure if this was an intentional choice or if a door hasn’t been installed. Instead, right before the bathroom is the closet with a sliding pocket door that you can close. So if you need to use the washroom you have to walk into the closet, close the door (if was very heavy and hard to move) and then do what you gotta do. The closet door doesn’t lock either. For a night this was fine, but I would be curious to know if all the rooms in the Westin have this odd setup, or if it was just our room (1024).
Safety and security in the hotel was quite good. It’s on a pretty main street (4^th) downtown, and felt safe. The room doors have the standard lock and bolt, there’s an in room safe. Plus you need a room key to access any of the guest floors in the elevator. There’s a Starbucks in the lobby, but it was closed by 5pm so we were not able to use it. They also have a Keg and another restaurant, but there are a lot of other restaurants nearby if you don’t want to stay in the hotel.
One thing that did cause a little issue for my friend and I was the parking. Parking is available in an underground parkade, and when we went in it said all vehicles need to have a ticket. So we bought a ticket for the weekend and paid at the machine. Our room had express checkout, but I wanted to verify charges on our bill (always a good idea) and was told the hotel charges for parking, we didn’t need to pay at the pay stations in the parkade. It was a bit confusing, because there are no signs anywhere in the parkade saying that hotel guests will be charged parking in the room rate, and that they just need to register their vehicle. We were able to get the Westin parking charges removed, since I paid about the same amount at the paystation as I would have if the hotel had charged us.

First thing I am doing with the wifi that costs an extra $ 13 is to write this review. Yup, this hotel’s archaic practice of nickel & diming for what is now an essential service for business travellers (has that coffee maker ever been used?) was enough motivation to give it a poor rating.
Oh and I had to fix the toilet. No free wifi is worse.
Priorities.

Me and husband love staying at this hotel. The bed are super comfy!!! The bathroom its nice, everything is clean. The problem is parking. You will have a hard time for find a parking around this area, oh well!!! Its downtown area!!! We will come
Back again for sure when we are in town!

3 dogs, 2 adults and walking distance to everything. Prices are high but summer in YYC is crazy anyway.
Decent room, clean and modern. Construction made parking a bit weird but valet was courteous and quick.
Check in was a bit slow bit a lot of people were there for some reason. Close to some great restaurants.
Would stay again.

The things I liked about this place included the central location, friendly staff, cleanliness, and the nice rooms.
The only two things I noticed that could be improved were if they offered an airport shuttle, and if their bathroom products (like the shampoo) were more natural and eco-​friendly– with less unpronounceable ingredients. I did appreciate that if you didn’t get your room cleaned while you were staying there, they would give you a credit.

Duration of Stay: 2 nights
Floor: 16 (SPG floor)
Connected to the +15.
Consistently Westin. Heavenly bed and clean renovated rooms. They have ear plugs and a cute note booming Calgary business.
My favourite things that I have not seen anywhere else, is the shower — where the lever to turn on the shower is on the side wall, so you don’t end up getting sprayed with cold water when you turn the shower on! (might be a little confusing reading this, but sure you will understand when you see it!)
TIP: They have a great Green program here, where you can get 500 Starwood points (or $ 5 off food/​beverage — but the starpoints are a better deal) for each night that you do not need housekeeping, which is very easy to do for one person (there’s more than enough towels!) and I usually don’t like anyone in my room anyways, when my clothes are flung everywhere! You just have to be sure to hang the notice on your door, in exchange for a voucher to tuck in with your room key at express check out! They actually still refilled my complimentary bottled water, but left everything else alone.

My husband and I enjoy staying at Westin hotels — always classy, great smelling products and very nice rooms. We were very pleased with the customer service we received at the Westin Calgary recently. Sanjeev was not only professional and friendly, he was efficient and helped our stay more enjoyable considering the unfortunate circumstance that brought us to Calgary.
The Westin Calgary is fortunate to have Snajeev work for the company as he is a shining example of an individual who takes pride in his work and genuinely delivers excellent customer service to hotel guests.

The Westin Calgary is a really great hotel. I’ve only stayed once. I got a phenomenal rate the first time. The second time, I couldn’t get anywhere near the rate I got the first time, so I headed for cheaper digs.
The comfort and décor of the standard room were outstanding. The bed was among the most comfortable I’ve ever slept in. The room’s acoustics were great: you could hear a pin drop. There was a partial view toward the north … toward Bridgeland, I believe. There is some kind of recreational area (pool, etc.) way up on toward the top floor. Since taking a meal there or using other amenities would have been too costly, I cannot vouch for those aspects of the hotel. The parking was additional, but it wasn’t ridiculous, and it would cost just as much to park in a downtown Calgary «parkade.» (Oh yeah, the rental car managed to get me there and back, despite a huge moose unexpectedly crossing the highway between Radium Hot Springs BC and Banff AB. That was the REAL highlight of the trip.)
The service, at check-​in and check-​out, was very professional. The lobby is very nicely finished. If I recall, there was an interesting sculpture of a bull or a cow in the lobby, covered in colored marbles or colored glass pebbles, that harkens to the city’s famous Calgary Stampede. If money is no object, this is among the best places to stay in downtown Calgary. If they are running a special or you are lucky to get a special price, then this is a real value.

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.

Loved the Westin downtown Calgary, very clean hotel, good service and it has a Starbucks in the lobby!
You can get really good rates at this hotel as well!
The hotel is quite new and there is a Keg that is right attached in the lobby. Another plus is that there is a Ki right beside the Keg you can go to if you feel like sushi instead of steak. I love the Ki in Toronto and tried in here with the bf and loved it too!
The only reason why I gave it ⁴⁄₅ is because of the location… if the hotel was more downtown, it would be perfect! Probably really great for business though.
Would def stay again in the summer when you can walk in the warmth vs freeze in the snow :)

I enjoyed my stay at the Westin. The rooms were average, beds would be a little small for 2 people but the beds were very comfy. I don’t have any other complaints, the Westin was clean, and on par with a lot of other hotels I’ve stayed in. I liked the body lotion they provided — it smelt really good!
So far the staff were really friendly, they even provided us with toothpaste, after we forgot ours… oops!
Our view of downtown Calgary was pretty good, and the Westin has easy access to everything in downtown. THe hotel was really busy as we were there while the stampede was going on. It was an expensive day, but I didn’t end up paying, so it was all good.