Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel Review

The Sheraton Hotel Toronto, a Marriott International hotel
Rating: 2/5

I recently stayed at the Sheraton Hotel on Queen Street West, Toronto, for my birthday on September 20, 2024. As a Marriott Ambassador Elite member with hundreds of thousands of points from staying at Marriott hotels during my travel nursing career, I booked a room through the Bonvoy app using my points, but the experience was disappointing from start to finish.

First, I believed I was booking a room for 77,000 points, and when I checked in, I was told I had been upgraded to a suite (room 2728) and would have access to the 43rd-floor lounge due to my status. However, I wasn’t informed that I was being charged $600 on my credit card for the room instead of having my points deducted. No reason was given when I swiped my credit card, so I assumed it was for incidentals or potential room damage. It wasn’t until checkout that I realized I had been charged for the stay.

Now, onto the room itself. Despite the suite upgrade, the condition of the room was disappointing. The carpet and curtains were old and musty, the wallpaper was dreary, the lights were dim, the king-sized mattress was uncomfortable, and the air conditioning barely worked, leaving the room feeling humid and uncomfortable. To make matters worse, I found a black sock from a previous guest stuck between the ottoman and the chair, which shows a lack of proper cleaning and attention to detail.

While we enjoyed the swimming pool, 43rd-floor lounge, and the restaurant downstairs that made very good cocktails, the overall stay was far from what I expect from a Sheraton hotel. When I inquired about the charge, I was told it was due to a package I had unknowingly selected in the app, which included valet parking (even though I didn’t bring a car). The manager attempted to help, but my only options were to either pay 99,000 points or the $600 charge, which I found incredibly frustrating since I had intended to use my points from the beginning.

Using 99,000 points would have been like paying $900 or more for a dated room that felt like it was from another era. This birthday stay left me very disappointed. The app’s booking process led to unnecessary confusion and charges. I hope Marriott International hotels which owns the Sheraton take this feedback seriously and improve the clarity of the Bonvoy booking app and the upkeep of their rooms.

I would appreciate some form of compensation for this experience, whether it be points or another resolution, as this stay didn’t meet the standard I expect from the Marriott International brand.

I’ve emailed them and I’ll update this review based on the answer I receive.

UPDATE:
I was compensated with points for the state of the hotel room. But as far as the BonVoy app, I’ve learned that you have to double check with the confirmation email that points were indeed used.