The Westin Sarasota — Hotel in Sarasota

I love the location of this hotel. It really is a beautiful property located to many great activities.

It is clearly a new hotel with staff that needs to be trained to higher standards.

A few points -

The Rooftop, including the pool lounge and bar are beautiful spaces. It’s unfortunate that on the days we visited it was woefully understaffed. Bartenders did not work to effectively serve those without a table or sitting at the bar. 25 minutes to wait for overpriced drinks that were small was disappointing. A word to the wise, they also take an elevator offline for individuals going to the rooftop. They place security at the elevator bank. It didn’t make for the most welcoming return in the evenings when you were stuck waiting for limited elevator service after you cleared the bouncer at the lobby door. It’s Sarasota not NY, Chicago, or LA. They can do better.

Valet Parking - it needs more staff. Average wait for my car during non peak hours was 15 minutes. My impression was that the valet did not understand that they were the first point of impression upon arrival. I was caught in disarray, and stuck waiting while they attended to upline cars instead of FIFO.

Front Desk - the gold and platinum line was long. I entered the regular check in line. I’m a platinum plus 100 guest and the young man who checked me in just asked about my gift choice. No real acknowledgement of my status at check in. They did provide a lovely chocolate tray in our room post arrival with a nice note written by the manager.

Food - the most delightful woman to ok my order for in room dining. Before I placed my order she asked about any food allergies or restrictions. I was deeply appreciative of this as it is a detail that is often missed. The food arrived on time. Unfortunately itnasnt what I ordered. I knew it was Gluten free so I ate what was brought instead.

The breakfast was delicious. When I presented my platinum breakfast card the server seemed uncertain as to what to do. She brought me a bill for the total amount. I tipped her. I later learned that unlike many other Westin locations only the front desk makes the breakfast adjustment.

Rooms - they are lovely, nicely laid out and well appointed. I noticed that our room was well cleaned both days and housekeeping paid detailed attention to items such as how toiletries were laid out.

Two items that surprised me about the rooms were how much noise I could hear from adjoining rooms, on my floor and upstairs. No one was partying around us but the noise level seemed extremely high. I could hear drawers closing and a lot of other noise that did disturb my sleep.

The toilets installed in this facility are LOUD. There is a powerful flush that is quite noisy. Again I could hear this in surrounding rooms.

Final notes - Doormen or bellman did not open a door for me once at this location and I experienced staff rushing into the elevator ahead of myself and other guests.

This property has great location, food, design, and housekeeping (a rare find). The rest of the staff seems to need more training tfor get the full facility operations to meet the rest of the property. I’m sure that within a year they will be more effective...

I decided to Surprise my Fiancé with a stay cay at the Weston Sarasota for our 9 yr anniversary She is Loyal BONVOY card holder for the past 8 years and has maintained Ambassador Status We were greeted by a nice you man who parked our car for Valet / gave him $5.00 tip Then we requested a bell man to take our Luggage to our room on the cart .They told us no problem ( tipped that gentleman $5.00 as well) He told us just check in 1st and we will take the bags to your room. We arrived at 1130am and were told that the room wasn't ready yet but could upgrade us a standard room with Marina view on the 10th Floor. I went back outside and told the bellman our rm # and he told me the bags would be right up. On way up to the room asked a guest where the pool was located informed us it was on the 19th Floor. helpful info never having stayed there. We waited for about 20 mins no bags yet and we wanted to goto the pool so we needed our things to change into. I decided to go back downstairs to check on the luggage and it was still all sitting on the cart in the hotel lobby. I went back outside to check with the gentleman and he was in his phone doing something and there were no other customers in sight anywhere . So i asked him if i could just take the cart myself and he told me he would get it just to give him a minute. At that point I said no its ok I'll just take it, made it with the cart all the way to the elevator and he chased me down and said he would take it up i said no its ok and jshook his head and went back to his station . At the pool- Noticed a band-Aid stuck to the pathway continuously having to step over from where we were sitting. I understand these things happen in a public pool but the waiter passed by and stepped over it at least 50 times and didn’t have it removed. As he passed by several other guests we asked him if we could get a food menu he said no problem. He brought back food and drinks for several other guests and forgot about the menu. 30 more minutes went by and we were completely invisible to him and at this point we were getting extremely annoyed. The guests next to us heard us asking for the menus and noticed our frustrations and offered us their menu. He still never came over to us and when he finally did about an hour later after he remembered he forgot to give us a menu we decided not to get anything . At that point it was 4pm had enough and decided we were going to check out . Upon checkout ,asked if everything was ok and we said NO we were less than pleased with the Westin Sarasota. He’s said ok sorry to hear that and didn’t ask why and just informed us that we would be responsible for a full night we said fine . Keep in mind the Hotel was empty on a Monday and town is quiet as we are in the dead of Summer. Won’t be returning to the...

The Westin Sarasota (Apr 29 – May 1, 2025)

I recently stayed at The Westin Sarasota, and I must say—it was an excellent choice for anyone looking to enjoy the beauty of Sarasota Bay and those picture-perfect evening sunsets from a rooftop pool.

Unfortunately, I didn’t take any photos of the hotel or the room except one photo of rooftop (missed opportunity, I know!), but I did capture some lovely shots of the surrounding area from my room. The views alone made it worth it.

The hotel has two restaurants—one on the ground floor and another on the rooftop. I dined at both and thoroughly enjoyed the food and atmosphere. The rooftop staff were especially attentive, regularly checking in to see if I was happy with everything.

Let’s talk food—because The Westin Sarasota did not disappoint.

The food was absolutely delicious—made even better with the fine company of a chilled Coors Light. Honestly, I think the beer and I bonded over dinner. On the rooftop, I kicked back poolside with a Coors Light in hand, watching the sun dip into the bay. Honestly, with that view and vibe, even plain chips would’ve felt gourmet—but nope, the food lived up to the setting.

I ordered a loaded plate of nachos, and wow… these were not your average bar nachos. Piled high with melted cheese, guac, black beans, corn, jalapeños, salsa, sour cream, and spring onions—it was a colorful, crunchy, delicious mess (the best kind!). Pro tip: pair it with a cold beer and you're basically winning at life.

And for breakfast? I had a hearty egg and sausage sandwich with a side of perfectly crispy breakfast potatoes. Simple, satisfying, and exactly what I needed to start the day.

Whether you're up on the rooftop or dining downstairs, the food here checks all the boxes—flavorful, well-prepared, and served with a smile.

The lobby is spacious and inviting, but one of the standout features for me was the complimentary shuttle service. It was super convenient for getting to nearby spots like Downtown, St. Armands Circle, and Main Street. Just a heads-up—they don’t offer airport drop-offs, but if you're into walking, the bayfront and downtown are both within easy reach. The bay area, in particular, felt incredibly peaceful and relaxing—a perfect place to unwind.

Overall, I had a great experience. I loved the walkable surroundings, the service, and the overall vibe of the hotel. Would definitely recommend it to anyone...