Background:
On a visit to the Raleigh-Durham area, a friend and I wanted a place to stay near the airport as our flight was getting in right before midnight. The Westin looked very nice as it was brand new, having just opened in May of 2023.
The Westin Raleigh-Durham Airport features 236 guest rooms, 11 of which are suites. As of this post, standard cash rates for the Westin range from approximately $175 to $300 per night before taxes or from 20,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points depending on the date of stay. This marked my 10th stay at a Westin branded property, with my previous stay at the Westin Monache Mammoth in 2021 being the most recent.
Westin Raleigh-Durham Airport Takeoff Points:
Date of Stay: November 2023
Room Type: Traditional Two Queens
Pros: Brand new hotel, luxurious decor, super plush beds
Cons: Wi-Fi wasn’t working in the guest room, odd lotion bottle
Overall Takeoff Score: A
Arrival:
The hotel offers a complimentary airport shuttle but since our flight got in at 11:30 PM, we weren’t able to utilize it as the service currently ends at 11 PM.
On our Uber to the hotel, I noticed the area around the airport actually looked quite nice. We passed a shopping center (that even had some cool old red London telephone booths) which led into the hotel. The property looked very new from the outside, and new apartments/townhomes are being built across the hotel.
Immediately after entering the hotel, I noticed the signature Westin White Tea scent was different than before! Nonetheless, it still smelled good, just different. The Westin White Tea Aloe scent was my favorite growing up and still ranks among my favorites today.
The lobby looked very luxurious for an airport hotel, and immediately to the right was a Starbucks, with the reception on the left side. There was also a small array of gifts/snacks for purchase near the reception desk.
We were quickly checked in and got assigned a room on the 6th floor.
The Room:
On our way to the room, we passed a Hydration Station room that contained a filtered water faucet, pitchers to bring back to your room, as well as bagged ice. I really liked the idea!
Upon walking into the room, I noticed that the entryway was quite nice and the bathroom was located to the right, with a closet on the left with iron/board.
There was also a coffee machine with Tazo and Starbucks products. And a bottle of Aquafina that was complimentary, and a Life Wtr Bottle for purchase.
The room felt quite spacious, with two plush queen-sized beds, as well as a desk near the window and a sofa lounger. I loved the design of the room and thought it was a great idea to have the desk facing the window as most people want to look outside when working (myself included).
The stars of the show were the bedding, as they had multiple layers of plush sheets. While I expected solid bedding since Westin Heavenly Bedding is known for being quite good, I’ve never stayed at a Westin with such plush sheets/comforters. It was an amazing bedding experience, one that rivals even five-star hotels.
Sleep Well Lavender Balm was provided at the bedside table which goes with the Westin wellness theme. You can roll the balm onto your temples or wrists before bedtime to help ease you into sleep. My travel companion tried it and loved it.
The Bathroom:
The bathroom was spacious for a simple 3 piece bathroom. There was plenty of counterspace and a large standup shower. The showerhead was great, and the wand device also provided strong water pressure.
Toiletries were in the signature Westin White Tea Aloe scent which I love. Large refillable bottles were provided in the shower for shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. A robe was also provided.
One little issue we had was with the lotion. It was a single-use bottle, but when you would pump out the lotion, hair-like fibers came out. First I thought that it must have been used and it could have been someone’s hair, but getting a brand new bottle from housekeeping resulted in the same issue. I didn’t find out what the issue was, but maybe the plastic produced the fibers, or there was something wrong in the manufacturing process. If anyone knows what it is, let me know!
The AC worked well, but I wish there was a feature where we could leave on at least a fan for airflow and white noise. On the plus side, the room was very clean, and the cleanliness of the linens was great too.
During the stay, the only issue we faced was the WiFi not working in the guest rooms for our one-night stay. Thankfully, the lobby WiFi was still operational.
Dining:
Along with the full-sized Starbucks in the lobby, the main restaurant and bar was called Il Falo. It’s an Italian-style wood-fired cuisine opened for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The restaurant was decorated quite nicely and it felt upscale.
For Marriott Bonvoy Platinum and up, you can choose breakfast as your welcome gift. That’s what I did, and it provided either the continental breakfast buffet or $15 per person ($30 for max of 2 people) towards the standard a la carte menu.
The continental breakfast buffet retails for $19 and includes seasonal fruits, pastries, salumi, and yogurt parfait. We checked out the selection, and since it looked quite sparse, we decided we would order off the a la carte menu.
We both got the Omelet Al Mercato and it was pretty good. I also ordered a ginger peach tea, while my travel companion got a coffee and the total went $14 above our credit so we just had to patch that portion. Overall, I was happy with the breakfast.
If you don’t want to come downstairs for a bite, there is also room service from 6:30 AM to 11:00 PM.
Amenities:
The second floor contained guest laundry, the third floor contained Ballrooms and Board Rooms, and the tenth floor contained the Westin Workout Fitness Studio, Outdoor Pool, and a Meeting Room.
Unfortunately, the outdoor pool was closed for the season due to our December visit. On the bright side, there is seating around the pool that can still be enjoyed! It was a nice rooftop, and I bet the pool would be a great feature in the warmer months.
The fitness center looked to be a solid size, with machines to fulfill a full workout.
The Verdict:
Overall, the Westin Raleigh-Durham Airport was a great stay. It was one of the nicest Westin’s and airport hotels I’ve ever stayed at. I highly recommend the property, and if my travels bring me back to the Raleigh-Durham Airport area, I will definitely consider staying here again.
Have you stayed at the Westin Raleigh-Durham Airport before? How was your experience? Comment below!
Cheers,
Ty
Have any questions? Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. I’ve also started working with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays or planning trips. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!
