I recently had the pleasure of staying at the Four Points by Sheraton in Perth, Australia. As someone who travels frequently for work, I’m always on the lookout for hotels that offer a comfortable stay without breaking the bank. The Four Points seemed to fit the bill perfectly – a prime location across from the Perth Arena and just steps from the central business district, combined with Four Points’ signature cozy beds and free WiFi
About Four Points by Sheraton, Perth
Address:
707 Wellington St, Perth WA 6000, Australia
+61 8 9327 7000
Four Points Sheraton Perth is a hotel targeted at businessmen visiting western Australia. With a great location for various activities, it is no wonder that this hotel is now a popular choice for many tourists and not just businessmen. I review this hotel to see if it lives up to the reputation that Starwood group has created for it.
Superior Twin Room:
Prices are from as low as AUD $132 per night for the most basic room when you book in advance via the hotel’s official website. When you book in advance via hotel booking websites, the best price is about the same, at AUD $131.75 per night.
Four Points by Sheraton is definitely competitive in pricing. A four star hotel in a well-developed city area such as Wellington Street in Perth will definitely cost much more in other countries. On top of that, the price can be considered an affordable bargain, as you will get to enjoy top quality service and amenities guaranteed by the strong Sheraton branding. For those with a tight budget, stretching your pockets just by a little is surely worthwhile and for those with a more expansive spending ability, this hotel at this price is surely a good bargain.
Location:
The Four Points Sheraton Perth which is a mere 25 minutes’ drive from the airport is conveniently located at the end of the CBD area of Perth, right opposite Perth Arena and also within walking distance to many shopping malls such as Harbour Town and Murray Street mall. Not only is this location convenient for the shopping lovers and workaholics, it also provides the opportunity for one to relax and de-stress at the nearby Botanical Gardens.
With such a splendid location, the hotel is indubitably a good choice for frequent visitors of Perth looking to experience a different environment, and for businessmen who are looking for convenience. The latter will definitely experience the ease of commuting to work without having to give up on entertainment and leisure options. The close proximity to malls and dining options also make it a practical choice of lodging should their families want to tag along.
Room
My trip to Perth brought me to room 617 of this hotel which is a superior room, the cheapest of all that is available. Room 617 has temperature control (air conditioning) that wasn’t noisy at all.
The room was spacious and furnished with a modern touch and was very comfortable. However, I felt that the decor and design of the room, put together, lacked a little warmth and thus failed to offer a cosy, homely touch to visitors.
On the bright side, there were some pleasant touches made to the room, such as a small comfortable sofa chair complete with a coffee table, a work desk and a TV which even has access to some US and British channels.
Being largely a business hotel, with majority of its guests having appointments in Perth’s CBD, I felt that the hotel should have done more to the work desk, such as provide HDMI and VGA capabilities and maybe a free stationery kit as well. After all, these little details are what makes a businessman’s trip more convenient and enjoyable.
One aspect about the layout of the room that guests might not like is that the entrance door to the toilet faces the bed directly. I believe some superstitious Chinese guests would not like this design.
However, the bathroom is kept clean and well maintained, so there would not be any concerns regarding hygiene.
Bottled water is complimentary and available in room, but what disappointed me was the relatively sparse mini-bar and almost empty refrigerator. With only a few bottles of drinks and no snacks or tidbits available, one would have to do some grocery shopping in order to be able to snack in the comfort of the room.
Free Wi-Fi is only available in common areas such as the lobby, restaurant and fitness centre (In-room Wi-Fi is charged at $20 for 24 hours for 3 devices) and I felt that this should not be the case for this hotel. This is because Four Points Sheraton Perth is more often visited by businessmen due to its close proximity to the CBD. This being the case, I would assume that many guests would appreciate it if there were complimentary in-room Wi-Fi for the convenience of most of the hotel’s guests so that they can continue with their work in the repose of their room.
Another area which left me disappointed was the lack of good views of its rooms. Room 617 had unspectacular views and I have even heard that some rooms facing the back of the hotel had views of dirty back streets and graffiti on the walls of neighbouring buildings. Such unpleasant views would definitely be a turn off for those who wish to spend long periods of time relaxing in the hotel room.
Bathroom
The bathroom was spacious, clean and equipped with all the basic amenities such as hand soap, shampoo and shower gel. The interior looked new and well maintained. The unblemished white floor tiles and marble sink top gives the bathroom a luxurious feel.
The water pressure from the shower head was just right and the water temperature was always easily adjusted. In fact, I must admit that I really enjoyed the quality of the bathroom and it was a major plus point for this hotel.
Facilities:
The above pictures show the Fitness Centre of the hotel, which was rather large and well-appointed for a relatively small hotel as this. The size of the gym was definitely larger than I had expected, and it sure was more spacious than the gyms of many other hotels of the same size.
With dumbbells up to 25kg, 3 treadmills, elliptical machines, cycling machines, yoga balls and medicine balls etc., the equipment are indubitably more than adequate for the average Joe who wants to keep fit and shed some excess calories gained during his vacation.
For the demo-phobic, fret not as the gym is usually empty and quiet, so one can have the luxury working out in peace, without having to rub shoulders with sweaty men. However, it would probably have been a better experience if the hotel stations a “gym-knowledgeable” staff in the vicinity to assist less experienced guests or those who require a spotter.
One thing which I was not too amused about was the décor and furnishing of the gym. Being under the Sheraton brand, I had expected a more luxurious looking gym area, with warm inviting lighting and a more attractive coat of paint. However, this was not the case with the gym, as walls were a plain monotonous colour, without sufficing a hint of warmth or luxury.
The fitness centre sure scores adequately for practicality and space, but it lacks in interior design. Surely the management could have spared more though and effort into designing the fitness centre so as to not disappoint guests who take their exercise serious and want a comfortable, welcoming area to workout in.
Our Take:
To sum up, here are the pros and cons of this hotel:
Pros:
- Nicely furnished and clean room
- Spacious toilet
- Complimentary water
- Convenient location
- Great service and friendly staff
Cons:
- Sparse mini bar
- No complimentary Wi-Fi
- Lack of good views
- Rooms lacks sense of warmth and home
Generally, I would recommend this hotel to the busy business traveller who spends most of his time in office and needs a comfortable sanctuary to retreat to at night, and to shopaholics who would like to spend a day or two (but not for too long) in this area of Perth. Four Points Sheraton Perth has all the basic amenities and facilities needed for a comfortable stay, but it might not be the best choice for a longer trip as there just isn’t anything much about the hotel that really stands out.