Travel Onion Returns with a New Sheraton Hotel Tour

A few weeks ago, Travel Onion, which aggregates and indexes blogs for traveling consumers, had graciously asked me to attend another Sheraton group event which was showcasing two of the hotel's properties in the Washington D.C. region.

Only this time, Sheraton focused the group of bloggers on the path of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project which is laying track and adding Metro stations for the so-called "Silver Line" to Dulles International Airport.

Each hotel provided a tour of their guest spaces and amenities. Their approach - ensure the properties feel “warm, comforting, and connected.”

So escaping the grueling heat and embracing the cool climate controlled hotel lobby, I joined the tour group which was initially dispersed around the bar.

Some folks wrote blogs that primarily focused on food - writers such as Jason Yaskoir of DCFüd and Daphne Domingo of Go Gastronomy (writing for Dining in DC this time). And then there were others such as Kate Michael of K Street Kate and Anita Hattiangadi of Greg's List.

We all began at the Sheraton Premier Hotel near Tyson Corner in Northern Virginia and were later shuttled to the Sheraton Herndon Dulles Airport Hotel just a few miles down the road.

The hosts described the projects within the twenty million dollar renovations that would be happening at the Sheraton Premier before the end of 2012. Major renovations would be occurring ostensibly in anticipation of the completion of the Metrorail project in 2016.

Various elements of the facility will be changing, from the layout of the lobby and restaurant areas all the way down to the design of the furniture in the rooms. Our hosts guided us through the numerous features intended to enhance the guest’s experience such as “grab-n-go” food counters or the pod-style front desk design.

As with the other tours, each hotel greeted us with complimentary food and drinks. We all had an opportunity to chat with the staff and each other as the servers passed out Cosmopolitan-like cocktails called "the Sheratini" (naturally). As I sipped, our hosts listed off the ingredients - citron vodka, Chambord, triple sec, cranberry, and lemon. Platters of hors d'œuvre were passed around for us.

In Herndon, our hosts surveyed the facilities with us, going so far as to adorn a conference room with a banquet of sweets and treats for the bloggers. Bottles of red and white wine were served while Sheraton management conversed with their blogger guests. I indulged in several glasses of the Santa Margarita Pinot Grigio that was being served.

By the end, we were given, among other things, a complimentary bottle of Hob Nob Pinot Noir for our time. For those unfamiliar, Hob Nob is a darker Pinot Nior that wine-amateurs, such as me, tend to enjoy thanks to its sweeter profile.

Both hotel experiences were informative and entertaining. Starwood continues it's push to transform their properties into a different kind of hospitality experience. And as Northern Virginia adjusts to the coming metro expansion, Sheraton is there, ready to give consumers (and commuters) a hotel striving to stay ahead of your expectations.

You can catch my write up on the last Sheraton experience which was posted earlier this year at Dining in DC.

Note: This post has been revised since its original publication.

A Night Exploring Sheraton Hotels with Travel Onion

Note: this is a repost of an piece written for Dining in DC called "New Travel Website, Travel Onion breaks into DC Market".

Travel Onion, a new website that aggregates the best travel and hospitality blogs in the world, indexed across approximately 50 top cities, teamed up with Starwood Hotels and Resorts to offer an executive level guided tour through the Sheraton Suites Old Town, Sheraton Crystal City Hotel and the Sheraton National Hotel. The event would allow the hotel company to promote their three premier northern Virginia properties in today’s most exciting and popular editorial form: the blog.

It was cold outside, but it was nice and warm at the Sheraton Suites in Old Town Alexandria. A slight crowd had gathered at the Finn and Hoof restaurant for the Travel Onion media event . Cal Simmons, founder of Travel Onion, welcomed the group, which he called “DC’s most influential bloggers,” and gave some instructions in anticipation of an extravagant hotel tour which was to begin.

As a bartending and mixology blogger, I hadn’t taken many opportunities to write about hotels. In fact, I never actually considered evaluating the hotel industry at all. However, I quickly realized that my intuitions regarding food and drink would naturally translate in other areas of hospitality and service. So, I threw myself at the chance.

In Old Town, the bartender at the Finn and Hoof shook up a refreshing mixture of elderflower liqueur, chardonnay, and a twist of lemon as a complimentary cocktail. The attendees sipped their drinks while the friendly sales and marketing staff of each respective hotel escorted the group through the impressive conference facilities, club lounge, and amenities.

Each escort focused on the sense of community that Sheraton wanted to convey. We explored the open and convergent layout of the lobby, restaurant and internet café (the Sheraton link). We also looked at rooms, perfectly arranged, with a view of the surrounding metropolitan landscape. At one point, with encouragement from our guides, I embraced the marshmallow-like bed in one graceful jump backwards.

In Crystal City, as we wandered into the lobby, the hotel staff reinforced the communal atmosphere in the design. The kitchen staff served us sliders, buffalo-style wings, quesadillas and more. For an additional fee, hotel guests could experience the Mystery Dinner Playhouse which is staged in a room near the bar. The Playhouse, which performs on Fridays and Saturdays, combines the thrill of an interactive theatre performance with a four course meal.

In Arlington, our guides led us through an elegant dining area decorated with a variety of historical images of the commander-in-chief. From Truman’s jubilant face after defeating Thomas Dewey in 1948 to Reagan’s confident grin while sitting with Mikhail Gorbachev in the late 1980s, each image overlooked diners as they enjoyed their meals.

Guests looking for an even more presidential experience could dine in the stunning White House rose garden section. Slightly secluded from the rest of the venue, this verdant motif seemed perfect for a family brunch or a wedding rehearsal dinner.

In the end, Sheraton’s energized staff and welcoming hotels made reviewing the event a straightforward task. These three hotels are suited quite well to the Washington DC metropolitan area and certainly reflect the community and magnetism of Northern Virginia. The staff was unquestionably professional and gracious. Travel Onion and Starwood Hotels and Resorts delivered a very warm event on a very cold evening.

Update: check out my guest post at Dining in DC!