In February, 2009, I had the pleasure of spending three nights at the Four Points Sheraton Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was overall a positive experience.
Check-in/parking/lobby:
Check in was fast. The front desk staff was helpful and professional when we had questions. There was generally plenty of parking, although one night, when the hotel was running a few large events, we had to circle the lot a bit to find an empty spot. The small, but comfortable lobby held a cozy fireplace. The restaurant, bar, small snack shop, business center, pool and fitness center were all centrally located off the lobby.
Let’s check out the room:
The bed was comfortable and firm.
There was a comfortable lounge chair as well as a desk. The closet was small. A nook by the door contained a microwave oven, refrigerator and room safe. The TV worked well and had HBO and a limited number of channels. Temperature controls worked well.
The bathroom was adequate in size with nice counter space. The amenities were modern and clean, and the shower pressure was fine. There were the typical assortment of shampoo, conditioner and lotion. The cosmetics were from the Caswell-Massey line and had a lovely, citrusy fragrance.
Cleanliness:
Everything seemed clean and tidy.
Noise:
The days we were there, the hotel was full of high school cheerleaders, in town for a state competition. The room next to ours was full of such young ladies, and we could hear their excited conversations and music one evening. Luckily, they quieted down before we needed to get sleep. Otherwise, the hotel room and lobby area were quiet.
Guests can use the Business Center room, which contains two computers and a printer. I used these computers several times and never had to wait to get onto a computer.
Hungry?
Our room rate included the breakfast buffet for two mornings. This was held in the hotel’s restaurant, and the waiters promptly brought over coffee to the table. It was also nice eating off of real plates and silverware. The breakfast buffet had a selection of hot and cold items, including an omelet station. Oddly, one day they served both French Toast and French Toast sticks. The selection was reasonable, I suppose, but picky eaters, or those on a special diet might find it pretty limited. For example, I don’t eat red meat, so that eliminated most of the hot items (bacon, sausage) one day. I did enjoy a vegetable omelet from the made-to-order omelet station, though.
I ordered room service from the hotel’s restaurant (I believe it’s called Michael’s Chop Shop) one night. The food choices included the typical selections of sandwiches, burgers, salads and entrees. Unfortunately, I didn’t really like my sandwich, nor the cold slaw that accompanied it, and I am not generally a picky eater.
Need exercise or to unwind?
The hotel had a heated indoor pool that was approximately 15 feet long, and up to five feet deep. I believe that the pool has an outdoor section in summer, as well, but that was blocked off at this time of year. There was a fitness room with several pieces of equipment and free weights. There was also a hot tub and sauna. There was no extra charge for these amenities. One day, I saw a group of people getting pizza delivered to the lounge chair area around the pool, and they seemed to be having fun. Mostly, the pool area was quiet, though, when I was there.
The hotel is located two miles from the Central Campus of University of Michigan. The hotel is in an area with numerous hotels, restaurants, and a shopping mall. The hotel is set back from the main roads, so it is not easy to walk anywhere, at least in the winter, with snow on the ground.
Summary:
Overall, this was a comfortable hotel, with nice rooms and amenities. I particularly enjoyed having access to a microwave, refrigerator and room safe, as well as that hot tub. However, I personally cannot particularly recommend the hotel’s restaurant. Nor is it easy to walk from The Four Points Sheraon, Ann Arbor, to restaurants or stores. Overall, I was satisfied, and I would stay there again.
