Pittsburgh, Pa. Hotel help needed
 

I will be in Pittsburgh in June and can not decide where to stay. We are thinking about the Sheraton Station on the riverfront or the Westin Convention Center. Has anyone stayed in either of these lately? And is there another Westin in the area? I found an old brochure I had about the Westin William Penn. I called Westin and they said it wasn't ther hotel anymore-true? I would appreciate any advice about the area also. Thank so much.

Hotels will change their flag for a variety of reasons. It doesn't mean a thing.

The Myrtle Beach Hilton was a Hilton for years. It then changed its flag and was a Wyndham Hotel for 10 years. It is now once again a Hilton.

Omni Hotels purchased the Westin William Penn from its owners, hence the new Omni flag on this property.

my choice is the Sheraton Sation Square...what info are you looking for..?..

I like the Omni William Penn (the old Westin)if attending events in the Cultural Distict.

Sheraton Station Square works well--can take paddle boat to baseball stadium, which is sort of neat--and has good view of city plus close access to incline.

thanks for the info-- I will probably stay at the Sheraton. Are there many restaurants to select from in that area? Do we really need a car to get around ? We will be going to a baseball game one the days so thank you for the paddle boat tip.It sounds like fun.

We returned last night (5/29/04) from Pittsburgh. We stayed at The Omni Wm. Penn. Learning from this web-site we signed up for Select Guest. Doesn't cost anything and we did get better rooms. The rooms were large, the baths were tiny and could use some work. We had most of our meals in the hotel and they were good. We walked around that beautiful city, but took a $4 taxi twice to Station Square. A fun place with many shops and eateries. The Sheraton is right there but I'd be afraid of the noise from the railroad tracks. While we were there a few trains came by and it was very,very noisy. I envy you your trip. I think Pittsburgh is one of my all time favorite cities.

While I haven't personally stayed at the Sheraton or Westin (though I have heard good things), I am a HUGE fan of the William Penn. It is a beautiful old-style hotel (hence some rooms have smaller bathrooms), with a gorgeous lobby, and friendly staff...and if your trip is on a weekend, I don't think you can get much better quality for the price in Pittsburgh. The downtown is very clean and easy to get-around, and rather quiet on the weekends, we even parked on the street 1/2 block away overnight on our last stay. The last two times we've stayed there our room was very large, with a large bathroom as well. I would also recommend trying out priceline.com for this hotel. The Omni Wm Penn and the Westin to my knowledge are the only true 4 star hotels in downtown Pittsburgh (priceline considers Hilton a 3-star), and both participate in Priceline bidding (hence if you bid only for a 4-star hotel, and get a winning bid, it will be from one of them). We have stayed at the Wm Penn multiple times for $65 + tax (~$81 total). A STEAL for the gorgeous rooms we've had....I live north of Philly and my boyfriend lives near NYC, we travel frequently, and this is one of our favorite hotels by far. Good luck!

I think I can help you out here. I live about 25 miles outside of Pittsburgh and worked in downtown for about 12 years. As for hotels - it was once the Westin William Penn and is now owned by Omni. Lovely hotel in the downtown area. They have a fabulous brunch there. (412) 281-7100 is the phone number. The Sheraton Station Square is also in a great location (www.sheraton.com). Other hotels to consider (the Sheraton is the only one in Station Square) Renaissance Fulton Hotel (412-562-1200). My brother and his wife recently had an overnight here and enjoyed it. It is located more in the cultural district. Also Marriott Hotels at (412-471-4000) and this is located near the Mellon Arena (where the Penguins play and concerts go on). Sounds like the Sheraton may be your best bet. You can take the ferry over to the game and you catch this right down from the Sheraton at the docks. It is the Gateway Clipper Fleet. They offer other cruises as well. Check them out on-line at www.gatewayclipper.com. As for restaurants, you will have many to choose from at Station Square. If you like sit-down, family Italian meals, I would most surely recommend Buca di Peppo which is right down from the Sheraton as well. Also good in Station Square is the Cheese Cellar and Houlihans. I don't have the website for Station Square, but would think if you did a search under that name, you could probably find something. Station Square is shops/restaurants. Enjoy our city of the many bridges. If you will only be in town for a few days, you will not need a car. There are many places to eat and a short walk over the Smithfield Street bridge into the city and you will find other restaurants to choose from as well. If you do rent a car, check out our great amusement park ... Kennywood. Have fun.

Don't know if you've gone yet. I often go to Pgh. for work. The Omni William Penn is my clear favorite. It's a beautiful old hotel, lovely big rooms in beautiful condition, very convenient location. Funny, I've always liked the bathrooms there, never thought they were small. Both the Westin Convention Center and Sheraton Station Square are newer, to my mind, unremarkable hotels, though perfectly pleasant. I never saw too much advantage to the Station Square location. You are across the river from downtown, and basically Station Square is a very unremarkable mall, except for the good seafood restaurant there (the old station.) If you do stay at Station Square (or even if you don't), you might want to check out some of the restaurants on Carson Street nearby. There's a very popular, very good Spanish restaurant there (Mallorca is the name) Also, the noise from the railroad has never bothered me there.