This review is definitely a first world problem, but I wanted to be comprehensive. If you are looking for a place to lay your head, this place works. If you want something special or specific, stay away.

For my wife’s birthday, she wanted a night away from the kids, and she asked me not to spend a fortune. With three kids, she certainly deserved the best that Huntsville has to offer. I held to her wish, and I tried to think out of the box to make this as nice as I could on the cheap.

Movie Privè seats for a movie that I knew she would like, $32. Reservations at Conner’s, done. Shopping at Belk on a gift card from her friends was easy, and the big deal was a night at the Bridge Street Westin, which was 20k points (She complained about the cost and I was able to say with a straight face that the evening was less than $100).

The one special request that I made of Westin was for a room overlooking Bridge Street. If it was just me, or if I was on business travel...give me a parking lot or the dumpsters and I never say a word. For this occasion, though, the view actually mattered to me...that was a part of why I chose Westin over the other Marriotts in town. Bridge Street.

My couch is comfortable when I get into trouble—I never stay in a hotel in my hometown. However, I can be objective and compare it to countless others that I have experienced when I travel.

We arrived before our planned activities to make sure that everything was taken care of (I have not used points since the old program converted to Bonvoy). The Westin lobby is...about hotel average. There is nothing special or magical here aside from one wall of live tropical floral arrangements. I don’t know why, but I did expect more of Bridge Street’s flagship. A ten foot wall of flowers is all that I remember of their lobby.

The reception and check in was okay...not overly friendly or Southern warm, but not New York. It was okay, but a one person show. There were no pleasantries as you might expect from a nicer hotel. There is no concierge or bell hop stand either.

As I found my “Starwood Preferred Room” 525, the room had a view of...the parking lot. My wife didn’t say a word, but she ran to the window and looked out like a giddy kid, so I know she was hopeful. I directly asked the front desk if this could be changed for a view of Bridge Street and was told “we are not giving out rooms on the other side.” I asked other logical questions and got the same canned answer and it made no sense. second class tenant by using my points. They had me on their rules and there was nothing I could do about it...the rule was whatever they felt like.

As for the room itself, it was okay. It was clean (you would expect that). It wasn’t in disrepair, the bed was comfortable. The bathroom was nice with a bathtub and a stand up shower. The refrigerator works. They do not have amenities in the room as you would expect...you have to order them like room service. If I have to call and ask you to bring juice or a small snack, I would use Instacart. I hope them good luck with that model. The room was quiet. There was perhaps one or two others on the fifth floor. The bad insult to injury—one of them was leaving from a room across the hall (the view we coveted) as we left to checkout.

If I had it to do over, I wouldn’t have spent 20,000 points here. I wouldn’t recommend that anyone pay the $185 going rate, either. I expect more service and understanding when I pay that much. This isn’t a put down of Huntsville, but if the Westin is Marriott’s best in the state of Alabama’s second largest city...it is pitiful in terms of customer service and internal atmosphere. A real shame...because when you step outside the hotel Bridge Street is pleasant. This hotel desperately needs an interior decorator and a flare of Southern Hospitality.

What can I say... It's a Westin. Heavenly beds. Nice indoor/outdoor pool. Bar and restaurant. Good food. Great location connected to a large shopping any chock full of restaurants, bars, shopping, movies, and more. They have a valet sign up in front but I personally never saw a valet. There was one thing strange about this hotel that I'm not sure what to think about. There's a lower priced hotel called Elements connected to the Westin. Elements appears to be a hotel similar to a Hampton Inn where breakfast is provided. If you were staying at the Westin you couldn't go into elements. Probably because they didn't want you to eat the free breakfast. But if you were staying at Elements you could come into the Westin and enjoy the work out facility and the pool. So for element guests it was a great value. You are staying in a budget hotel and get access to an upscale workout facility and nice pool and hot tub. But as a guest at the Westin part of me feels I'm paying for the amenities for all of these other people who are NOT even staying at the hotel. That's why I state I'm not sure what I think about this scenario. Knowing this, next time maybe I'll stay at the cheaper elements. If they have heavenly beds it will be a no brainer. Stay at Elements.