Decades ago, the genteel town of Princeton and its timeless university were surrounded by farmlands. Today, the area is home to office parks, academic institutes and countless hotels bearing every known brand (and a few you may never have heard of). It seems that every business wants to have a "Princeton" address. But how many of them live up to the expectations of their patrons in this still upscale locale?

The Westin does. There are unique features here that will make you feel welcome from the moment you arrive. First, the hotel is the anchor of an attractive shopping area with upscale stores and restaurants. The lobby is spacious, warm and inviting. The lobby bar, located down a couple of steps from the main level, reminds me of the recessed living rooms that were popular years ago, and has that same cozy feel. The indoor-outdoor pool is also very inviting for a facility so far from the tropics.

The rooms have the characteristic amenities of the Westin chain, including of course that heavenly bed. Westin's decor, while contemporary, seems warm rather than sterile. An unexpected touch was the complimentary breakfast bar on the sixth floor--no place to sit down there, but guests were welcome to take their selections back to their rooms. The coffee service in the room (Starbucks) was surprisingly good, from a machine that truly was easy to operate.

This visit was not flawless. The hotel was crowded with two wedding parties and a convention of pre-teen cheerleaders (who, by the time my wife and I located the breakfast room, had already devoured many of the offerings). Burdened by these crowds, the elevators were slow, there was a lot of commotion in the hallways, and guest services seemed a bit overwhelmed (for example, after two tries we gave up asking the front desk to turn off the message light on our room phone).

Still, I would choose the Westin over other hotels in the area (and we've tried many of them). The hotel surpasses the others in its setting, decor and room comfort. This is one Princeton hotel that lives up to its address.

I have stayed here a number of times because of the convenient location. The hotel has usually been OK for short business trips. On my latest stay however, two aspects have caused me great disappointment. Number one, none of the 3 elevators was working when I checked in but noone deemed appropriate to notify the guests, so we were several people waiting for about 10 minutes in front of the elevator doors, until we decided to ask the reception what happened. The response was that we could use the emergency exit stairs, which we were forced to climb with our luggage, with no offer for help from the staff... On the following day only one of the elevators seemed to be working so there was again a long waiting time to go up or down... This has apparently been a recurring issue at this place and they should really get it fixed.

Next disappointment was the state of the bathroom: peeling paint on the ceiling, stained marks on the walls, corroded plumbing... Not at all what I would expect from the Westin standards. See the pictures, which speak for themselves...

Also be careful - the hotel originally charged me twice for internet connection; I fortunately got this fixed but it's another of those things which just shouldn't happen - I already find it irritating enough to pay once for such a basic service.

We were fortunate enough to get a room during Sandy and despite being a crazy chaotic week with all rooms booked, the staff handled it all with professionalism and a smile. I want to especially note the manager, Lynn, who seemed to be everywhere at once. She was extremely helpful to us on a number of occasions during the week. No complaints - while much of the Jersey shore was battered and we lost power for some 4-5 days, at the Westin, we were warm, well fed and comfortable. The hotel was clearly understaffed but they made accommodations like having a buffet in the dining room instead of a full menu. I did not see anyone complaining. Bottom line: if they can do it with all rooms occupied and limited resources, imagine what they can do under normal conditions. Kudos all around.

Staff made all the difference. Front desk was excellent. Breakfast was made to order when buffet wouldn't suffice. Room was excellent. Truly felt like a guest at this hotel which I find rare these days. Would recommend to everyone coming to the area and definitely hope to be back.