I'm just writing this for applicants of future cycles.
As much as I dislike negative reviews, I have to say that the Sheraton Fairfax, while gorgeous, wasn't the right place for me. I want to write this since the hotel is essentially the most expensive one on the list given to those invited to interview, and also, because there are so many positive reviews for it. My guess is that it's geared more for business travelers than poor medical school applicants.
Positives: the hotel to airport/Western shuttle is really convenient and the rooms (suites, actually), are really nice. Staff was nice. Shower and faucets worked well, room had microwave and fridge. That's about it.
Negatives:
1) It's in the middle of nowhere, seemingly. I got in late and wanted to find food. The restaurant in-house was expensive and pretty slow so I decided not to eat there. However, when I walked outside there was nothing, not even the comforting glow of a McDonalds or Subway. I was unsettled by the fact that it was pitch-black out front. I wasn't hungry enough to order a pizza or anything and ended up making a snack out of ramen and Mentos ($3.25 at the hotel).
2) There's free Wifi in the lobby but a dearth of power outlets. You can find them, but you'll have be a little creative. Wifi in room is $10. Considering the high price of this hotel, this detail irritated me. In this entire application cycle I have never had to pay for in-room Wifi, even at $50/night places.
3) The room air conditioning was basically a prop.
4) I traveled light and relied on hotel soap/shampoo. I normally don't complain about this, but their soap felt like it was 90% lye. I've never used anything so harsh.
5) There's no breakfast in the morning. They do have a breakfast service that's sent directly to the room, but a stack of blueberry pancakes was something like $14 with a 19% gratuity tacked on. No thanks.
Later on, I stayed at the Best Western Ontario Airport. This place was ~$50 cheaper than the Sheraton and had everything I wanted - free internet, great room (quality was essentially the same as Sheraton, just a room instead of a suite.. actually, the bathroom was nicer at BWOA), flat-screen TV, huge bed, etc. The A/C was shockingly powerful. At a 65F setting, my room went from 'warm' to 'arctic tundra' within a few minutes. Staff was very friendly. There are a couple of restaurants (a decent diner, Thai place, Starbucks, Quiznos, etc) within walking distance as well as a well-stocked 24 hour gas station if you need any snacks. It appears to be in a safe area - I went walking around at 3am to get breakfast from the gas station (needed to go to the airport around 4am). Keep in mind, however, that this hotel only has a shuttle to the airport.
Edit: More importantly to everybody currently waiting, my interview group was told that the class is 75% full.
