Seasonal Swankness Abounds
Just stayed a night at the W Hollywood to see a concert in the area. I'd stayed at the other W in West Hollywood and expected this one to be the same. Wrong. I'm not sure if it was the location or if it was because it was "WET summer" (Swanky high heels and bikinis by the pool...an event that the W promotes.), but the vibe of this W is different. It's hip, it's swank, it's modern, but it's less classy than it's western Hollywood counterpart. Young people everywhere, it's certainly a hub of activity. We were there on a Sunday night and when we returned from the concert, the lobby was packed and a live blues band was playing. The clientele seemed to be trying too hard to be cool.... but let's get to the room.
The beds rawk. Seriously comfortable. They are low, so the older crowd might have trouble getting in and out of them, but who wants to get out? :) Unfortunately for me, 3 of the 4 pillows on my bed smelled like "other people's head", which was rather gross. There was a very cool minibar fridge and all sorts of snacks at exorbitant prices, including oxygen shots. Swank. BUT the shower head leaked all night and oddly enough they only gave us 2 bath towels to use, even though we registered for 3 staying in the room. Room service was excellent and quick, so was the response to fix our DVD player (which was never hooked up in the first place.) The rooms are equipped with charging stations for all your electronics, a noise machine that plays crickets or the sea or whatever relaxes you, as well as a radio. Make up mirror is lighted and magnified, so you can scare yourself to death in the middle of the night with a flick of a switch. The restaurant served ok food (ask for the truffle cheese fries that aren't on the menu to brighten your meal) and all the stall latches in the women's bathroom in the lobby were broken. We never even ventured to the pool due to the WET event...we were skeerd of what we'd see. And trust me, there was lots of skin around! Overall, it's a hip, trendy place to set your suitcases....but if you want upscale and classy, wait til WET season is over and the hotel's hormones have a chance to settle. Then I'm sure you'll have a good stay.