Uptown downtown
I have stayed at the Pan Pacific in Vancouver, the Waldorf Astoria, the Wit in Chicago, and other nice hostelries. None has matched the experience my wife and I had earlier this month at the W in downtown Austin. In my experience you can get "cool" or you can get "warm" but not both. Most hip, happenin' spots are too cool for school, and the service is snooty or aloof or whatever. And most places where they attend to good service tend to be something, old-fashioned? "Y'all come back now, y'hear?" The W manages to merge both. Over-the-top cool (someone had to point out the famous hip-hop singer who was at the pool), with nice design-a-rama touches in the rooms and in the public places, the W is definitely the cool kids' table. But the service was unfailingly friendly and attentive, even the driver who gave us a free ride whenever and wherever (downtown) we wanted to go. Big ups to the manager who hires and trains these people -- it really works. Can't wait for the next time.