Being a hipster doesn't mean you can forget the basics
I spent one night at the W Downtown while participating in the New York City Half Marathon. There was a large contingent of people from the race staying at the hotel, as it was close to the finish line. My experience was decidedly mixed. There is no escaping the fact that this is a dreadfully hip establishment, and I'm fairly certain that I'm not hip enough for it. When I arrived at 6pm it was already getting challenging to navigate the lobby, due to the mood lighting and the DJ. By the time I returned from dinner at 10pm the lobby was so darned cool that I could barely find the elevators in the dark. More hip music selections in the (pink lava-lamp themed) elevators, and you'll surely want to buy the cool CD of W music that's available in your room. The rooms are full of more hip and cool stuff. Looking like it was designed by folks who fancy themselves as minor league Jonny Ive types. Few opportunities are missed to do something in an out of the ordinary way. Like, even the toilet flush was unusual. You might really like this, you might not. I found it cute, but not a reason to choose to stay there.
There are plenty of things that are good about the hotel. First, the beds. The mattress was a little on the soft side for my taste, but the bedding was heavenly. I so wish I didn't have to get up at 4am for my race. And the shower is outstanding -- very, very well received after the race. My room was on the 17th floor on the north side, where it directly overlooks the 9/11 Memorial and growing Freedom Tower. Amazing view. This might not persist, as there's another building under construction between W and the WTC. The coffee in the lobby in the morning is rather good. The rooms don't feel too tiny by NYC standards (I had one with 2 doubles).
Then the not so good. First, $17/day for wifi is a joke. We know it costs them very little to run it (that's why the less pricey hotels don't charge you for it). Second, it feels like the room is more of a product placement experience than a place to stay and rest. And that relates to my main complaint, which is a bit of a rant about the difficulty of getting a morning coffee (... given how much I had paid for the room). Most normal places have in room coffee. But there's no space for that at W, given the amount of real estate that's needed for product placements. But there's a little note hidden in an alcove that says that you can request a coffee maker if you'd like one. Great! I really could use that for the 4am start. I ask the concierge: "Sure, no problem". By the time I get back to my room she's on the phone saying that they were fresh out of them. But that's no problem, as they say that you can get it in the lobby any time in the morning. "I have to be up at 4am, which is on the early side for that kind of thing." "No problem." [... too few hours of sleep in the wonderful bed ...]. At 4:15 when I go to the lobby, the new concierge looks at me like I'm nuts when I ask about coffee. He seems kind of annoyed to see somebody at that time of the night. I know this isn't a huge deal, but it just seemed symptomatic of where this hotel's priorities are. Being a hipster shouldn't mean that you can forget the basics.
I was foolish enough to bring my car with me to New York. Fortunately, the Icon garage around the corner from the W has a $35/day rate for W guests, which is not bad for NYC prices, and much better than their regular $62/day rate.