Great midtown hotel for low-maintenance travelers
I stayed here for three nights over Labor Day weekend for the US Open. I was a little nervous about some of the reviews, and I am not a Starwood member, but got a great rate through AAA so I decided to take a chance... I'm very glad I did, and will use this hotel again for my annual US Open trip.
I was able to check-in two hours in advance to a Wonderful room on the 14th floor without having made a special request. Front desk staff were pleasant and friendly, even though the hotel was clearly busy and full for the weekend. The room was average-sized for New York, to be quite honest, and perfectly comfortable for me as a solo traveler. I have stayed in both smaller and larger rooms at various other 4 star hotels in the city. If you have not stayed in NYC before, you may find the room quite small. It was clean and well-kept; I had no problems with housekeeping at all for the duration of my stay. The bathroom was on the smaller side but there was plenty of space for my personal items. The tub was slow to drain but I have found this in almost every hotel I have ever stayed in. I did find it interesting that the W does not offer The Tennis Channel, even though it is a player and staff hotel for the Open.
The hotel was quite full for the weekend so naturally there were some wait periods for the elevators, but nothing out of the ordinary for a holiday weekend in a popular midtown location. GCT was a short walk away and there are loads of restaurants/diners/conveniences nearby.
I did not need any special accommodations and I did not need to use any of the W's many features, so I cannot comment on those... I really just needed a clean, comfortable place to sleep at night and shower in the morning while spending all day at the tournament, and the W fit the bill perfectly. If, like me, you are a low-maintenance traveler who needs a clean and safe place to stay for an event or while exploring the city, the W will suit your needs just fine.