Whatever, Whenever (and they mean it)
Summary: great rooms, amazing location, throughtful staff. I would certainly visit again.
Just left the W Hotel following a 4 night break in New York and enjoyed every minute of it!
As it was our first time in New York we had booked a Spectacular room as we wanted to soak up the views of the City however we were fortunate enough to be upgraded to a Corner Room that overlooked Times Square on check in. The room was well decorated, the bathroom was stylish but above all the views were amazing. The location of the hotel also means that you really are in the heart of the city.
All the staff at the hotel we bumped into were pleasent and professional. The concierge recommended some nice restaurants that were in keeping with the style and feel of the hotel and made us reservations. By the time we left the hotel we really did get the impression that "Whatever Whenever" was more than just a cheesy slogan; nothing seemed too much trouble. It was our first time at a 'W' brand hotel and it impressed.
Patrick (whatever/whenever talent coach), seems to have the best job in the world - Making people happy. The smile on our faces when we got back to our room from watching the Lion King to find the soundtrack playing in the background was priceless. When there is very little to differentiate between hotels, it is the thoughtful little things like this which count and that's the reason I will be recommending the 'W' to family and friends.
In the interest of providing a balanced review, the only really minor negatives were that the Corner Room has very limited storage space, this made storing lots of clothing, luggage etc a bit difficult especially if you want to keep the minimialistic style of the room (that said you will spend most of the time looking out the window and probably not notice the messy room!)
Second, In a world where you can get free wi-fi internet with your morning coffee I still struggle to understand why large hotels continue to charge for the service. However the charge isn't extortionate should you require the internet for whatever reason and I believe it is free for premier members so those on business should be looked after.