Starwood Preferred Guest - W Fort Lauderdale [Master Thread]

Located between the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach resort and the revamped Westin there is nothing identifying this property from Fort Beach Blvd besides a big (and not real large) W at ground level which is a much easier seen when lit at night.
The hotel consisted of two towers linked by a walkway which is actually over the arrivals/drive up area. It is my understanding the rear of the two towers is primarily residences and apartments and I am not sure if any area in that building is currently occupied.

Arrived at by car at 200pm to for a two night stay using some third quarter weekend nights award ( which actually would have expired on April 30 but the Platinum concierge kindly permitted me to use them the nights of May 1, 2^^)

CHECKIN
Was greeted by the bell staff/valet and escorted up to “Living Room” on the third floor for check-in.
Pretty painless with friendly CSR who made a bit of a flourish about me being upgraded ;) ( I knew I had when my reservation disappeared on SPG.com)

LIVING ROOM
Quite a large lobby with various art/decorative sculplture and a nice bar to one side beyond the check-in counter. Plenty of comfortable seating and tables and exterior doors which led to a patio running full length of the front of the building and view of the beach. One could have drinks outside on the patio decorated with white enameled metal tables and light colored sofas in one corner was an Olympic size gas fed torch/burner which was not lit and not sure if it was a to provide heat on the patio in the winter or is simply an decorative item ( or both)
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/members/mikesilv-albums-w-fort-lauderdale-picture585-dscf2689a.html

As per normal there was free wireless in this area, internet in the rooms I believe was $14.95?? / day.
In fitting with the apparent general theme of this property the decoration was in along minimalist lines, color scheme light browns and off whites etc. In fact the overall color scheme for the entire property was similar to the above the only seeming variations were in the passages to the rooms which had carpeting simulating an “marine sand bottom pattern” and the ceilings were done in a sort of undulating aquamarine wave like mural presumably to give the impression that you are walking under the surface of the oean.

ROOM
Was upgraded to a corner room termed a “ Fabulous Room” on 9th Floor which was mini-suite consisting of the bedroom, separate living room and two balconies one at the front/side and the other full front both afforded a full beach/ocean vista and a great view of the pool area .
While not small, the rooms/suite would not be considered “overly spacious”
Same minimalist theme as in other areas and a couple of unusual of the room features, all seating except on the patio were fully revolving upholstered chairs and a huge walk-in closet with a photocell which switched the lights on automatically and for those fans of stuffed animals (ala Conrads) a white three foot long stuffed gator.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/members/mikesilv-albums-w-fort-lauderdale-picture584-dscf2688a.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/members/mikesilv-albums-w-fort-lauderdale-picture583-dscf2687a.html
I asked the bell-boy who escorted us up to the room if I could take it home and he said yes ;)(not sure he was being serious in any event it was too big to fit in our suitcases and I really didn’t feel like boarding the plane with a white alligator under my arm.:D


POOLS: the main pool ( and smaller wading pool) was on the fourth floor level was quite nice and a decent size with about eight or so private cabanas at the north end . I also observed was another smaller circular pool on the rear building but that was not yet open.
The beach of course is the public beach across A1A and umbrella and beach chairs are handled by the same outfit that does the entire stretch of beach.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/members/mikesilv-albums-w-fort-lauderdale-picture586-dscf2686a.html

FOOD
Did not have breakfast (or any other meal for that matter) during my stay at this hotel other than early morning room service continental the day of checkout so I am not exactly sure where it was being served.
As far as other dining the standard Whiskey Blue was not yet open but Stephen Starr's Steak 454 was open (whats with all these new steak type restaurants anyway??) in any event we already had reservations at two of our favorite Miami eateries but it would have been nice to have something more like Buddikan here.
Also happened to see Starr checking out on Saturday evening.

GENERAL
The Bliss Store was open but not much else there were a number of signs at the ground level saying “opening soon”
There is quite a bit work still going here and some rough edges ( like screwing the power panel cover in my room down properly) still to be taken care.
But it didnt really detract from our stay.

Parking is by valet only and was $32.80 not sure how it came to the odd amount perhaps it was $30.00 with added tax ??

First impressions: I was not immediately blown away by this property ( perhaps due to high expectations) but it does grow on you.
And all in all its seems to have maintained the W edge incorporating a little more tropical flavour.

Since I was in the area to visit friends and family we did not spend a great amount of time hanging around the hotel I apologize for not taking more photos.
The Atlantic lovers (and the resident W haters on this board) are likely to find a lot to dislike here but in most respects it fits into the W concept quite well.

mike

Great review, mike. ^ Not sure if I'd be heading to Fort Lauderdale anytime soon, so I'd just be experiencing this new Wonderland vicariously. Looks like a v cute one; love the subtle Balinese touch.

Oooo, the dilemna of whether to try out the new W in lieu of an upcoming Diplomat stay....

Thank you, Mike. Look forward to spending 3 nights at this property for 4th of July weekend.

Good summary of the hotel. I'll add a few comments.

The Whiskey Blue lounge is not yet open but I think they are having a grand opening in mid-June.

The W branding is a little excessive here - they have plastered their logo on practically everything in the room I was in. As a Plat I was upgraded to a Fabulous Room, which I would equate to a simple deluxe room. It did have a killer ocean view. I would recommend anyone pay for an ocean view because the sunrises are great and it's neat to see the cruise ships and other ships go by.

The Living Room is a success. It's a slick and large open space that has a variety of seating, lighting, and sub-spaces. You also get free internet and you can order drinks and dinner there.

Room service food is not interesting. They have the usual basics but nothing I tried was worth writing about.

The fitness center has a variety of weights and cardio and is definitely above average. There is no charge to use it.

Overall I was pleased with my stay and would go back there.

Just returned from a stay there. Was upgraded to a Mega room which has a pretty cool layout and a really nice bathroom area. There were two patio areas which offered a good view of both the ocean and the intracoastal waterways.

The Kobe steak at the restaurant is really good but pricey - starting at $65. However, there is "regular" (non-Kobe) steak which is also excellent and starts around $30. Maybe one of the coolest decorative ideas is the jellyfish tank in the restaurant.

Probably one of the most notable things about the stay was the staff. Even at the restaurant we had a couple issues and they went out of their way to be sure that we were happy. The hotel is about 3 weeks old and it seemed that most of the staff were excited about it and made an extra effort to be sure that all was well.

The only negative is the $30 price for valet parking which seems high, but I am not sure what a typical price would be in this area.

Overall, the hotel is great and would be recommended, especially if you are a fan of W hotels.

We spent two nights there last week. As a PLT I was upgraded to a "Fabulous" room which was fairly small, but large according to W standards.

Staff was great, restaurant great, all in all a nice hotel if you are into the whole W thing.

Personally, at 48 years old, I feel 20 years too old for any W property. The whole bar scene and all is just not me, but since they canned the St. Regis and Atlantic from *wood in FLL, I am at the W. And I am HAPPY to be there because the other choice is the Yankee Crapper up the street.

So, I say, YEAH for the W FLL.

Stayed for 2 nights last week. Was upgraded to a ocean front room with a giant balcony(as large as P1 at the Atlantic). Service was good(for its age)and the front desk staff needed a bit of coaching on SPG PLT upgrades but thats all in a days work. Overall, a good hotel and a good location.

Interesting....all of the Platinums here have only been reported to be upgraded to a fabulous room or Mega at best.

There's been no report of the hotel upgrading Platinums to cool corner nor their fantastic suite...hmmmm

...There's been no report of the hotel upgrading Platinums to cool corner nor their fantastic suite...hmmmm

Those are outside the standard pool of suites. A standard suite here is a Spectacular Flat, of which there are six in current inventory.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

Those are outside the standard pool of suites. A standard suite here is a Spectacular Flat, of which there are six in current inventory.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

That's very interesting! :eek: but isn't cool corner room just a room? Btw, they also have fantastic flats, which are different than fantastic suites...as well as cool corner flats

The hotel charges more for Spectacular Flats than cool corner room, studio suite or fantastic suites :eek:

So, the only rooms eligible for Platinum upgrades are: Spectacular room, fabulous room, Mega room and Spectacular flats?

Cool corner room, studio suite, and fantastic suite are all out of the running?

but since they canned the St. Regis and Atlantic from *wood in FLL, I am at the W. And I am HAPPY to be there because the other choice is the Yankee Crapper up the street.

So, I say, YEAH for the W FLL.

You could try the "new" Westin next door also......

That's very interesting! :eek: but isn't cool corner room just a room? Btw, they also have fantastic flats, which are different than fantastic suites...as well as cool corner flats

The hotel charges more for Spectacular Flats than cool corner room, studio suite or fantastic suites :eek:

So, the only rooms eligible for Platinum upgrades are: Spectacular room, fabulous room, Mega room and Spectacular flats?

Cool corner room, studio suite, and fantastic suite are all out of the running?
Yes, that does seem strange, and I see a pattern here with no suite upgrades from other members. It really sux when you have to beg for what your supposed to be offered.

That's very interesting! :eek: but isn't cool corner room just a room? Btw, they also have fantastic flats, which are different than fantastic suites...as well as cool corner flats

The hotel charges more for Spectacular Flats than cool corner room, studio suite or fantastic suites :eek:

So, the only rooms eligible for Platinum upgrades are: Spectacular room, fabulous room, Mega room and Spectacular flats?

Cool corner room, studio suite, and fantastic suite are all out of the running?

There are many different kinds of suites and flats at this property. A Flats room description reads as a "one-bedroom condominium". The Spectacular Flat is on the SPG5SU rate plan for this property, so that makes it the standard suite for complimentary Platinum upgrades. All other suites and flats, regardless of their price point, are off limits except at the generosity of the resort.

I would expect that any other "room" is also up for grabs as a complimentary upgrade.

Let's look at how you put your question together and I think you'll see where I may have gotten the idea that we were talking about suites, not rooms, which are not standard suites:

There's been no report of the hotel upgrading Platinums to cool corner nor their fantastic suite...

I took your "Cool Corner" in this sentence as a "suite" because there was no word "room" to differentiate it from the Fantastic Suite you placed at the end of the sentence.

So, my apologies for any misunderstanding, but I hope that helps to clear up any confusion.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

Those are outside the standard pool of suites. A standard suite here is a Spectacular Flat, of which there are six in current inventory.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com
Just looked at their webpage, and a studio suite is much smaller than the Spectacular Flat, but the Flat is the room thats upgradable?:confused:

Just looked at their webpage, and a studio suite is much smaller than the Spectacular Flat, but the Flat is the room thats upgradable?:confused:

The Spectacular Flat is what is on the SPG5SU rate plan for this resort. That makes it standard to SPG. Now, they may come to their senses some day and realize that they have the wrong suite type attached to this rate plan, but right now, it is what it is.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

I stayed there last week and here are a few observations:

The hotel is easy to overlook unless you know you have to look for a small "W" standing on the grass.

CHECKIN
There is no sign telling you on which floor the Living Room is so I was standing there with other guests and we were guessing. No staff around to help.
Once there, check-in was fast and friendly.


LIVING ROOM
Most probably the coolest area of the hotel. A huge open plan reception, bar and shop area with modern, minimalistic decor and some artwork providing tasteful focal points.
Check-in and concierge are close together with the bar area to the left and the Bliss Spa Shop and W Store to the right. The W store sells your usual assortment of cuff links and vibrators.


ROOM
Across the bridge and up to the 14th floor I went. And once I got out of the elevator my jaw just dropped. W has invented time and space travel. While I expected a cool and funky hallway leading to my room, I found myself in a tired looking Westin.
This continued when I opened opened the door to my room. The Westin designer got an extra $50 to spend on room decoration. The room looks boring, like an ordinary hotel room. Yes, there is glass between the bathroom and the bedroom but that's about as cool as it gets.
There is cable and Wifi internet in the room which is $14.95 plus tax. The bed is the usual great W quality and I had a good night.
Oh, and I didn't receive any upgrade other than a higher floor.


POOLS: You walk up to the pool area through a glass tunnel in the middle of the pool. A very nice and cool effect.
The pool area is nice and overlooks the ocean. A DJ was spinning some tunes. Most people here were families with children or older travelers. A continuation of the Westin Theme. I made a mental note to myself that this will be a good hotel to return to if I need a Westin and Micro DUF is with me.

FOOD
Didn't have any food in the hotel

GENERAL
There is only valet parking which will cost you $40 a day when you include tips. A totally insane amount of money with no justification whatsoever. Like many other guests, I just parked down the street where parking is free.

Service was hit and miss (not surprising considering the hotel just opened). Check-in was fast, but the hotel forgot to mention that there were messages for me. Also an incoming parcel was never delivered and would still be in the basement was it not for the sender to alert me to it.

Hotel Navigation is an issue. While the Living Room is on the 3rd Floor when entering the building (IIRC), it is however the 4th Floor when using the elevator to the rooms. The 3rd floor there will bring you to the car park you are not allowed to use. During my stay I often had to help people to find their way around the hotel.

I am a big W fan and this was one of the weakest W's I have ever stayed at.

Don't get me wrong, it is a nice and expensive Westin with a cool Living Room. But it was not what I have been looking for when booking a W in Florida. I am so much looking forward to the W South Beach as an alternative.

Hmmm...I was really looking forward to booking a stay at this W later this summer, but I'm starting to have my doubts now! We prefer Fort Lauderdale over South Beach....but maybe we will try that W when it opens instead.

Also, $40 a day for parking in Fort Lauderdale is crazy!

Also, $40 a day for parking in Fort Lauderdale is crazy!

It's "only" $32.something but by the time you have tipped the staff you are at $40.

I recently had my second stay and just wanted to add a few things. As a Platinum they upgraded me to a "Mega Room" which was very cool. It even had a Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 1 unit in it. Thought about swiping it...

To the poster who compared the finishes in the rooms and hallways to a Westin-- I guess I don't understand why you think that. The decor is very different. Perhaps the standard rooms are more similar?

The Living Room is really a great lobby area and is one of the better Starwood lobbies. I'm not entirely sure you can call it a lobby. They added a purple pool table (only at a W) since my last trip. In the dayime that room is open, gets great light, and is very white. At night it is dark and very loungey and they use the lighting very well.

Valet staff is still hopeless.

Hmmm...I was really looking forward to booking a stay at this W later this summer, but I'm starting to have my doubts now! We prefer Fort Lauderdale over South Beach....but maybe we will try that W when it opens instead.

Also, $40 a day for parking in Fort Lauderdale is crazy!

The hotel charges $30 night for parking ......not sure what you think is "normal for Fort Lauderdale" but the Hilton next door and the Atlantic charges about the same....and I guarantee you that at the W South Beach (where parking is a premium anyway) the rate will be no too much different or possibly higher.
Note the new hilton Bentley on South beach charges $35 per night;)


BTW I did use the valet parking when I was there and had no problems at all.
Plus I was able to figure out right a way that taking the most westernly lift down got me right at valet parking... zooom:)

mike

I was at this hotel for the second time this past week, and I was indeed upgraded to some sort of flat. (I am SPG PLT) It was not a corner, but it was huge. You walked in to the huge kitchen/living room/dining room, with washer dryer, and around the corner was a large king bed, giant bathroom with seperate tub and stall shower.

What a shame I was only there one night!

I've stayed twice now and except for arguing with the front desk to get a suite or a flat the hotel is exceptional. I even went so far as to print out this thread where William discussed the upgrade eligibility and they still told me I was wrong (but as a "courtesy" they upgraded me).

I can't say enough good things about the property and the service. Hopefully my trip this weekend with Mr. DCFFLYER will be smoother.

I've stayed twice now and except for arguing with the front desk to get a suite or a flat the hotel is exceptional. I even went so far as to print out this thread where William discussed the upgrade eligibility and they still told me I was wrong (but as a "courtesy" they upgraded me).

I can't say enough good things about the property and the service. Hopefully my trip this weekend with Mr. DCFFLYER will be smoother.

How was your stay? Any recent experiences?

It's a funny thing. My experience was very similar to DUF's (even with both us bring on the 14th floor), yet I came away with my most positive W experience ever.

My stay occurred in mid-September, so I'm a little late in writing a review; thanks to terminalfive for getting my butt in gear. I had no problem finding check-in, although I arrived through the main valet and there was ample staff to show me the way. Given the layout of the hotel, I could easily see how finding your bearings could be difficult.

At check-in, I asked about any available upgrades and was given an oceanfront cool corner room. One of those times when I sort of chuckle when others say that gold doesn't mean anything. With its location, it's also one of those times when the oceanfront room is superior than a partial view suite, IMO. It was obviously low season and I could tell the place was empty, but it is still very much appreciated to get such a nice upgrade.

Personally, I thought the hotel kept more with the W theme than a Westin. That said, I also thought it was a bit brighter than other W's as it takes advantage of the light of the Florida sand and sea.

I meant to take more pictures, but I guess this is all I got:

http://i596.photobucket.com/albums/tt45/el_tigre73/IMGP1017.jpg
Oceanfront Cool Corner Room

http://i596.photobucket.com/albums/tt45/el_tigre73/IMGP1021.jpg
Balconey of Cool Corner Room

http://i596.photobucket.com/albums/tt45/el_tigre73/IMGP1020.jpg
View of hotel from my balconey

http://i596.photobucket.com/albums/tt45/el_tigre73/IMGP1019.jpg
View of pool from my balconey

I didn't encounter many families or older travelers. Then again, I didn't encounter a lot of anybody. The above photo of the pool was taken at 3 p.m., and I never saw it more crowded than that. It was definitely low season.

My only issues were with delivered packages as well. I had to be transferred to four different associates and had to be called back before they could locate my boxes. This was the biggest service "lapse" I encountered.

I thought the gym was very good. There were about four each treadmills, cycles and elipticals with a good selection of machines and weights.

Not sure I can comment definitively on the food, although I did have the fish tacos from the Living Room. They were good if not a bit expensive; to be expected from a higher end resort property.

My last night was a Friday. After a full day of work, a business dinner and then some work in the room, I sat on the balconey at 11 p.m. and thought I might check out the action downstairs at Whiskey Blue and the Living Room. While I could hear music playing, I had no idea what type of scene it was.

I first checked out Whiskey Blue on the first floor. The place was packed, but it was much too small. I don't think it can hold more than 200 people tops. After a few minutes there, I went up to the Living Room. This was where the real action was. Although it's a much larger space, it was just as packed as downstairs. Every available seat was taken - both inside and out. The bar, probably 100 feet long, was two or three patrons the whole length. And I thought I was dropped on Sunset or Vegas; the crowd was filled with beautiful people. I only intended to have a quick nightcap and I ended up almost closing the place down at 2 a.m. It was the nightclub scene every W tries to create but I had never seen it pulled off to this scale before. And the funny thing is I couldn't really tell it was that rocking from my room.

I'm also a huge fan of the W concept, but maybe I haven't experienced enough. I've stayed at both Chicago properties and New Orleans and spent some time at San Diego and Westwood; the W Fort Lauderdale is by far the best of that bunch. I will definitely return the next time I visit South Florida.

Great photos el_tigre, I am looking forward to when I get the chance to stay there.

Great photos el_tigre, I am looking forward to when I get the chance to stay there.

Nice! I love pictures! ^

Great photos el_tigre, I am looking forward to when I get the chance to stay there.

+1 Thank you very very much el_tigre. Will be going very soon. Not too good on photos but will post back a report

Glad there is a decent gym^ A must for hols:cool:

We stayed at the W Fort Lauderdale the last weekend in September (incidentally, the last opportunity to use the Free Weekend nights promo) and got a sweet room although not as great a view as el_tigre's!

Here are my pics:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2441/3986672597_5d91321e36.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2450/3987426168_034729d983.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2648/3986672013_770c418d10.jpg

Hits -
* Super-friendly and helpful hotel staff
* Amazing bathroom!
* Enjoyed the free wi-fi in "The living room" every day of our trip
* Great location
* The place was THE place to see and be seen

Misses -
* Even though it's nice that it was busy and made for great people watching, it was TOO busy for such a slow time of the year.
* The hotel tower we were in only had three elevators total. Needless to say, they were jam packed each time we tried to get on it. We were packed in there like sardines a la London Underground!
* Every single chair by the pool was taken up throughout the day. Not the hotel's fault, but an inconvenience nevertheless.

We really enjoyed our stay there and would go back down in a heartbeat. I would say though that the elevator sitch is a major design flaw on their part!

I was fortunate enough to be upgraded to a Spectacular Flat on a recent stay, without asking. The room was flat-out phenomenal. Absolutely one of the better suites I have been given... at any property.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2448/3967568638_0e10dbffae.jpg
Living Room 1

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2502/3967565474_899f68ba9d.jpg
Bathroom Connected to First Living Room

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2675/3966793669_ac83af75d6.jpg
Living Room 2

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2484/3967578580_6ca4dfa88c.jpg
Another View of Living Room 2 (and Work-Desk)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3490/3967574820_3072e10962.jpg
Full Kitchen

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2492/3967576776_2631ccb8bc.jpg
Dining Table

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2560/3966806113_0851cba74a.jpg
Bedroom

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2675/3966808255_57d6716fc8.jpg
Master Bathroom

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3525/3966786205_43fa4813dd.jpg
Atlantic View from Balcony 1

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3440/3967561154_08e9884be3.jpg
Ft. Lauderdale View from Balcony 2

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3533/3967591054_ef46c89d2e.jpg
View of Intracoastal Waterway from Balcony 3

The Spectacular Flat is what is on the SPG5SU rate plan for this resort. That makes it standard to SPG. Now, they may come to their senses some day and realize that they have the wrong suite type attached to this rate plan, but right now, it is what it is.

Hey William... if you are just sitting there with nothing to do in the near future... might you be able to provide us with an update? :D

Thanks,

d.

Hey William... if you are just sitting there with nothing to do in the near future... might you be able to provide us with an update? :D

Thanks,

d.

The same Spectacular Flat that I referenced is still on the SPG5SU rate plan for this property and it seems that ALCO's experience confirms that they are indeed using these to upgrade incoming Platinum members to it.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

Decent W experience - will be back

Just been to the W ft Lauderdale and overall very impressed

A few +'s and -'s..

+
room (given oceanview plat upgrade) excellent apart form the "chairs" on the balconies which were very worn and dirty. Great bathroom
location decent
efficient staff
great bar and love the pool tables

-
pool area very "wow" but not very pratical in my book. Very hard to have any kind of swim
extras expensive
beach - not staffed properly and just 8 umbrellas which you pay far too much money for. Here W south beach has another offering...

Positive overall^