W Leicester Square, London, United Kingdom [Master Thread]
Jul 4, 2011, 7:03 am
#61
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: UK
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 421
Recent Experience as a Gold SPG
I made a redemption here for a Fri and Sat night stay last weekend.
I then received an invitation to spend £20 a night on an upgrade to a Spectacular room which I accepted.
On check in, I asked whether we had been given an upgrade and was told 'yes to a Spectacular room'. I did point-out that this was what I had paid for and got some spiel about our room being on a higher floor and that that in itself was an upgrade. Frankly, for two nights I didn't have the will to argue and I couldn't understand most of what the guy was saying since he had a pretty heavy accent and seemed unsure of himself which diluted communication still further.
The room was on the eighth floor and at the side of the hotel, so although we had the joy of the nightclub beat it was sufficiently distant so as not to impede sleep.
Although I think the bathroom, kitchen-counter arrangement is a bit strange I didn't find it problematic. Having the shower and toilet in their own cupboards works fine if you know the other person sufficiently well (or don't give a damn about nakedness, I suppose). What works less well is: the handheld part of the shower is directly in front of the door, and the door does not seal well - so it's very easy to flood the room. This must not be a novel experience as the towels used for the mop-up were replaced without fuss.
There are some practical issues to the room design:
Unless all the shiny surfaces are kept very clean this is going to look old very fast.
If you order room service, where do two of you sit (at the same level) to eat? There's a chaise longue, there's a tall chair/stool, there's a bed, but none seems practical to sit at a room service table. (If they had the option to bring another counter-height chair that would be perfect, but I can't see it...)
The air conditioning pumps-out the arctic at whatever temperature you set it. We tried 28 through to 18 C and it was all the same - I would guess below 16 degrees which probably is costing the hotel a fortune. This is fine when you're in bed (and has to be because without it the room becomes stiflingly hot quickly), but is not so great when you get out of the shower.
What was good? Well, I quite liked the design, but can see that it would really jar with others. I noticed A/V ports under the counter in the working area. I didn't have a chance to test these but it looked as though output to the TV was supported. I liked the Bliss toiletries, but this is not unique to this W. I found the bed comfortable - on the firm side.
What was bad? It wasn't made clear about free water. (The check-in guy had hidden a note in the key wallet, and probably said something, but this was not understood: if you are Gold or Platinum just take a bottle a day from the minibar if there's not one out. There was ONE out in our room on the counter, so that just confused matters.)
There was a kettle in the room with some tea bags but no cup milk etc. When I asked about stocking this tray, I was told it would be done but it never was (see below). The minibar had not been restocked before our arrival (at 4pm), and included an open vibrator. I won't go into whether a minibar needs a vibrator but what I didn't need was an open one next to the chocolate bars! (again see below)
A guide to operating the lights would have been helpful - especially a clear note on how to kill the blue under-counter ones.
On our first night just before we left to go to the theatre, I called 'Whatever, Whenever' and explained all the bad bits (above). When we got back about six hours later, the towels had been replaced - and that was it. I tried calling WW, but on no answer decided to brave the 'nightclub' and asked for the Duty Manager. Frankly, this conversation started-out confusingly: I explained my issues with minibar, in-room tea/coffee; he responded by asking if there was a kettle in my room. Eventually, it transpired that there is not usually a facility to make tea or coffee in the room, but if we wanted it we could have it. Rather than me making my own coffee in the morning though, he would send up a couple of complimentary lattes in the morning (which did happen). On returning the following afternoon, the tray was now stocked and I had my very own coffee cup with about 10 coffee sachets with a note from WW about '... satisfying your coffee craving ...' so I chalk one up to the hotel but none of it would have been necessary with clear communication. Oh, and the vibrator had been replaced with a sealed one!!
We tried Spice Market for breakfast. The buffet looked comprehensive, but we're not 'buffet people' so had excellent service of an omelette and eggs benedict, fresh squeezed OJ (though from a jug it tasted fresh), more coffee and tea for around £35 incl service.
On Saturday evening we attempted to get a couple of cocktails in the lounge, but being mere residents and not part of the 'guest list' we were relegated to a couple of low ottomans near reception. The other bar was closed for a private party. Two drinks and thirty pounds later, I didn't feel very fulfilled by the experience - I would have at least liked a chair with a back to it in the hotel in which I was staying.
I didn't use the gym, but had a quick look. It's got good natural light and has a small selection of the usual bikes, running machines and cross-trainers. I think there were some free weights and a mini gym. Small towels, water and apples were provided. It's open 24h with a room key.
On Sunday, we wanted brunch so called-down to the concierge for ideas. The concierge was unavailable, though a charming girl from Whatever, Whenever did try to help by surfing the internet. She came-up with the one place that I had already thought of (and whose name escapes me) and brought the menu up to the room, but it was fully-booked. When I stopped at the concierge desk to ask about another idea, he didn't seem to have even heard of the National Portrait Gallery - let alone that there's an excellent restaurant with great views on top of it. I suspect no golden keys.
Would I go back? I suppose I might if it was at a very good rate or on another redemption. I can't see me spending over £400 a night there. London's my home town (though I don't live there) and there are plenty of places I would rather be than Leicester Square. I like the style of Ws (and have stayed in many of them), but I do think they - this one in particular - have to decide whether they are nightclubs with hotels as an afterthought or whether they should give priority to their PAYING GUESTS and a little less to the fashionistas. (I know I earned my Starpoints, so I was paying but if it had been real hard cash I would have been really put out by the bar closure and their being nowhere for a guest to sit in the lounge.) The staff is all very charming, but ultimately if they can't DELIVER SERVICE is this not just more fashionable window-dressing?
I would be REALLY WARY of staying much lower than the sixth floor.
On check-out, I was handed a bill that included the room, the missing mini-bar contents from the day we checked-in, upgrade fees, breakfast, drinks. We paid the upgrade, food, and drinks, but only after three iterations through the ever-shrinking bill.
Ironically, when I got home I received a friendly email from the Whatever Whenever gang inviting me to use their Lounge for an afternoon next time I am in London! I'd probably get better treatment than when I'm staying there, but somehow I don't think I'll be taking them up on it.
I hadn't intended to write this much, so I am going to put on TA as a review also.
I then received an invitation to spend £20 a night on an upgrade to a Spectacular room which I accepted.
On check in, I asked whether we had been given an upgrade and was told 'yes to a Spectacular room'. I did point-out that this was what I had paid for and got some spiel about our room being on a higher floor and that that in itself was an upgrade. Frankly, for two nights I didn't have the will to argue and I couldn't understand most of what the guy was saying since he had a pretty heavy accent and seemed unsure of himself which diluted communication still further.
The room was on the eighth floor and at the side of the hotel, so although we had the joy of the nightclub beat it was sufficiently distant so as not to impede sleep.
Although I think the bathroom, kitchen-counter arrangement is a bit strange I didn't find it problematic. Having the shower and toilet in their own cupboards works fine if you know the other person sufficiently well (or don't give a damn about nakedness, I suppose). What works less well is: the handheld part of the shower is directly in front of the door, and the door does not seal well - so it's very easy to flood the room. This must not be a novel experience as the towels used for the mop-up were replaced without fuss.
There are some practical issues to the room design:
Unless all the shiny surfaces are kept very clean this is going to look old very fast.
If you order room service, where do two of you sit (at the same level) to eat? There's a chaise longue, there's a tall chair/stool, there's a bed, but none seems practical to sit at a room service table. (If they had the option to bring another counter-height chair that would be perfect, but I can't see it...)
The air conditioning pumps-out the arctic at whatever temperature you set it. We tried 28 through to 18 C and it was all the same - I would guess below 16 degrees which probably is costing the hotel a fortune. This is fine when you're in bed (and has to be because without it the room becomes stiflingly hot quickly), but is not so great when you get out of the shower.
What was good? Well, I quite liked the design, but can see that it would really jar with others. I noticed A/V ports under the counter in the working area. I didn't have a chance to test these but it looked as though output to the TV was supported. I liked the Bliss toiletries, but this is not unique to this W. I found the bed comfortable - on the firm side.
What was bad? It wasn't made clear about free water. (The check-in guy had hidden a note in the key wallet, and probably said something, but this was not understood: if you are Gold or Platinum just take a bottle a day from the minibar if there's not one out. There was ONE out in our room on the counter, so that just confused matters.)
There was a kettle in the room with some tea bags but no cup milk etc. When I asked about stocking this tray, I was told it would be done but it never was (see below). The minibar had not been restocked before our arrival (at 4pm), and included an open vibrator. I won't go into whether a minibar needs a vibrator but what I didn't need was an open one next to the chocolate bars! (again see below)
A guide to operating the lights would have been helpful - especially a clear note on how to kill the blue under-counter ones.
On our first night just before we left to go to the theatre, I called 'Whatever, Whenever' and explained all the bad bits (above). When we got back about six hours later, the towels had been replaced - and that was it. I tried calling WW, but on no answer decided to brave the 'nightclub' and asked for the Duty Manager. Frankly, this conversation started-out confusingly: I explained my issues with minibar, in-room tea/coffee; he responded by asking if there was a kettle in my room. Eventually, it transpired that there is not usually a facility to make tea or coffee in the room, but if we wanted it we could have it. Rather than me making my own coffee in the morning though, he would send up a couple of complimentary lattes in the morning (which did happen). On returning the following afternoon, the tray was now stocked and I had my very own coffee cup with about 10 coffee sachets with a note from WW about '... satisfying your coffee craving ...' so I chalk one up to the hotel but none of it would have been necessary with clear communication. Oh, and the vibrator had been replaced with a sealed one!!
We tried Spice Market for breakfast. The buffet looked comprehensive, but we're not 'buffet people' so had excellent service of an omelette and eggs benedict, fresh squeezed OJ (though from a jug it tasted fresh), more coffee and tea for around £35 incl service.
On Saturday evening we attempted to get a couple of cocktails in the lounge, but being mere residents and not part of the 'guest list' we were relegated to a couple of low ottomans near reception. The other bar was closed for a private party. Two drinks and thirty pounds later, I didn't feel very fulfilled by the experience - I would have at least liked a chair with a back to it in the hotel in which I was staying.
I didn't use the gym, but had a quick look. It's got good natural light and has a small selection of the usual bikes, running machines and cross-trainers. I think there were some free weights and a mini gym. Small towels, water and apples were provided. It's open 24h with a room key.
On Sunday, we wanted brunch so called-down to the concierge for ideas. The concierge was unavailable, though a charming girl from Whatever, Whenever did try to help by surfing the internet. She came-up with the one place that I had already thought of (and whose name escapes me) and brought the menu up to the room, but it was fully-booked. When I stopped at the concierge desk to ask about another idea, he didn't seem to have even heard of the National Portrait Gallery - let alone that there's an excellent restaurant with great views on top of it. I suspect no golden keys.
Would I go back? I suppose I might if it was at a very good rate or on another redemption. I can't see me spending over £400 a night there. London's my home town (though I don't live there) and there are plenty of places I would rather be than Leicester Square. I like the style of Ws (and have stayed in many of them), but I do think they - this one in particular - have to decide whether they are nightclubs with hotels as an afterthought or whether they should give priority to their PAYING GUESTS and a little less to the fashionistas. (I know I earned my Starpoints, so I was paying but if it had been real hard cash I would have been really put out by the bar closure and their being nowhere for a guest to sit in the lounge.) The staff is all very charming, but ultimately if they can't DELIVER SERVICE is this not just more fashionable window-dressing?
I would be REALLY WARY of staying much lower than the sixth floor.
On check-out, I was handed a bill that included the room, the missing mini-bar contents from the day we checked-in, upgrade fees, breakfast, drinks. We paid the upgrade, food, and drinks, but only after three iterations through the ever-shrinking bill.
Ironically, when I got home I received a friendly email from the Whatever Whenever gang inviting me to use their Lounge for an afternoon next time I am in London! I'd probably get better treatment than when I'm staying there, but somehow I don't think I'll be taking them up on it.
I hadn't intended to write this much, so I am going to put on TA as a review also.
Last edited by bernardh; Jul 4, 2011 at 9:15 am
Aug 6, 2011, 5:22 am
#62
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Boston, MA
Programs: AA EXP, B6 Mosaic, UA Plat, Bonvoy Plat, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,777
I agree with previous posts about the room design and Platinum upgrades. Just finished a stay there -- I booked it because it was new and got a good rate, but read this thread after and almost cancelled. I should have. I have stayed at many Ws, and this one is probably the worst I've stayed at with respect to room design. The rooms are small, even for London, having the bathroom sink in the middle of the room is inconvenient (and allows them to make the bathroom area even smaller), and the lights are impossibly difficult to figure out. If you want to turn all of them off, you need to use one switch marked with two circles, and concurrently press a completely unmarked switch next to it, then hold both for several seconds. How any normal person is expected to figure this out is beyond me. It took a few minutes of explanation on the phone and I'd be willing to be they have this conversation many times a day.
My Platinum upgrade was minimal (higher floor room) despite the hotel having rooms in most categories available, and the rooms were not ready when we arrived at 6:40pm.
I would not stay here again. SPG has a bunch of bad options in London, but this is pretty near the bottom of the list for me. Both LM Piccadilly and Sheraton Park Tower are much better, IMHO.
My Platinum upgrade was minimal (higher floor room) despite the hotel having rooms in most categories available, and the rooms were not ready when we arrived at 6:40pm.
I would not stay here again. SPG has a bunch of bad options in London, but this is pretty near the bottom of the list for me. Both LM Piccadilly and Sheraton Park Tower are much better, IMHO.
Aug 6, 2011, 1:55 pm
#63
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: Qatar Platinum, Etihad Gold, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 415
I agree with the above two posts. Even if I consider myself among the rare few who would like the design and the tech aspects of the room, I would have to say that the W London lacks an important ingredient which is "Service".
Several incidents I escalated issues to Housekeeping manager (due to linguistic reasons as staff rarely speak average English and too lazy to attempt to understand what the issue is) and was disappointed with the substandard of the manager him/herself. Housekeeping is totally out of it. Complementary water bottles require several calls to be replenished. Tea/coffee sets are never cleaned and replenished (I guess it's considered part of the decoration!) and tea bags are not supplied by housekeeping but rather managed by room service. Minibar items are missing and randomly stacked. Bathroom amenities are poorly restocked. I have an issue with cotton swaps being missing and items placed randomly (never had the same set of toiletry in all of my three stays!). Attending to requests to get any missing item take more than a day and over five phone calls (including one to a manger).
At first I thought that the hotel was undergoing teething issues but later I realized that teething is an ongoing feature of the hotel.
Even front desk has issues. I requested a quiet room on a high floor and was surprised with one on the 7th floor just underneath continuous construction on the 8th floor!
I was so desperate for a new Starwood property in London that provide an alternative to the aging Park Lane and to the Park Tower at times when the owners flood the hotel during summer and deem everyone else marginal guest. My wish today is that for the Lanesborough to turn into a full fledged Starwood property.
Several incidents I escalated issues to Housekeeping manager (due to linguistic reasons as staff rarely speak average English and too lazy to attempt to understand what the issue is) and was disappointed with the substandard of the manager him/herself. Housekeeping is totally out of it. Complementary water bottles require several calls to be replenished. Tea/coffee sets are never cleaned and replenished (I guess it's considered part of the decoration!) and tea bags are not supplied by housekeeping but rather managed by room service. Minibar items are missing and randomly stacked. Bathroom amenities are poorly restocked. I have an issue with cotton swaps being missing and items placed randomly (never had the same set of toiletry in all of my three stays!). Attending to requests to get any missing item take more than a day and over five phone calls (including one to a manger).
At first I thought that the hotel was undergoing teething issues but later I realized that teething is an ongoing feature of the hotel.
Even front desk has issues. I requested a quiet room on a high floor and was surprised with one on the 7th floor just underneath continuous construction on the 8th floor!
I was so desperate for a new Starwood property in London that provide an alternative to the aging Park Lane and to the Park Tower at times when the owners flood the hotel during summer and deem everyone else marginal guest. My wish today is that for the Lanesborough to turn into a full fledged Starwood property.
Aug 28, 2011, 5:10 pm
#64
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: New York
Programs: Starwood Platinum, Delta, United, Marriott, British Airways, Virgin, American
Posts: 123
Someplace else to stay in London....
I agree with the above two posts. Even if I consider myself among the rare few who would like the design and the tech aspects of the room, I would have to say that the W London lacks an important ingredient which is "Service".
Several incidents I escalated issues to Housekeeping manager (due to linguistic reasons as staff rarely speak average English and too lazy to attempt to understand what the issue is) and was disappointed with the substandard of the manager him/herself. Housekeeping is totally out of it. Complementary water bottles require several calls to be replenished. Tea/coffee sets are never cleaned and replenished (I guess it's considered part of the decoration!) and tea bags are not supplied by housekeeping but rather managed by room service. Minibar items are missing and randomly stacked. Bathroom amenities are poorly restocked. I have an issue with cotton swaps being missing and items placed randomly (never had the same set of toiletry in all of my three stays!). Attending to requests to get any missing item take more than a day and over five phone calls (including one to a manger).
At first I thought that the hotel was undergoing teething issues but later I realized that teething is an ongoing feature of the hotel.
Even front desk has issues. I requested a quiet room on a high floor and was surprised with one on the 7th floor just underneath continuous construction on the 8th floor!
I was so desperate for a new Starwood property in London that provide an alternative to the aging Park Lane and to the Park Tower at times when the owners flood the hotel during summer and deem everyone else marginal guest. My wish today is that for the Lanesborough to turn into a full fledged Starwood property.
Several incidents I escalated issues to Housekeeping manager (due to linguistic reasons as staff rarely speak average English and too lazy to attempt to understand what the issue is) and was disappointed with the substandard of the manager him/herself. Housekeeping is totally out of it. Complementary water bottles require several calls to be replenished. Tea/coffee sets are never cleaned and replenished (I guess it's considered part of the decoration!) and tea bags are not supplied by housekeeping but rather managed by room service. Minibar items are missing and randomly stacked. Bathroom amenities are poorly restocked. I have an issue with cotton swaps being missing and items placed randomly (never had the same set of toiletry in all of my three stays!). Attending to requests to get any missing item take more than a day and over five phone calls (including one to a manger).
At first I thought that the hotel was undergoing teething issues but later I realized that teething is an ongoing feature of the hotel.
Even front desk has issues. I requested a quiet room on a high floor and was surprised with one on the 7th floor just underneath continuous construction on the 8th floor!
I was so desperate for a new Starwood property in London that provide an alternative to the aging Park Lane and to the Park Tower at times when the owners flood the hotel during summer and deem everyone else marginal guest. My wish today is that for the Lanesborough to turn into a full fledged Starwood property.
Why not stay there? Great location, near but better than noisy Leichester Square (much construction). Rooms are lovely, and service was impeccable.
Sep 18, 2011, 6:37 am
#65
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Switzerland
Programs: BA Gold, LH Sen, Bonvoy Plat
Posts: 843
I scaled down my expectations based on the posts above and therefore got more or less what I expected.
I checked in at 1:30pm and was asked to come back later because my room was not ready yet. Maybe at 3pm, he said, but no guarantees about the time
Furthermore, he said the hotel was fully booked, which is why I would not get an upgrade
Fortunately I had work to do, took a seat in the lobby, connected to the wifi and asked the check-in agent to grab me when the room will be ready. The slow service in the lobby bar was actually fine for me, because I had time to kill. The lobby wifi was horribly slow but allowed me nevertheless to browse - SPG reservations for example. A dummy booking for the same say showed plenty of Wonderful rooms (that I had paid for) and a Studio Suite. As time time approached 3pm, I went back to the check-in desks, now to a different agent. He muttered something like "ah yes, hmm, I will give you someone else's room now..." and voilà - I had been upgraded to a 6th floor Fabulous room
The rest of my stay (requiring nobody's service) has been pleasant: big (750ml) bottle of complimentary water, lights working fine (thanks, MikeBOS!), even the bathroom sink in the middle of the room is OK with single occupancy.
I checked in at 1:30pm and was asked to come back later because my room was not ready yet. Maybe at 3pm, he said, but no guarantees about the time
Furthermore, he said the hotel was fully booked, which is why I would not get an upgrade Fortunately I had work to do, took a seat in the lobby, connected to the wifi and asked the check-in agent to grab me when the room will be ready. The slow service in the lobby bar was actually fine for me, because I had time to kill. The lobby wifi was horribly slow but allowed me nevertheless to browse - SPG reservations for example. A dummy booking for the same say showed plenty of Wonderful rooms (that I had paid for) and a Studio Suite. As time time approached 3pm, I went back to the check-in desks, now to a different agent. He muttered something like "ah yes, hmm, I will give you someone else's room now..." and voilà - I had been upgraded to a 6th floor Fabulous room
The rest of my stay (requiring nobody's service) has been pleasant: big (750ml) bottle of complimentary water, lights working fine (thanks, MikeBOS!), even the bathroom sink in the middle of the room is OK with single occupancy.
Sep 21, 2011, 6:06 am
#66
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 17
First post! (:
Sounds like you guys had bad experiences over here, which is unfortunate. I got back from a 3 night stay over here about a month ago. Was initially booked for 1 night for the lowest prepaid rate, and was upgraded to a spa suite (the one with a steam bath) as a plat.
Service was pretty good, above most of the Starwood hotels I've been to actually. The counter staff sort-of recognized me at the end by checkout, were attentive to my needs (having had my flight cancelled just gotten there in the evening) and introduced me to the concierge for a dinner suggestion. Again, the concierge was really nice, we didn't have any conditions, just wanted dinner, but he actually put some effort into finding a good place for me; asked me to go up and that he'll call some 5-15 minutes later with directions. The concierge also made decent effort at trying to get me musical tickets and arranging a transport to the airport (both of which I turned down at the end, but by no fault of his.)
I also arranged a wake-up call where my companion and I slept through, and someone actually made the point to come all the way up to our room to check on us. Mmm, definitely one of those close shaves with privacy in a hotel, but I found it a very lovely gesture because most of the time my wakeup call requests get overlooked.
Amenities were fairly nice. Generous supply of Bliss bottles.
So I decided to extend my stay at the suite; and all it took was a call to the front desk.
The bad: Just some minor inconveniences with the interior design. There was an overhead shower and the handheld-by-the-hose, but as you turn the lever, water comes out of the overhead shower first, and you have to get past that to get the handheld to run. So there's no way avoiding getting rinsed cold. Would also have been nice if they had some proper means to hang my clothes and place other things near the shower. The minibar was kinda faulty, made sound all the time. And of course, depending on the occupants, there's a lot of transparency... there are no doors, and the mirrors give full view of what's going on in the bath and shower.
Sounds like you guys had bad experiences over here, which is unfortunate. I got back from a 3 night stay over here about a month ago. Was initially booked for 1 night for the lowest prepaid rate, and was upgraded to a spa suite (the one with a steam bath) as a plat.
Service was pretty good, above most of the Starwood hotels I've been to actually. The counter staff sort-of recognized me at the end by checkout, were attentive to my needs (having had my flight cancelled just gotten there in the evening) and introduced me to the concierge for a dinner suggestion. Again, the concierge was really nice, we didn't have any conditions, just wanted dinner, but he actually put some effort into finding a good place for me; asked me to go up and that he'll call some 5-15 minutes later with directions. The concierge also made decent effort at trying to get me musical tickets and arranging a transport to the airport (both of which I turned down at the end, but by no fault of his.)
I also arranged a wake-up call where my companion and I slept through, and someone actually made the point to come all the way up to our room to check on us. Mmm, definitely one of those close shaves with privacy in a hotel, but I found it a very lovely gesture because most of the time my wakeup call requests get overlooked.
Amenities were fairly nice. Generous supply of Bliss bottles.
So I decided to extend my stay at the suite; and all it took was a call to the front desk.
The bad: Just some minor inconveniences with the interior design. There was an overhead shower and the handheld-by-the-hose, but as you turn the lever, water comes out of the overhead shower first, and you have to get past that to get the handheld to run. So there's no way avoiding getting rinsed cold. Would also have been nice if they had some proper means to hang my clothes and place other things near the shower. The minibar was kinda faulty, made sound all the time. And of course, depending on the occupants, there's a lot of transparency... there are no doors, and the mirrors give full view of what's going on in the bath and shower.
Sep 30, 2011, 6:56 pm
#67
Join Date: May 2010
Programs: SPG Platinum
Posts: 16
W - worst SPG in London
I think it is fair to say that we've all been disappointed with SPG's presence in London for a while given the St. Regis not participating, etc. I'd found that the Sheraton towers was the "least" worst of the options, but had pretty much given up on SPG in London, which is one of my favorite cities and a place where I spend at least ten stays and dozens of nights per year. Tried W tonight for the first time with my wife. I thank god I had the foresight to book just one night. Trying the new Four seasons on Park Lane tomorrow, which I suspect will make me hate my W experience even more.
They should advertise this hotel as the London version of the Japanese space capsule hotel but for 10x the price and twice the amount of pretentious posers.
Stay here if you want to pay hundreds of dollars to sleep in a shoe box sized bathroom (I mean this literally), fitted with a bed next to the bathroom sink, with the toilet and shower barely separated from the bed by nothing but flimsy closet doors. Unless you travel alone, be prepared to have your travel companion hear every tinkle, every toot, and every other detail, down to the number of TP sheets you use when you're done, such is the lack of privacy when your entire room is the bathroom. Add walls made of paper, poor service, the tourist trap location, and you've got this hotel in a nut shell.
Worst room design I've ever seen-- "all surface, no substance" does not even do justice to the complete loss of proper functionality in favor of "looking cool". The W London puts the capital P in Poser. There is literally nothing to like about this hotel, including the horrible service. As a platinum, we did not get upgraded to a suite, just some marketing b.s. of a spectacular vs wonderful or some nonsense. I'm sure if you can get upgraded to a suite at least the room issues may not be as bothersome, but unless it was 100% guaranteed upgrade, I would never endure this hell hole again. And even then you'd have to endure crappy service and a very subpar location (imo).
Probably one of the biggest waste of 300 pounds ($500) I've ever spent.
They should advertise this hotel as the London version of the Japanese space capsule hotel but for 10x the price and twice the amount of pretentious posers.
Stay here if you want to pay hundreds of dollars to sleep in a shoe box sized bathroom (I mean this literally), fitted with a bed next to the bathroom sink, with the toilet and shower barely separated from the bed by nothing but flimsy closet doors. Unless you travel alone, be prepared to have your travel companion hear every tinkle, every toot, and every other detail, down to the number of TP sheets you use when you're done, such is the lack of privacy when your entire room is the bathroom. Add walls made of paper, poor service, the tourist trap location, and you've got this hotel in a nut shell.
Worst room design I've ever seen-- "all surface, no substance" does not even do justice to the complete loss of proper functionality in favor of "looking cool". The W London puts the capital P in Poser. There is literally nothing to like about this hotel, including the horrible service. As a platinum, we did not get upgraded to a suite, just some marketing b.s. of a spectacular vs wonderful or some nonsense. I'm sure if you can get upgraded to a suite at least the room issues may not be as bothersome, but unless it was 100% guaranteed upgrade, I would never endure this hell hole again. And even then you'd have to endure crappy service and a very subpar location (imo).
Probably one of the biggest waste of 300 pounds ($500) I've ever spent.
Last edited by zpat; Sep 30, 2011 at 7:02 pm
Oct 1, 2011, 7:11 am
#68
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Boston, MA
Programs: AA EXP, B6 Mosaic, UA Plat, Bonvoy Plat, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,777
I think it is fair to say that we've all been disappointed with SPG's presence in London for a while given the St. Regis not participating, etc. I'd found that the Sheraton towers was the "least" worst of the options, but had pretty much given up on SPG in London, which is one of my favorite cities and a place where I spend at least ten stays and dozens of nights per year. Tried W tonight for the first time with my wife. I thank god I had the foresight to book just one night. Trying the new Four seasons on Park Lane tomorrow, which I suspect will make me hate my W experience even more.
They should advertise this hotel as the London version of the Japanese space capsule hotel but for 10x the price and twice the amount of pretentious posers.
Stay here if you want to pay hundreds of dollars to sleep in a shoe box sized bathroom (I mean this literally), fitted with a bed next to the bathroom sink, with the toilet and shower barely separated from the bed by nothing but flimsy closet doors. Unless you travel alone, be prepared to have your travel companion hear every tinkle, every toot, and every other detail, down to the number of TP sheets you use when you're done, such is the lack of privacy when your entire room is the bathroom. Add walls made of paper, poor service, the tourist trap location, and you've got this hotel in a nut shell.
Worst room design I've ever seen-- "all surface, no substance" does not even do justice to the complete loss of proper functionality in favor of "looking cool". The W London puts the capital P in Poser. There is literally nothing to like about this hotel, including the horrible service. As a platinum, we did not get upgraded to a suite, just some marketing b.s. of a spectacular vs wonderful or some nonsense. I'm sure if you can get upgraded to a suite at least the room issues may not be as bothersome, but unless it was 100% guaranteed upgrade, I would never endure this hell hole again. And even then you'd have to endure crappy service and a very subpar location (imo).
Probably one of the biggest waste of 300 pounds ($500) I've ever spent.
They should advertise this hotel as the London version of the Japanese space capsule hotel but for 10x the price and twice the amount of pretentious posers.
Stay here if you want to pay hundreds of dollars to sleep in a shoe box sized bathroom (I mean this literally), fitted with a bed next to the bathroom sink, with the toilet and shower barely separated from the bed by nothing but flimsy closet doors. Unless you travel alone, be prepared to have your travel companion hear every tinkle, every toot, and every other detail, down to the number of TP sheets you use when you're done, such is the lack of privacy when your entire room is the bathroom. Add walls made of paper, poor service, the tourist trap location, and you've got this hotel in a nut shell.
Worst room design I've ever seen-- "all surface, no substance" does not even do justice to the complete loss of proper functionality in favor of "looking cool". The W London puts the capital P in Poser. There is literally nothing to like about this hotel, including the horrible service. As a platinum, we did not get upgraded to a suite, just some marketing b.s. of a spectacular vs wonderful or some nonsense. I'm sure if you can get upgraded to a suite at least the room issues may not be as bothersome, but unless it was 100% guaranteed upgrade, I would never endure this hell hole again. And even then you'd have to endure crappy service and a very subpar location (imo).
Probably one of the biggest waste of 300 pounds ($500) I've ever spent.
Oct 3, 2011, 3:46 am
#69
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: Qatar Platinum, Etihad Gold, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 415
I'm really glad to read what appears to be a consensus. The W London made it all the way to a leading position on the Starwood Hall of Shame.
What struck me is that W London was ranked by Conde Nast Traveller (UK edition) as number 13 of the Top UK Business Hotels with a score of 77.13/100 (Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park ranked at #1, scored 87.49).
I feel proud of being a FlyerTalk member where views tend to match reality by far more than the media "travel experts".
What struck me is that W London was ranked by Conde Nast Traveller (UK edition) as number 13 of the Top UK Business Hotels with a score of 77.13/100 (Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park ranked at #1, scored 87.49).
I feel proud of being a FlyerTalk member where views tend to match reality by far more than the media "travel experts".
Oct 3, 2011, 4:02 am
#70
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
Indeed. Flyertalk is valuable resource because we don't have much of an agenda when we give reviews. No one is paying us to say the W is better than what it really is. Unlike what you may see in Conde Nast or other websites.
Oct 3, 2011, 10:56 am
#71
Join Date: Jul 1999
Programs: QF WP, AA EXP
Posts: 3,520
London is a city where Hilton is definitely the better choice for me. I'll stick with the Trafalgar or the Tower Bridge over the W (and I generally will pick a W if there is one in the city I'm staying in). Outside of the normal chains, The Metropolitan is also a great boutique hotel choice in London.
Oct 22, 2011, 10:31 pm
#72
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: Qatar Platinum, Etihad Gold, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 415
I suggest writing about it on SPG
Now that SPG has created a review section, I suggest echoing what has been posted here on their website. The motive is mainly to get Starwood management's attention (in case any of the Lurkers didn't have a chance to do so) and to emphasis the serous need for SPG intervention to save the face of the W brand in one on the most visited cities in the world.
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/whotel...ropertyID=3464
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/whotel...ropertyID=3464
Nov 21, 2011, 11:18 am
#73
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: DL DM, SPG Plat, AMEX Centurion (And All That Goes With It)
Posts: 393
I am going to London for Thanksgiving and staying at this W Thurs-Sun. I am glad I have read the reviews on here so I am not totally pissed when I get off a trans-Atlantic flight at 7:30 a.m., make it to the hotel around 9 only to wait 7 hours for my room to be ready just to check into an over-priced shoe box. If there's anything drastically different from the recent posts in this thread, I will be sure to post. How did most of you get to this property from Heathrow? Is a taxi the best bet or is there an easy stop on the tube near by that I can walk from? Any insight would be much obliged. Having stayed at nearly every W in the system, I am looking fwd to having a new W as my worst stay ever. Who knows, maybe I'll get an upgrade!
Nov 21, 2011, 12:07 pm
#74
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: Qatar Platinum, Etihad Gold, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 415
If you're travelling relatively light, you can hop on the Tube (Picadilly Line) directly from LHR and in an about 55min you will be at the doorsteps of the hotel when you get off Licester Square station. The one way ride is about GBP5 or so. If you're going to be using the tube/buses, you can obtain the Oyster Card which offers slight reduced fare (vs. cash tickets) and eliminate the need to queue for tickets each time you ride the tube.
Nov 21, 2011, 7:06 pm
#75
Join Date: May 2009
Location: YVR
Programs: AC-E, SPG-Plat, GP-P, HH-G
Posts: 163
I am going to London for Thanksgiving and staying at this W Thurs-Sun. I am glad I have read the reviews on here so I am not totally pissed when I get off a trans-Atlantic flight at 7:30 a.m., make it to the hotel around 9 only to wait 7 hours for my room to be ready just to check into an over-priced shoe box. If there's anything drastically different from the recent posts in this thread, I will be sure to post. How did most of you get to this property from Heathrow? Is a taxi the best bet or is there an easy stop on the tube near by that I can walk from? Any insight would be much obliged. Having stayed at nearly every W in the system, I am looking fwd to having a new W as my worst stay ever. Who knows, maybe I'll get an upgrade!
Not sure of other people, but I would avoid the Spice Market restaurant at the W. Found the food awful, very salty, etc. But that is just my opinion.