Just made it home after a 3-night stay at the W Leicester Square. Unfortunately, this hotel is a mixed bag at best. I write this w/ the perspective of having stayed at SPG properties in 43 countries (give or take) to date and having stayed at W hotels almost everywhere.

The Pros: great location. Easy access to hotel from the Picadilly line at Heathrow. Can get off at either the Picadilly Circust stop or Leiciester Square stop, both plenty close to the property. Walked to Buckingham Palace, Tate Modern, Westminster, etc. from the hotel easily. Had to leave the hotel by 6 a.m. on a Sunday for a flight back to the States and all the Underground stations were closed nearby and had to take a very expensive cab ride (just unrelated info in case you have to depart on an early Sunday morning). That's about where the pros end. Didn't interact with the staff much as you can enter the room levels from the ground floor w/o having to change elevator banks on the lobby level like in most hotels.

The Cons: The rooms are pitiful. They feel like a glorified Japanese pod hotel at best, just way more expensive. The shower was musty do to a complete lack of airflow. Privacy is non-existent with a travel companion. The sink is located in the middle of the room. If you are here for business, you'd pretty much have to work next to your bathroom sink. The hotel wasn't loud to me, but I was placed near the elevators (room 725) so I heard everyone drunk coming and going. So, outside noise wasn't an issue to me. The lights are ridiculous. I am sorry, but when you have to call down to learn how to turn off the lights, it's not intuitive and poorly designed. British engineering at it's best

Other things that rubbed me wrong: they put a rope in front of the entrance to the hotel at night. They literally rope off the entire entrance and turn the property into a night club. What kind of welcoming message does that send? Furthermore, after a long day sightseeing I came back and the "doorman" who controlled the rope asked me if I was staying there. I said yes, and he said he needed proof. Maybe I am making a fuss but this really irked me. For $415/night I should be welcomed back to the hotel, not have to be treated like I am trying to get into an exclusive nightclub.

Also, the "bellhops" just kind of stand around the ground floor. They don't really have a desk and never offered to help me when I arrived with luggage. Even asking for directions always seemed to get very vague answers--maybe that's not unique to this location?

So great location, but that's where it ends. Wasn't offered a suite although many were showing online. Platinum recognition was pretty much limited to the sleeve my hotel room key was handed to me in. Was given a lousy room right at the elevators although I did arrive early on Thursday a.m.

If the rooms were about half the price, I'd return. At the current going rate, you don't get much for the money, even by London standards.