Had a great stay here in late March, review below.

Dates: 3/23/2017 to 3/27/2017

Property: W Taipei

Nightly Rate: $191.13 (Including Citi Prestige 4th Night Free)

We were starting our 8 month trip around the world in Taipei and were looking for accommodations in the heart of the city. Being loyal to SPG, we were torn between the W Taipei and Sheraton, but eventually settled on the W after multiple recommendations. As a platinum member a full Buffet breakfast for two was included along with free flowing evening cocktails in the lobby or rooftop bar from 7 to 9 PM.

Check-In: We took a bus from the airport which dropped us right at the W at a cost of 145 TWD each. At the ground level lobby, there is a small reception desk that directs guests up to the main lobby via elevator. Check-in was really smooth and the staff pointed out all the amenities of the hotel and the surrounding points of interest. Since we had missed the platinum cocktail hour, they provided four drinks tickets we could use that night, or anytime during our stay which we really appreciated. I had also used SPG Suite Night Awards, which confirmed us into a Marvelous Suite.

The Room: The massive 1,024 sq foot Marvelous Suite was a serene urban oasis. As you walk in, the room has a small work area that opens up to a large living room with a couch, TV, Nespresso Machine and all the tech connections you could ever need for audio and video. On the other side of the room divider is a the bedroom with sliding doors into the bathroom equipped with a bathtub that has views of Taipei, along with a rainfall shower. The room was beautifully appointed and it was hard for us to leave in all honesty.

The Property: The hotel was opened in 2011 and still feels like its brand new. The lobby is connected to WOOBAR which is a swanky lounge that is a place to be seen on the weekends, which opens up to WETBAR, the poolside equivalent. Both of which were an awesome spot to enjoy evening cocktails included in the platinum happy hour. The hotel gym was one of the nicest we have used in the SPG network, which included a squat rack and a small studio for yoga or circuit workouts.

The Service: Service was great all around from check-in to the restaurant staff. At a few other W Hotels, we've found service to be middling and we've noticed those who don't "look the part" are sometimes treated poorly. This was definitely not the case at the W Taipei where they take their status as a 5 star hotel in Taipei very seriously. The breakfast buffet alone warrants a visit to the hotel. which is one of the most extravagant in Asia. It is hosted at The Kitchen Table restaurant in Asia and has fresh juices, made to order eggs, noodle soups, dim sum, Indian curries, sushi, an ice cream bar and fresh pizza to name a few things.

Taipei is an expensive city. Private hostel rooms and AirBnBs averaged $USD100/night, but using the fourth night free benefit from the Citi Prestige Credit Card got us great value at the W Taipei. While it was above our budget, for approx. $USD191/night (Average of ~$USD268/night before the fourth night free benefit), we stayed in a luxurious 1 bedroom suite, which included a killer breakfast buffet and evening cocktails in both the hotel bars. If you just used points, it would be around 25,000 SPG points/night, which I would be hesitant to do. However, IMO it is one of the nicest W hotels in the world from a property, service, location and food perspective.

Have some more pictures on a personal blog about our trip around the world (Full Disclosure) if anyone is interested!

https://www.tsunamiseason.com/planes...eview-w-taipei