This could quickly develop into a pro/con discussion of the W brand, but personally I like the implementation of the brand and the integration into it's local environment in the following properties (including only those I've tried):
- W Barcelona: Combination of beach/city ambience. Attracts the most beatiful crowd of any W.
- W Washington, DC: Nice use of existing building. Unique location.
- W Union Square, NYC: Nice use of existing building. Unique location.
- W Westwood, LA: Nice location, pool scene and LA vibe.
- W Hong Kong: Amazing roof-top pool and view.
- W South Beach, Miami: Great location and beach/pool scene.
- W Doha: Great service level
Some W's could have been up there based on locations potential, but lack in implementation:
- W Istanbul: Poorly maintained and trained.
- W Bangkok: OK on a global scale, but overshadowed by other SPG options in Bangkok.
- W Times Square, NYC: Has gone downhill a lot since opening.
Other W's are too generic to be interesting, lack the local twist the others have managed to build and could be mistaken for Westins at first glance:
- All 3 W's in Atlanta
- W Dallas
- W Scottsdale
- W San Francisco
- W Hollywood, LA
- W Hoboken, NJ
- W London
- W New York, Downtown
Some W's are underperforming on all parameters, and should not be part of the brand (like W Silicon Valley, that was "demoted" to the Aloft brand):
- W New York
- W New Orleans
Bucket list properties that look interesting, and I'd like to try out include:
- W Verbier, Switzerland
- W Amsterdam
- W Punta Mita, Mexico
- W Shanghai
- W Bali
- W Paris
- W St. Petersburg, Russia
But again W is probably the most dividing brand in the SPG portfolio and before you take advice you'll have to make sure that you share taste with the advisor :-)