Originally Posted by alanslegal

TL/DR: It is the Titanic of Hotels


Full story: Embark on a journey with me as I share our escapade at the W Sydney, which boastfully announced “its bold design and electric energy will transform the Darling Harbour precinct and turn traditional luxury on its head” said the GM in 2021. Fresh from our December 2023 stay, we anticipated a colossal experience – the largest W hotel globally, almost 30 years of W brand and lifestyle glory, and many rooms with uninterrupted water views. Combined with their Whatever/Whenever service vow, we were poised for a spectacle Sydney had not witnessed before. Little did we know, we were in for a rendezvous with an unexpected iceberg.

Our arrival mirrored Jack Dawson's daring escapade onto the Titanic – a whirlwind. The broken-down IT system turned the lobby into a theatre of dimly lit confusion. Guests, bags in tow, loitered in a chaotic dance between the lobby and The Living Room bar, making us wonder if we had stumbled into a chaotic film set. Imagine those patrons in the bar paying $30 for a drink, only to be surrounded by frustrated adults and their boisterous offspring. Barman, I will take the check, please?!

When life handed us lemons, some people made lemonade, so we snuck off up to Level 29, hoping for a tranquil moment at the rooftop pool. Of course, before we left, the front desk staff took our names and promised to call us when their computers were up and running. With only 10 cabanas and 15 lounges to cater to guests, I anticipate upwards of 97% disappointed guests when the hotel is at capacity with almost 1,200 guests. But nothing is more tragic than those poor souls on the Titanic when they were told that there were not enough life rafts to save them all.

We did secure the last two seats by the pool – a stroke of luck reminiscent of Jack Dawson’s winning hand at poker, enabling his ill-fated voyage on the Titanic. When the official check-in time passed, and the hotel failed to contact us, we ventured into the online chat realm, only to discover that the system was back up. What happened to that promised call? Sadly, things did not start well either. Rewind the clock 72 hours, and I had reached out to someone with a manager in their title and only received a reply after we had departed the hotel. And you’re very welcome, W Sydney.

I did read a Google review by the name of ‘Connie’, who was celebrating a wedding anniversary, and that the hotel screwed up so badly on arrival day that they asked for a refund and left the property, never to return. It reminds me of those two German chaps in the Titanic movie who lost their poker game to Jack Dawson and their tickets to board the Titanic. Sure, it left a bad taste in their mouth, and one of the friends got punched in the face, but once news broke out about the disaster – I am sure both chaps were counting their lucky stars. Good old Connie-girl would have felt the same!

Finding myself back at the Welcome Desk Lobby – remembering that I would like to think a genuine luxury hotel would have brought my room key to the pool deck, asked if I needed an escort to the room and even a room orientation - we faced a queue of epic proportions of about 12 guests. It looked at capacity with 12 and can only imagine the chaos that could ensue with an enormous influx of 20,30,80 guests at 3 pm check-in time. Rubbing salt into the wound, elite members found no respite being forced to join the only queue with those in steerage cabins.

Despite the look of flustered staff, our Titanium status likely sparked some excitement with our check-in agent, and he made the process efficient and jolly. Kudos to him. However, the absence of an escort to at least the elevator or a more comprehensive room orientation was a departure from the expected norm of luxury hotel offerings in other Sydney hotels.

Our Suite Night Award upgraded us to a 2-bedroom apartment with Darling Harbour views, and while this may be envy-inducing for some, it lacked the panache of the W vibe. The Titanium amenity, two chocolate sticks and a 20ml non-alcoholic whiskey shot felt like an uninspired afterthought.

In pursuit of a last-minute lunch cruise to witness the start of the iconic Sydney to Harbour Boat Race, we contacted the hotel for assistance 24 hours prior and were met with a completely wrong answer. Should I have followed their suggestion, I would have booked onto a 4-day Royal Caribbean cruise ship from Sydney to Hobart. I politely advised that this suggestion was incorrect, and my request was referred to their Concierge Team. Sadly, no reply was ever forthcoming, which left us yearning for the promised Whatever/Whenever service expected from this brand.

Exploring the hotel's offerings revealed an indoor pool that flirted with gimmickry. Nighttime vibes bordered on eerie, reminiscent of Jack and Rose's descent into the icy waters after being chased by some guy with a menacing weapon. Daytime revealed limited seating, maybe three lounges, but this space could have been more memorable. Onwards to the gym, though generously sized, it lacked the enchanting harbour view offered by its nearby competitor, the Sofitel Darling Harbour. And breakfast time chaos ensued on a supposedly quiet day, begging for improvements from long queues and slow service delivery. The variety of foods was good but lacked any Asian options, and how dare they advise guests that your omelette is only restricted to three toppings? I like ham, tomatoes, mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, fresh-cut chills, and cheese, thank you. However, I digress with my negativity. The view of the motorway was surprisingly enjoyable and contrary to my original apprehension of the BTWN views.

From a service point of view, this hotel has too many little faults. Turndown was weak. I do not know if it was done because I had reminded them via online chat or on their own steam – I have heard of frequently missed turndown services here, Google, Tripadvisor and more. Placing only water beside the bed and doing nothing else is not a turndown service FYI.

Despite the Titanium perk of a 4:00 pm checkout, our afternoon peace was disrupted by an unexpected visitor delivering a phone charger we had never requested. Regrettably, this person had also ignored our Do Not Disturb sign. So, congratulations, W Sydney.

At checkout, the same chaotic film set view we felt on arrival was again in full swing. It is the same one line, full of guests, snaking its way around the limited arrival space. As nobody was present to assist, I left my room key with a barman at The Living Room bar and departed hastily from our underwhelming experience – no fond farewells or goodbyes.