3rdworldresident

Not only you.

MO is definitely nicer i agree, why didn't you choose to stay there instead?

gengar

But you know that you're a Gold and not a Plat, and you know what the stated SPG program benefits are. There's no point fighting for change at the property level; if you want guaranteed recognition for your spending patterns, then you need to elicit change at the system-wide program level. You are just setting yourself up for disappointment over and over again if you expect benefits that aren't stated program benefits.


The basic club room at MO usually prices around the Marvelous Suite at the W Taipei, just FYI.

helvetic

@akalra11876 -- if you stay at mostly St.R, that's great -- you get what you pay for. I imagine the service tends to be really good. But as a gold member, you're not entitled to anything beyond what you pay for. I wouldn't be upset about it; if you want a nicer room, pay for it upfront.

Btw- if you stay in BKK again, the Le Meridien is super nice. Platinum treatment there is excellent; and I hear they even upgrade Golds frequently.

Re: the W Taipei; service is pretty lousy. Bar drinks are alright at best. Nobody told me about the Happy Hour and so I went on and paid for drinks like an idiot; was not happy about that. Impressively large breakfast; but not super high quality food. I'd consider skipping it and going for some Beef Noodle Soup breakfast instead. No time to waste on mediocre food in Taipei. As an SPG Plat, they did not upgrade me to a suite; I got a slightly higher category regular room on a 2 night stay. I'd say it's a very middle-of-the-pack W. Not worth the amount of money they charge for it. The next trip to Taipei, I elected to stay at the Aloft for way less money and was happy with the savings.

bennos

When we were seated the server explicitly said we didn't need to bring the chip with us.

I've seen similar systems in other "upscale premium" hotels (like Marriotts in Japan), albeit with small wooden toothpicks rather than plastic chips. But I find the plastic chips fit with the W's design aesthetic... I'd find wooden toothpicks to be out of place. The W is not a StR or RC, I have no problem with a table numbering system at a W.

Both. Service in both was fine, I just wasn't super impressed by any of the drinks.

In both bars when I arrived they first asked for my room number, and then brought me the special happy hour menu.

akalra1187

Accepted the point made by others that I shouldn't be upset that I wasn't upgraded.

The thing is I still thought the room was lousy for the money I paid, and there are so many gleaming reviews of this hotel online.

I hadn't been to Taipei in over 10 years, so I didn't know the MO was better before I came. Experience teaches us a lot. Yes the MO would have been out of the way, but it was just a different world when I had dinner there.

I can't get over the fact that this is one of the highest priced hotels in Taipei (perhaps only the MO costs more, The Regent looked nice too but was going for a lower rate), and the room is just so tight, poorly designed and lacking any good feeling.

I'm not a strewn up old man, I quite liked the music in the lifts and even while waiting for taxis on the ground floor. I just think at this price point they need to offer better rooms and better service.

Oh, I also remembered I was asking the concierge a few questions about which restaurants to go to, and after I asked about hot pot and yakiniku, I asked about sushi, and out of the blue she laughed, I asked her what is funny? She didn't have a response. I mean that's totally unprofessional.

The room had no space for a suitcase other than in the cupboard. The only seating other than the desk/sideboard 2-in-1 was nestled in to the window. There was around 3-4ft max between the bed and the desk/sideboard 2-in-1. The bathroom was a more acceptable size, but the sink was horrible. I'll commend the shower and separate WC, but other than that an the view, nothing good to say about the room. The bed yes, was good as it is in all SPG hotels.

helvetic

The W has style and is a fun spot to party. But it's seriously lacking for the price point in terms of raw quality. It's not worth the amount it costs especially in a cheap city like Taipei

helvetic

For sushi in Taipei, a lot of people like Addiction Aquatic Development. For hot pot, there's a good spot on the top floor of this mall in Ximending… I don't quite recall the name. Don't miss an opportunity to eat Lu Rou Fan and Beef Noodle Soup and Xiao Long Bao (everyone loves Din Tai Fung but I'm more a fan of Jin Ji Yuan on Yongkang St.) and Ay-Chung's tripe/oyster noodles in Ximending and all the night-market food!

The concierge you spoke to sounds like a real douche… laughing at a customers' recommendation request is incredibly unprofessional.

jpdx

FWIW, I stayed here a lot when the hotel was Cat 5 and went for a C&P rate of 4.8k points plus US$90. At the time, it was my favorite W, with great management and staff, and very good benefits. I stay here just once or twice a year now, but still have a 90%+ record of suite upgrades -- these suites are huge and well-appointed, and the staff really try hard to find you a suite (including assigning a temporary holding room while waiting for a suite to open up later in the day, or offering the option to move for part of the stay -- none of this is required per the terms). The bar benefit is generous, and once you get to know the bartenders, they will mix you off-menu drinks that are excellent and creative. IMO, it's amazing that they include Golds in this; what other Starwood hotels offer Golds a free-flowing happy hour? I always liked the breakfast here, in terms of quality and selection (although admittedly not the occasional waits), but I enjoy trying a variety of non-traditional breakfast foods, and the hotel certainly delivers on that end. Clearly, with rates in the NT$10k range, you're paying dearly, and thus I've found myself staying at the Hyatt and Westin more often; I can't say that I don't miss the W, though.

akalra1187

I ate Hot Pot at Orange Shabu and it was great. I had Yakiniku at Da-Wan and that was my favourite place in the whole trip, and I had plenty of dim sum at Dim Dim Sum and Tim Ho Wan both in the mall connected to the W. I can also highly recommend Ya Ge at the MO Taipei, it was really really good Canto. food.
Sadly didn't get to try any sushi or proper xiao long bao, because I stupidly tried Yong He Dou Jiang Da Wang one night, and I tried xiao long bao there along with a yoiu tiou wrapped in an omelette pancake. I was violently sick only a few hours later so I was off xiao long bao and sushi also seemed a bit much after this experience.

Rossello321

Often times, even a Cat. 2 or 3 at MOHG TPE prices out akin to a lower room category at the W. Will never understand those who choose the W over MOHG, even for those point/status chasers out there!

bennos

omg I ate everything there but the sushi. That... got expensive. (And it's cash only...)

Agreed, though all the concierges I saw there seemed quite professional.

I've specifically been avoiding the value for money aspect of this discussion. It's definitely a pricey hotel, but that's a subjective discussion as to what one wants out of a hotel. eg: I can get a less expensive massage at any number of places, but the spa itself is quite nice with excellent staff and a good wet room.

r_tsunami

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

gengar

Thanks for the review - just two quick comments:

I actually wouldn't rank the W breakfast buffet as even one of the most extravagant in Taipei.

I think this is the first time I've ever heard a visitor call Taipei "expensive".

re: hostels, Taipei is obviously no Bangkok, but you can find plenty of hostels in the city (including ones right by Taipei Main Station) that don't even charge $200/week for single rooms. Of course, given how cheap hotel rooms are in Taipei, I'd agree that hostels are a bad deal regardless.

helvetic

Agreed. Taipei is far from expensive. The W breakfast is mediocre. Lots of quantity but lacking in quality. I've stayed in a double room (2-people sized room; I paid for 2 but stayed alone) in a Ximending hostel for for $25/night *2 ($50 since I paid double for one person extra). Also stayed at the Aloft for <$90/night. The W, with its usual $300+ cost, is not good value.

PeteDin206

Anybody ever have luck getting additional upgrades beyond the Marvelous on a Suite Night upgrade at WTaipei? If it is open, is it even worth asking for the Wow Suite?