W Hotel Taipei, Taiwan [Master Thread]
 

I'm staying at the W taipei right now - 3/10 - 3/15 (Platinum member booked on points) and they told me at check-in that the suites weren't ready yet ... so "upgraded" me to a twin wonderful room.

Room is decent... nothing really spectacular - similar to other W hotels, but I do like the lobby.

Work up this morning - and inquired about breakfast.

Apparently, this is not included for free for Platinum members. Have I been traveling too much on a corporate account or something, but I thought Platinum included breakfast at all Starwood properties, similar to how all Platinum members got free internet (-- which their systems still said I had to pay for, btw).

anyone know the answer?

unfortunately, breakfast was never part of the SPG Platinum benefit package. :(

as for the suites, it looks like there are none showing available online until April... i think the property is still in its soft opening stage.

I think the rooms are ready..They just haven't release to the general public yet.

See this Chinese link for the Suite Picture "http://chienchien.pixnet.net/blog/post/28445019"

Its nice, but the Wow factor is missing, at least based from the pictures of the room.

Have you check out the fitness center yet? how is it?

From the W Taipei homepage -> 'See Internet Access Options':

In-room high speed internet access is FREE for SPG Platinum members.

Wireless High Speed Internet Access in All Guest Rooms
Fee: TWD 480 per day [FREE for SPG Platinum members.]

High Speed Internet Access in All Guest Rooms
Fee: TWD 480 per day [FREE for SPG Platinum members.]


They say its free three times on one page, im planning to hold them to it!

i'm sure the charges will be removed when you checkout. i believe it is the function of the system when you logon and type in your room number and name, and it charges your room.

(at least for the properties i go to)

some don't show up, some do, but always removed at checkout (may require a "reminder")

So just finished one night there, loved it! Were a few complications, mainly that my friend who i was going with ended up canceling his trip due to concerns about flying through Tokyo (we used his plat for the reservation) So we informed the hotel he wouldnt be there while i was still going. Arrived at the airport, the hotel car is a brand new black BMW 750li, very comfortable! the ride was about 40 min from the airport to the hotel but the car had wifi so i was able to skype home and checkin on the ride. Upon arrival they greeted me at the door, took my bag and walked me to the checkin counter which was up on the 10th floor. No upgrade mentioned, no mention of a plat amenity (which i expected given my friend wouldn't be there), late checkout wasnt offered or needed due to 9 AM flight. After checkin they brought my bag upto the room (booked a fab city view).

Great room! Loved the modern design and Asian style. Not very large but great use of space, the bathroom was quite large, shower with separate deep soaking tub, toilet room, the toilet had 18 buttons. Fully stocked with the usual shampoos and conditioners, as well as toothbrushes and toothpaste, and a hairdryer in a bag.


Large Flatscreen tv with a DVD player in the closet (not hooked up). Bose surround sound (2 mounted speakers on the wall and a sub-woofer under the desk) Wifi and Wired internet for a fee, they said to log in use the room # and name on the reservation, but my friends name didnt work but mine did and made me pay. Mini bar with a great selection, including stockings, glow sticks, hats, and other assorted goodies (oh and booze). There were also 2 wine glasses and champaign flutes in a clever rack near the window. Amazing floor to ceiling windows with a view of the city, push button controlled shades, GREAT lounge bed right next to the window. In fact everything was button controlled, reading lights, desk lights, 'night light' which was a well placed light strip under the bed.

They did have a nice welcome note from the manager and a little snack tray, as well as free water and chocolates/cookies next to the bed. I asked them to arrange a taxi for me the next day to return to the airport (as i didnt quite want to spend that much on the BMW again, PS they also had a Porsche Cayenne). They charged it to my room and gave me the cash for it, which i thought was nice as i hadnt bothered to exchange any currency.


Overall i highly recommended this place!!

PPS. I have some photos and a walk around video ill try to get uploaded somehow.

Trip Report - W Taipei
 

Arrival.

Couldn't wait to leave the office for my little treat to myself celebrating... well, celebrating Friday actually. So left the office and went with all the urgency of a husband taking his wife to the hospital for delivery.

Check-In

Arrived at the very stylish lobby and was greeted by the bell boy who took my suitcase after informing me that the Welcome desk was on the 10th floor. Of course I did not listen properly and went to the Strategy room on the 11th floor. These are very stylish and beautiful appointed meeting rooms. Took the stairs down to the 10th floor for my check-in. Very nice reception. Did not have a chance to admire the view as staff eagerly awaited to introduce themselves. Everybody is still very excited which did not help in calming my fraying nerves. Felt for a second slightly worried that I was the only guest in the hotel to be reserved such a welcome but no no I am told, they are running at 80% occupancy today. (Thanks Florian, Amy, Matti).

Hotel Tour
After completing my check-in, Matti suggested a little tour of the hotel, including the not yet released Suite. Obviously I took the camera and was all too happy to be shown the suites and facilities. Kitchen Table is a very nice restaurant on the 10th floor for breakfast lunch and dinner buffet. Quite a large spread and similar in style to what I have seen at the W Hong Kong.
The suites are currently not in the inventory as they are still fixing a few kinks with the audio-video. As we walked in one suite, one TV set in the bathroom which is fixed to a pole outside the bathtub, kept facing the wall. Following an attempt to move it back in a position that recalcitrant TV set moved back into position, facing the wall and of no use whatsoever to anyone. These are the little things that they need to fix before the Willing Wictims of W paid good money for the Suites. Platinums beware, there are 40 suites out of 405 rooms. Was told that at any point in time W Hong Kong has 90 platinum staying in the property.. So while they will upgrade, competition will be fierce. So be forewarned and if a suite is really important to you... then you should book it.

Yen on the 31st floor has a beautiful decorated bar overlooking Taipei 101. The restaurant serves Cantonese cuisine, dim sum. A stunning enclosed private room allow diners to survey what goes on in the kitchen. They play on the 'see and be seen' theme here. Private dining rooms are available (5 of them).

The suites are gorgeously W. I feel that these might be smaller than what i am used to at the W Hong Kong... maybe I am getting picky. Revert to my Spectacular room, facing 101. Electric blinds and sheers. Bose, LG Tv, all the trapping of luxury. Did spend a bit of time to switch all lights off at night. Also realised that if you try to visit the bathroom in the middle of the night without waking up your other half, you are more than likely to smash your toes in a wooden stools or on the towel rack which are on the path to the toilets. The toilets have Japanese seats. I was slightly surprised that I was not addressed by name by the Toilet seat. Apart from that, you can choose from the many options. the lid opens itself as you walk in and you have a control set that includes poetic mentions of "oscillation", "rear cleansing", "drying"... If your other half is not toilet trained, the toilet will flush itself anyway.

My profile lists the fact that I love to have plenty of bottle of water. With 3 large bottles of Perrier and 2 bottles of mineral water, that water requirement was well taken care of. Strawberries dipped in chocolate, cookies and haribos sweet were there for me to indulge in. An additional plate of tapas was provided including some dry ham with toast which was delicious and intriguing.
They have wonderful Revolution tea together with the coffee maker.

Morning papers included the IHT, FT and WSJ (all the one I have mentioned in my profile)!

Wet

The Away spa is not yet in operation but should be in April. When it becomes operational together with the gym, you will be able to go to the changing room, change, take a lift to the swimming pool on the 10th. The fabulous Woo Bar overlooks the pool. Despite the weather being absolutely dismal in Taipei this week (what have I done wrong?), the water is heated to 28C... so make for a fabulous swim irrespective of the coldness outside.

Yen Bar
The temptation to go back to the bar was too much. Being in a lazy mood, I asked the barman to either prepare a ginger martini or choose a cocktail for me. Ginger martini was not on the list but Mr. Barman found some ginger started crushing it, Tanqueray Gins and presto here is the cocktail.
The view is really impressive from up there. W Taipei is the place to be so the bar was absolutely jam packed. Same for the Woo bar.

Final Note
An fabulously enjoyable and too short stay. W in Asia continues to deliver superior level of service and keeps me WoWed. I find it difficult to be excited by any of the W in NYC but the staff here and the attitude is what makes it a special experience. The hotel is really beautifully designed. Thyetus posted the virtual tour of the hotel which plays in repeat in the internal channel. This explains why I remain a Willing Wictim of W!

Quick question for you, were you upgraded to a suite when you checked in as a plat? or did you book it...

No Suite Upgrade. The suites are currently not available until they fix the problem with the electronics. Right now, you cannot book or be upgraded. This should change later in April.

I booked and was given the best cat currently available, a Spectacular Room (the one facing 101).

ok, was there week before last on a plat stay, booked (and got) a fab room with a city view, no upgrade, no free internet, or plat amenity (and for that matter points havent posted yet either...). WONDERFUL stay, none of those issues really bothered me, assuming the points are a glitch and calling the plat desk tomorrow to fix it.

PS did u use their car service? the BMW?

Nope. Company arranges transfert to/from airport.

I just finished a two-night stay over the Easter weekend at W Taipei. Booked the Marvelous Suite at the rate of TWD 3,000/night.

From the floorplan behind the door, it would seem that there are two Marvelous (or similar-sized) Suites on my floor (I don't know if each floor is the same, though). The hotel is in an "L" shape, and the two suites are each in the ends of the hotel.

The suite is square in shape. The half on the entrance side consists of a small foyer when you enter, with a guest toilet off to the side. Then enter into a living room with a workdesk, a long sofa, a big coffee table with a beanbag on the side. Near the window, there is a round table with two chairs. The layout is exactly the same as what you see in the hotel website's photos.

The other half of the room is the bedroom. The Suite comes in either King or Two Single Beds. There is a reclining sofa and chair near the window. No walk-in closet, but a good size closet with two sets of double doors. Washroom is per what you see on the hotel website photos. One small issue I had with the bathroom is that running hot water was not very hot.

I was told by a friend that each room or suite is supposed to have a porcelain figurine displayed. These figurines are in the shape of the 12 Chinese zodiacs; my Marvelous Suite had a dragon figurine. Other figurines are displayed in the W Store on the 10th floor.

We had lunch at the YEN restaurant on the 31st floor. I believe it to be overrated. Cantonese food is definitely not as good as in Hong Kong (but, I also believe the Sing Yin Chinese restaurant at W Hong Kong to be overrated as well). We had prawns which were overcooked, and dim sum which were over-steamed. Of the total six dishes that we ordered, the kitchen forgot to prepare two of them, and we had to keep chasing them for 3-4 times. I usually like my Cantonese food with "yellow mustard", but what the hotel brought to us was the French "hamburger" mustard. I told the waitress about this, and she did not know what I meant, so she brought the dish back to the Head Chef, and he then told the waitress to apologize to me because indeed it was the wrong type of mustard, and that they would tell their Purchasing Department to order the right kind in the future. I really do not understand how the restaurant could be in operation for over a month, and no one had noticed that this basic condiment for Cantonese cuisine was being served in error.

Breakfast was not included in my rate, nor as a Platinum benefit, but we did go to Kitchen to try out the buffet. Price was TWD 750+10%. Good selection of Western, japanese, salad, fruit, pastries, ice cream, etc., but the assortment and variety definitely not as good as the breakfast in W Hong Kong. The restaurant is on the same level as the pool, so you could have breakfast al fresco next to the pool or on the veranda outside. In fact, two walls of the restaurant are actually full-length sliding glass panels, and they were fully opened to the outside on this wonderful weekend.

All in all, an enjoyable stay, but I would not want to dine at the hotel again. I actually have a slight preference towards the Executive Suites in Le Meridien Taipei, which is within 7-8 minutes walking distance of the W. However, with several more stays booked at the TWD 3,000 rate for the rest of this year, this rate can't be beat, so will probably stay here for Y2011 trips to Taipei.

I don't like how bfast is not included for plats at this hotel... (i know they are not required to, but I have been spoiled by the other Asian starwood hotels/resorts).

slightly OT but it seems to be a trend nowadays, where benefits for plats seem to be getting less, with recent example being the removal of free plat access to the Sauna at W Seoul...... :td:

How did you get this rate for a suite? It truly can't be beat.

Here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...onal-rate.html