IMO the W in Shanghai stands out as a W that has properly executed on the brand concept.

Not all Ws are of the same breed!!
I fell in love with the W brand after my initial stays at W Seoul (still missed), Singapore, Bangkok, Istanbul ... and then was unpleasantly shocked after staying at the Ws in NYC (Union Sq. and Times Sq) - what a letdown! It felt criminal that the two sets share the same brand name given how stark the differences were in EVERYTHING (quality of Hardware, service, F&B etc). The ones in Europe were in between the two (e.g. W Paris) - not as good as the ones in Asia but far better than the ones in the US.

There is still a part of me that enjoys walking into my hotel lobby at night that is thumping with a DJ spinning electro and the crowd dancing the night away.

Similar to my own experience. good experience in W Singapore yet very disappointing stay at W Hollywood.

Would love to try W Seminyak and W Melbourne if I have chance to fly there.

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Strange. i stayed there in 2004 and I had a very pleasant experience. I was upgraded to a suite and the front desk folks were very engaging. No attitude. I'll be the Gen X'er who enjoys the W brand. Like any brand it serves different people at different times and there is an inconsistency in the brand which I like, less cookie cutter. For example, there are two W's in Los Angeles. Both tend to be very hip and trendy with lots of parties etc. But the W in Miami isn't nearly as hip or trendy, catering to a professional, but relaxed demographic. The W in San Francisco isn't as hip and trendy as Los Angeles, but more so than Miami.

As an attorney, I wouldn't hold a business meeting at most W's, but it's a great place to stay when relaxing with friends or the family.

I agree. The hotel is full of attention seekers taking perfectly curated selfies in the pool with the silver W and Pudong skyline in the background. Ready made for we chat moments or Instagram posting. It’s the perfect hotel for the vapid culture of wannabe influencers that has blossomed in China like nowhere else.

I don’t like W’s because they don’t have lounges where I can get free food and booze. Why would I stay in a W when a hotel down the street will give me a three hour free happy hour on a nightly basis? But I’m obviously a grumpy, parsimonious, middle aged man who is definitely not their target demo. I’m sure they won’t miss me 😁

The W Seminyak (1 bed villa) was a slight let down due to the hardware in the rooms. The couch is similar to that of the Element Ubud but longer along one wall (and what I had during university) and the shower is beaten by even The Stones AC (his and her rain showers right by oneanother) and similar to the Puri Penthouse in Element Ubud, which is actually slightly bigger with more natural light. Even the Courtyard Seminyak was similarity tiled but has a small bench built into it. No automatic opening/smart toilets (unlike Element) and the main bathroom area with the sink was nothing to write home about although that area recieves natural light (the shower and toilet room are opposite eacheother down a very small corridor in the back of the bathroom. The only impressive/advanced feature of the room was the ability for me to hook up Bluetooth for music in my room (a few speakers are situated on the ceiling around in the bedroom/living area and an HDMI port (which I don't have to snake around the TV as they have an input station on the wall) and electronic blinds.

In terms of vibe, very different to the clubby/youthful feel I get in other Ws (perhaps the age is skewing slightly older due to less tourists atm?), though the room scent is still very familiar. No colored lighting in the rooms unless I didn't look hard enough but even around the lobby and bar/restaurant it wasn't as in your face as I've seen elsewhere.

The cocktails are amazing and it's on the beach but the waves are pretty strong for prolonged time in the water.
When I return in early Feb I'll post a covid review (though with only 1 bar and 1 restaurant open I havent/most likely won't be able to scratch the surface of what the hotel truly has to offer until March).

The W Reception in Shanghai was quite happy to keep giving me free drinks vouchers =D

I revisited W last year having not tried one since early this century in Sydney which was the first of the chain outside of North America. In this case it was Brisbane, found the rooms excellent service great and platinum recognition consistent. From memory across the ten or so stays the welcome gift was substantial and never the same, while the food was also a standout. Looking forward to trying the brand in other Australian cities soon as they expand.

You could try the W Guangzhou which is one of the very few that has a lounge offering canapés and two hours of free flow booze in the evening. It's like the W style but aimed at business travellers. Breakfast is provided in the main buffet and it's excellently international. The W Guangzhou is one of the few Ws that I actively choose over the other Bonvoy hotels in the area (Sheraton, Marriott, and Westin) as it's usually only ~RMB2/300 more expensive but is a significantly better hotel with great suites (three out of four upgrades to suites here). The other hotels are also good business hotels with decent lounges but for the little bit more the W is a steal.

I am taking my nephews (ages 19 and 22) to SF and thought they'd like the W for a Marriott choice. What about location? A lot of hotels aren't serving food now and I want there to be options outside of hotel.

Honestly if dining options are important to you California is the wrong place to be going...

agree. San Francisco is a bit of a ghost town these days, especially where the W is. That being said, a couple quick thoughts...it's a bit tricky given one of your nephews is of drinking age and the other isn't. But if the purpose is for them to enjoy San Francisco at that age, the W is indeed the best hotel for them. However, the neighborhood itself is nothing exciting at that age unless they want to go shopping in the flagship stores of big brands. Convention center across the street, lots of tall office buildings, dead nights and weekends (But with COVID it's dead period).

Most locals their age (at least the 22 year old), spend time in the Mission district (valencia st) or the Marina district (Union St) and Russian Hill (Polk st). lost of options for morning coffee, good restaurants, nightlife, and for marina/russian hill, doing a run along the marina green towards the golden gate bridge. I haven't been but believe the outdoor dining scene on valencia and union st are pretty good. don't know about polk st.

Mission district wouldn't be too bad of a schlep from the W, although you might consider the Proper hotel as also edgy and fun. The hotel itself is in a bit of a dodgy (albeit safe) spot, but would be much closer to mission. Closest marriott property to marina and russian hill would be in fisherman's wharf which is two neighborhoods over. Fisherman's wharf itself, and the marriott property there, would both be lame...but much closer to where they want to be...or at least where I would have wanted to be at that age.

But back to the original point, if the goal is to experience the city and not just the tourist attractions, unclear you'd get what you want given california has the most aggressive lockdowns in the US right now.

I alway enjoy taking the Golden Gate Ferry to Larkspur, having lunch at Marin Brewery (minors permitted in that restaurant), and returning — all counter-commute. There are nice views passing Alcatraz, Angel Island, and San Quentin Prison. The price is much lower than a tourist cruise.

From the W Hotel, one can walk to the S.F. Ferry Building, or take the Muni or BART down Market Street to the Embarcadero.

(This and the three preceeding posts should probably be moved to a hotel-specific or city-specific thread.)

No, hotel operators/owners are simply changing brands.

Based on the hotel developers brand web pages, at year end 2020:

"Luxury":
W hotels: 59 open properties / 38 pipeline properties / 16,452 open rooms / 9,004 pipeline rooms (W Hotels - Marriott Hotels Development)
St Regis: 46 open properties / 32 pipeline properties / 10,017 open rooms / 6,738 pipeline rooms (St. Regis - Marriott Hotels Development)
Edition: 11 open properties / 15 pipeline properties / 2,697 open rooms / 3,356 pipeline rooms (EDITION - Marriott Hotels Development)

"Premium"
Autograph: 209 open properties / 91 pipeline properties / 40,553 open rooms / 15,550 pipeline rooms (Autograph Collection - Marriott Hotels Development)

David