Nicholas Graham + Associates from Sydney.

Does W Hong kong offer paid upgrade?
Like UA, when you check in, you can ask for paid upgrade.
I have mistake rate $139 fabulous room. Does there anyone get the paid upgrade offer?
Thanks

Hi yuchung5,

You may like to contact the property to find out if they offer upgrades based on Starpoints or cash. This will only be carried out upon check-in as upgrades are subjected to availability, even paid ones.

[email protected]

Thyetus Lee | Online Forum Coordinator(AP)
Starwood Customer Contact Centre (AP) Pte Ltd

I was offered a HKD 1000 upgrade from an upgraded Spectular suite to the next level (Marvelous Suite?). Was told they only uprgrade Plats to Spectacular suite, which is pretty nice and has views of the working harbour and crak your neck side views of HK Central.

I will say every employee at this property is spectacularly nice.

I am divided on this property versus the Sheraton Towers.

W Advantages:

* Very cool W vibe.
* Bed/sheets are really comfortable -- sheets and pillows are much nicer.
* Rooftop pool and hotub are "wow". Agree with prev. posts that pool loses sun in mid-late afternoon, which is too bad.
* Bliss bathroom amenities are huge sizes and wow.
* High tech room features, such as push-button shades, huge flat screen tvs, and cool in shower/tub tv.
* Suite UGs.

W Negs:

* No direct HK/Central harbor view....pretty big deal for such a cool harbor.
* No freebies, and everything is very expensive and it adds up; Sheraton freebies are free internet (HKD 200 at W), free pressing + cleaning allowance, free breakfast, free hors d'oeuvres/drinks. free mid-day juice, etc.
* Location is remote for Kowloon, but convenient to HK at entrance to Western tunnel, with nice attached mall, and to airport located directly above Kowloon Airport Express station.
* Small hotel within hotel feel in Towers.

I guess I really do take advantage of the free amenities at the Sheraton...however, if money is no object, all those amenities are available at a price...probably put it at $100/day, and I have to spend 2,5000 to UG to Towers...so, it's really not that big of a difference...still, I wish the W had a Club lounge.

I've just been told that the bar at WET is open!!!!!!! Can't wait to check it out but I'm not visiting Honkers till Easter '10. :( I look forward to the first FT pics of pool parties up there! :D

If you like pool parties and then you should also check out the SLS.

Question about room type.
I am going to stay W HK in Nov for the HKD370 mistake rate which is now USD139.
I suppose to have Fabulous Room.
Since I booked this unusual low rate and I have no status in SPG like you guys, how will I know I will have my room type instead of Spectacular Room or Wonderful Room? I have no knowledge about the major difference between these room type.
I know Fabulous Room has harbour view. Not sure about the other 2 room type.
Is it true that I get the wrong room type if I can not see the harbour?

Thanks

yuchung5

Not true.. as of 10/16 they havent secured the permit to open the wet bar as yet and by all indications by the staff there its not very imminent.
You can however order drinks at the pool from the attendants which I presume is handled by the room service department (the attendents do have drinks menus readily at hand)

mike

Yes the fabulous rooms all have harbour view (as is stated quite clearly on your confirmation for the $139 rate)

mike

My W Hong Kong Experience
 

I never stayed in the W Hong Kong before. The only W Hotel I ever stayed in was W Seattle. So I read this thread and also another one called

"W HKG - liars; Suites available but no upgrade; closed pool"

I was sort of in a mission to see if this hotel is worth staying. I always stay in the Sharaton Hong Kong because of the government rate. I was suppose to have a lay-over in Hong Kong for 1 night before boarding a plane to Capital Hill (Washington DC). There is no government rate for the W Hong Kong. So I decided to bite the bullet and...... use my Platinum free night for 1 night in this hotel (no way is Canadian tax payers paying $HK 2500 or US$ 322 a night in Hong Kong)

So a week before I show up, I decided to lay it to the manager. I fired him an email from my government email account and I told him bluntly I am here with my free night to evaluate his hotel. I arrive at 10:00pm and leave at 9:00am. Impress me or forever I am never returning. Impress me and justify why Canadian tax-payers ought to potentially pay $US 322 a night in your property when there are cheaper alternatives.

24 hours later, I got a email confirming... Spectular suite upgrade confirmed - which I thought might be a bigger suite and maybe similarly room to the picture shown on the beginning of the thread. The manager emailed me back recommending me the pool (which is closed when I arrive) and the gym (24 hours). He told me his staff would take me to the pool area after hours even if it is closed so I can see how the pool is like.

When I arrive, the suite was embaressingly huge. It is a great area for a romantic getaway. The welcome snacks were... melting and the cookies are soggy because I arrived at 10:00pm and maybe the stuff was there since the morning.... I got two different hand written cards - which I appreciate the most. It means personal effort was made to make me comfrotable. One thank you card from the hotel manager. The other the general manager of customer service?

The showers were close to the Heavenly Shower - but they shot themselves on the foot by having a plugged drainer - similar to some other earlier poster's problem. The last time I had such a shower was in Las Vegas Venitian penthouse suite on my university grad vacation.....

They keep having very good intentions but keep screwing up these little details.

Whole bunch of buttons on the wall... Overshot a bit on technology but I am tech savy enough that it was all good.

The worst area of the hotel was the elevator from ground floor to lobby. That LED screen on the floor was one of the worst design ever. The bright light irritated my eyes and sort of make other things less visable. I just had laser eye surgery 1 month ago and those bright LED lights was just terrible.

The gym was opened 24 hours. The place was empty. The equipment has this "Fresh new smell". There was a second I thought the equipment are there for decoration. I speculate these newly rich Chinese find it amusing to be running on a trim-mill to slim out - as getting fat in Chinese culture is suppose to be good - ie a sign of wealth.

Most menu of the Kitchen resturant was beyond dinner allowable limit for government employee. It exceeds even the management level limit - ie $US 40(tax excluded)... I wanted CHinese food so I went out to eat.

I wrote back to the manager and provided my feedback. Basically, I told him to implement a government rate just like Sharaton Hong Kong did. Give a discount coupon for food (but doens't apply to alcohol drinks as we pay it with our own money). Also, if anyone using government rate, you can put him on the lowest priority on Platinum Suite upgrades. Just a big room is good enough - no need for suites. Charge for internet if you need to recoup some money.

I can imagine an angry mob of citizens grilling our elected officers for allowing government staff to waste tax payers money at $US 322 a night in a Spectular suite in Hong Kong when there similar grade hotels going for $US 160 a night. Just can't do it...

Update: In the email to the manager, I told him if I am not on government business and just in vacation in Hong Kong, W Hotel is definately on the top of my list on perfered hotels.

:confused:

Note to Self: no more stays at W Hong Kong if I ever end up working in the Canadian bureaucracy.

2nd Note to Self: if I do end up working in the Canadian bureaucracy it will take at least 3 or 4 re-readings of my colleagues' emails to understand what they mean.

Plus you get to send messages using your goverment e-mail telling the hotel that you are there to "evaluate the property" (basically lying if you ask me) intimidate the management, complain about the cost in the restaurant, rant about the really cool lighted elevator floor etc etc etc

Perhaps I should send a message to property asking them to double the goverment rates:D

mike

Now Now now. Stop exaggerating things.

It is indeed evaluating the property because all my stays in Hong Kong on government business is with Sharaton. Basically, I did bite the bullet because I did not get reimburesed for the free stay (well it free!)... and I used up my Platium Free stay on a business trip.

Co-workers may choose the Intercontential or other average priced ones - their choice. However, I really haven't heard anyone management in Provincial or City level staying in the W hotel or the Peninsula Hong Kong. Of course, our Prime Minister or Premier could.

They could double government rates if they want to. I just don't stay. At the end, government employees must be responsible to the tax-payers/citizens who elected our boss and also pays our salaries.

I am giving W Hong Kong my take on it and gave them some examples on how Starwood hotels in Canada gets around the limit problems.

well.. not exactly.

No more stay in the W Hotel Hong Kong if you are middle to senior management unless they do something (lower price). No out of country travel needed if you are lower level.

BUT... If you are Cabinet Ministers (elected), embassadors (appointed by elected officers), Premier (head of a Province) or our Prime Minister (elected). You can stay in the W Hong Kong and tax payers will pay you a suite. In fact, if you are Premier or our Prime Minister, Starwood may give you the VIP status - level above Platinum - just like what they gave to former President W Bush in Beijing (I read it somewhere).

Well... my English is considered alright.. I got some email from French Canadians officers in French.. Now try reading that with my basic French...

DYKWIA at its finest :rolleyes:. I don't like the $800/night prices at the Saint Regis New York so maybe as a future big player in the hotel industry I should demand their General Manager lower rates so that I can stay there daily or else I'll put them out of business.

Or here's another suggestion. Pay for the room out of your own pocket if you want to stay there!

I'm certain anywhere you travel there's a Motel 6 or HoJo that's cheaper than the Sheratons you might stay in, so why not save the taxpayers a little more money since that was your mission at foot.