W South Beach, Miami Beach [Master Thread]
Sep 28, 2009, 9:16 am
#121
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Delta - Gold; Starwood - Platinum; HHonors - Diamond & Avis Preferred
Posts: 10,869
Now you know we usual do agree on things! with two exceptions. 
Sep 28, 2009, 9:12 pm
#122
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: SPG Platinum, United Premier Gold
Posts: 37
i stayed at this property sept 18-21 on free weekend nights from the past quarter's promotion.
i checked in with my s.o. on friday around 4pm and was upgraded to an "oasis" suite on the 11th floor, north side view. the front desk staff was very friendly and offered to take my luggage up to my room, which i declined. i didn't need late check out so i didn't inquire whether or not it was available.
the room very much exceeded our expectations. it was a 1 bedroom suite with a living room, media room, dining area, bar, 1.5 baths, washer/dryer, full kitchen with sub-zero 700 series fridge, and 2 balconies. the room still smelled very new and the way it was furnished made it seem like you were standing in an ultra-modern furniture showroom. the living room and bedroom both had bose stereo systems and i was able to plug in my netbook into the living room unit using the the aux cable that was originally plugged into the ipod dock.
the kitchen included pots/pans, plates, silverware, and appliances. we took full advantage of the kitchen after consulting with the concierge of how to get to the nearest publix. we wound up jogging to the store, stocking up on groceries, and cabbing it back to the hotel. as i consider myself to be a low maintenance traveler, we did all of our dishes and put them back after use. we did leave the room once with the dishwasher going and when we returned, it was emptied out, with the dishes put back. there was no dishwasher soap in the room, but a quick call to whenever/whatever solved that problem.
the hotel had daily turndown service which could be declined. we had accepted it once and the service involved leaving chocolates, replacing towels and making the bed.
we went to the gym once, which was very large and had many machines. the pool area was very nice, but it was sometimes hard getting a couple of chairs together during peak times. i overheard a conversation that the chairs may be re-commissioned if left unattended for more then 20 minutes or so. pool and beach chair service at the hotel is actually contracted out to a third party beach chair rental company that services many properties. the chairs on the beach were also very nice and were complimentary for those staying at the hotel and their guests (i had some friends that live in miami beach meet us at the hotel and they were able to take advantage since they were our guests). the hotel also has a basketball and tennis court on the 7th floor (i think) for hotel guest use. i did not "indulge", but if you choose to do so, a visit to the concierge is needed to grab equipment.
i did check out the wall bar at the property on a friday night around 3am, after returning from a night out on south beach. people say it is exclusive, but me and my s.o. were easily able to get in with no problems and not having to buy any bottles. inside is really nothing special and seemed very cramped and crowded. we left after not even getting a drink. the buzz in miami beach now seems to be around these small hotel clubs, such as the wall, louis at gansevoort, and liv at foutainebleau.
the night before leaving i requested the complimentary boarding pass printing service. i provided information for myself and my guest, but only my boarding pass was provided. maybe this was an honest mistake, but we made no mind of it. my guest flew southwest and obtaining a boarding pass for southwest at the airport takes about 1 minute.
i took a cab in the very early morning from the hotel to MIA. the meter was off and the flat rate was $32.
the stay was overall a great experience and i have no complaints, only compliments. i'm not surprised it is considered one of the w's flagship properties as it was the nicest starwood i have ever stayed at (i've stayed at around 25 spg properties in the past 2 years). i hope to return in the future.
i checked in with my s.o. on friday around 4pm and was upgraded to an "oasis" suite on the 11th floor, north side view. the front desk staff was very friendly and offered to take my luggage up to my room, which i declined. i didn't need late check out so i didn't inquire whether or not it was available.
the room very much exceeded our expectations. it was a 1 bedroom suite with a living room, media room, dining area, bar, 1.5 baths, washer/dryer, full kitchen with sub-zero 700 series fridge, and 2 balconies. the room still smelled very new and the way it was furnished made it seem like you were standing in an ultra-modern furniture showroom. the living room and bedroom both had bose stereo systems and i was able to plug in my netbook into the living room unit using the the aux cable that was originally plugged into the ipod dock.
the kitchen included pots/pans, plates, silverware, and appliances. we took full advantage of the kitchen after consulting with the concierge of how to get to the nearest publix. we wound up jogging to the store, stocking up on groceries, and cabbing it back to the hotel. as i consider myself to be a low maintenance traveler, we did all of our dishes and put them back after use. we did leave the room once with the dishwasher going and when we returned, it was emptied out, with the dishes put back. there was no dishwasher soap in the room, but a quick call to whenever/whatever solved that problem.
the hotel had daily turndown service which could be declined. we had accepted it once and the service involved leaving chocolates, replacing towels and making the bed.
we went to the gym once, which was very large and had many machines. the pool area was very nice, but it was sometimes hard getting a couple of chairs together during peak times. i overheard a conversation that the chairs may be re-commissioned if left unattended for more then 20 minutes or so. pool and beach chair service at the hotel is actually contracted out to a third party beach chair rental company that services many properties. the chairs on the beach were also very nice and were complimentary for those staying at the hotel and their guests (i had some friends that live in miami beach meet us at the hotel and they were able to take advantage since they were our guests). the hotel also has a basketball and tennis court on the 7th floor (i think) for hotel guest use. i did not "indulge", but if you choose to do so, a visit to the concierge is needed to grab equipment.
i did check out the wall bar at the property on a friday night around 3am, after returning from a night out on south beach. people say it is exclusive, but me and my s.o. were easily able to get in with no problems and not having to buy any bottles. inside is really nothing special and seemed very cramped and crowded. we left after not even getting a drink. the buzz in miami beach now seems to be around these small hotel clubs, such as the wall, louis at gansevoort, and liv at foutainebleau.
the night before leaving i requested the complimentary boarding pass printing service. i provided information for myself and my guest, but only my boarding pass was provided. maybe this was an honest mistake, but we made no mind of it. my guest flew southwest and obtaining a boarding pass for southwest at the airport takes about 1 minute.
i took a cab in the very early morning from the hotel to MIA. the meter was off and the flat rate was $32.
the stay was overall a great experience and i have no complaints, only compliments. i'm not surprised it is considered one of the w's flagship properties as it was the nicest starwood i have ever stayed at (i've stayed at around 25 spg properties in the past 2 years). i hope to return in the future.
Sep 28, 2009, 9:40 pm
#123
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: MCO
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 58
I also had an Oasis Suite this weekend- 10th floor, southern view.
It was amazing. Definitely my favorite Starwood property so far.
On Friday night they had 93 platinum guests on the property and 170+ guests staying on free weekend nights.
All the positives were mentioned in the post above.
Also worth mentioning: David Broom from Real World Louisiana is one of the concierges.
I'll mention the two negatives (since personally, that's what always interests me most):
1) They guard the pool quite well (good thing). They have no memory and if you are young you get harassed constantly (bad thing). We were quite unhappy Saturday as we were asked several times to verify we are guests... a few times by the same person who had previously bothered us and apparently lacks short term memory.
2) Chairs by the pool and out on the beach fill up very quickly. Head down before 10 on the weekends if you want a chance at a chair.
Another semi-negative: The southern view of hotel is great- you can see downtown Miami to the right and the beach on the left... and right smack in the middle you can see the big, very well lit Days Inn sign. It's classy.
It was amazing. Definitely my favorite Starwood property so far.
On Friday night they had 93 platinum guests on the property and 170+ guests staying on free weekend nights.
All the positives were mentioned in the post above.
Also worth mentioning: David Broom from Real World Louisiana is one of the concierges.
I'll mention the two negatives (since personally, that's what always interests me most):
1) They guard the pool quite well (good thing). They have no memory and if you are young you get harassed constantly (bad thing). We were quite unhappy Saturday as we were asked several times to verify we are guests... a few times by the same person who had previously bothered us and apparently lacks short term memory.
2) Chairs by the pool and out on the beach fill up very quickly. Head down before 10 on the weekends if you want a chance at a chair.
Another semi-negative: The southern view of hotel is great- you can see downtown Miami to the right and the beach on the left... and right smack in the middle you can see the big, very well lit Days Inn sign. It's classy.
Dec 3, 2009, 8:33 pm
#125
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Delta - Gold; Starwood - Platinum; HHonors - Diamond & Avis Preferred
Posts: 10,869
Dec 4, 2009, 5:30 am
#127
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Italy 90% - Rest of the World 10%
Programs: Marriott + Hilton. Fly BA and AZ
Posts: 2,912
Jan 14, 2010, 2:16 am
#129
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: London. Edinburgh, Cornwall
Programs: BA GGL, British Midland Lifetime* Loser
Posts: 7,950
Confused
Lots of revenue rooms on sale for Feb 16-18 (although the cheapest is $650) and the "book with points" option is listed at 20,000 points per night with a tick next to it, but when you click through to book it suddenly says there are no rooms "fitting the criteria".
Jan 14, 2010, 5:27 am
#130
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Delta - Gold; Starwood - Platinum; HHonors - Diamond & Avis Preferred
Posts: 10,869
Not only does it say Cash and Points is not available at this property, but it is also not possible to book with Points even though there are plenty of rooms available.
Lots of revenue rooms on sale for Feb 16-18 (although the cheapest is $650) and the "book with points" option is listed at 20,000 points per night with a tick next to it, but when you click through to book it suddenly says there are no rooms "fitting the criteria".
Lots of revenue rooms on sale for Feb 16-18 (although the cheapest is $650) and the "book with points" option is listed at 20,000 points per night with a tick next to it, but when you click through to book it suddenly says there are no rooms "fitting the criteria".
Jan 27, 2010, 3:27 pm
#131
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: NY
Posts: 3
Just returned from this property. Booked a Fantastic Suite with points, arrived on Saturday night and was told that due to the fact that the hotel was booked up I could not be upgraded (I'm Starwood Gold) and would only be given that room, and on a low floor. The friendly rep did advise me to check back the next day after some people checked out. Sure enough I did that and also made sure to mention that the scene at the valet right below my window kept me awake until 4 am. I was given an upgrade to an Oasis Suite which was absolutely beautiful and roomy. Hotel stay was great overall - food, drinks, pool, beach. The call girl who tried to pick me up late one night in the lounge added some comedy to it as well...
Jan 27, 2010, 5:02 pm
#132
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Tampa, Florida, U.S.A.
Posts: 7,664
Not only does it say Cash and Points is not available at this property, but it is also not possible to book with Points even though there are plenty of rooms available.
Lots of revenue rooms on sale for Feb 16-18 (although the cheapest is $650) and the "book with points" option is listed at 20,000 points per night with a tick next to it, but when you click through to book it suddenly says there are no rooms "fitting the criteria".
Lots of revenue rooms on sale for Feb 16-18 (although the cheapest is $650) and the "book with points" option is listed at 20,000 points per night with a tick next to it, but when you click through to book it suddenly says there are no rooms "fitting the criteria".
Feb is the peak of the Winter Season on Miami Beach plus with the Pro Bowl, The Superbowl and the even bigger Miami Boat Show runnning in succesion the first three weekends in February.. I am actually surprised they have any rooms for sale much less for C&P or awards.mike
Feb 2, 2010, 10:04 am
#133
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: DL DM MM, Hyatt LT Globalist, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 2,141
I have a reservation for a Friday-Sunday weekend in April (not Easter). Just got an e-mail from one of the Welcome desk members offering a $200 resort credit if I check in after 7pm:
Last time I stayed here my room wasn't ready for my 2pm checkin, and wasn't ready until about 6pm. After much discussion, I was upgraded to an accessible suite, which was terrible- on the west side of the building with all glass windows it was like a sauna, and there were these very uncomfortable and ugly steel ramps/platforms everywhere near the bed and balcony. After a lot more discussion, we were moved to a much better regular Fantastic Suite. Getting 4pm checkout- that was a whole separate process requiring calls to corporate customer service, and some *excellent* assistance from William (thanks again!).
I wonder how this offer affects upgrade options, or if it might be better because by then more suites may be clean, as it seems like they have trouble cleaning rooms on time.
Welcome to W South Beach!
Who knew being fashionably late would pay off?
We know you will be visiting us soon and wanted to give you something to ponder. Check into your room after 7pm and delight in a $200 resort credit to use on whatever, whenever at the W South Beach!
Travel is always trying and we want to grant our guests the ultimate arrival experience. The arrival day can be spent sun worshiping at WET, the best sunning spot on the Beach, dining in our award winning restaurants or bliss-ing out in our full service spa – the choice is yours.
Want to take advantage of this great opportunity? Just confirm back to us via this email and we will take care of the rest.
Who knew being fashionably late would pay off?
We know you will be visiting us soon and wanted to give you something to ponder. Check into your room after 7pm and delight in a $200 resort credit to use on whatever, whenever at the W South Beach!
Travel is always trying and we want to grant our guests the ultimate arrival experience. The arrival day can be spent sun worshiping at WET, the best sunning spot on the Beach, dining in our award winning restaurants or bliss-ing out in our full service spa – the choice is yours.
Want to take advantage of this great opportunity? Just confirm back to us via this email and we will take care of the rest.
I wonder how this offer affects upgrade options, or if it might be better because by then more suites may be clean, as it seems like they have trouble cleaning rooms on time.
Feb 2, 2010, 10:13 am
#134
Moderator, Marriott Bonvoy & FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: McKinney, TX, USA
Programs: United Silver; AA Plat/2MM; Marriott LT Titanium; Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,727
Whatever their reasoning, I do have to get the hotel a ^ for coming up nice way to try and "encourage" you to check-in later.
Feb 2, 2010, 11:36 am
#135
formerly known as daveland
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: NY, NY, USA
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LTP, Delta Platinum, Hilton Honors Diamond, Wyndham Diamond
Posts: 2,969
I thought we established earlier in this thread that the property was considered a resort and 4pm checkout was not a stated benefit? I just checked out (lengthy review in progress) and they confirmed they are exempt from the 4pm checkout, though they gave me 1pm.