Opentable is a good place to start, though availability, even on opentable, is very limited (and only a partial 'inventory' is released).

Hotel guest do have the priority for getting up to the roof, and I've found that sometimes once there it is possible to ask for table. Platinum members also have this benefit (even if not a hotel guest).

I've found that this is a great place for happy hour/early drinks and light food. If you're looking for something on the slightly more substantial side, the chicken sandwich is great. As for drinks, classics like a Moscow Mule, Dark and Stormy, or Mojito are excellent. If you don't mind a pink drink, try the strawberry lemonade.

Anyone try J&G Steakhouse yet for dinner? We have a 2 night FWN reservation starting 9/19 and Opentable is still showing availability for Sunday night.

We just completed our two night FWN stay at the W and I wanted to post a couple of comments on our stay. When we checked in on Saturday night, we only got a 1 room categoty Platinum upgrade from a Wonderful to a Spectacular room. The SPG website said they had Fabulous rooms available but the hotel insisted they only had a Spectacular room to give us. (FYI the room ranking is Wonderful, Spectacular and then Fabulous before they go to the suites.)

We took the room and overall it was nice but VERY small. I would say that it is probably the smallest hotel room I have ever stayed in. Decor was nice but I decided to call downstairs and question if they could upgrade us for the second night of our stay. Upgrade was not confirmed for the second night but they told us to pack our bags and they would move us the next day if a suite became available. As others have mentioned, the soundproofing is horrible. I was woke up early on Sunday morning by our neighbors child carrying on. (People with kids.....just because you are used to the whinning screeching sound of your child early in the morning it would be nice of you to keep them quite for those of us that aren't!! I can't ignore them like you evidently do!) Oh well...up early even we wanted to sleep in.

On Sunday we left the hotel and when we returned we had been upgraded to a Fantastic Suite which was very nice and spacious. I have no negative comments about the suite but I have to question the choice of some of the materials used in the suite. The light blue velvet couch is very nice looking but it was already showing stains and the hotel has only been open a couple of months. What's it going to look like in a year or so? Another thing is the carpet is nice and plush but I too think it will not wear well.

Sunday evening we went up to the roof for a drink before dinner. The views are indeed spectacular and it wasn't crazy busy up there. (On Saturday night the line to get up there was indeed very long.) $27 for a gin and tonic and the smallest martini but that is expected and the drinks were quite good. We had dinner at J&G Steakhouse and the food and service were very good. No complaints at all! Considering the drink prices on the roof, I was suprised to see that the prices for a bottle of wine in the restaurant started at $29.

What really stood out to us about the W was the staff. They were some of the most friendly staff I have encountered at a hotel in recent years. Overall the staff and location are IMHO the best part of the hotel. The room sizes and the soundproofing between the rooms should have been addressed during the reno because it is now too late. Some will really be bothered by this. Also if the posts in this thread are any indication, Platinums will have to ask to be upgraded

Happy to find this thread. Mrs Flyastrojets and I will be celebrating our anniversary with an evening at this hotel and a trip to Bliss for her on 10/24.

Anyone have very recent experiences to share? I'll certainly report on our stay.

I found this article linked in another thread:

http://washington.bizjournals.com/wa...5/daily99.html

I wonder if the CEO realizes that this isn't the best place to get a good nights rest and some work done. Very loud music is pumped through the elevators, lobby, and stairwells. In addition... the valet parking is unusually slow.

Recently it took 45 minutes from the time I called for my car until the time my car was pulled out in front. Thirty minutes of that time I spent outside waiting. I even offered to walk across the street and retrieve the car myself. The parking is outsourced- this is not the first time I've waited an unusual amount of time. Perhaps the parking garage is some sort of labyrinth.

I don't mind the music... but the valet parking issue alone has caused me to switch my stays in future weeks so I'm at properties that cater better to business travelers... like The Fairfax. Its great for weekends though when I have no responsibilities and feel like staying in DC.

To say that the rooms are tiny is an understatement. On a recent weekend stay, was upgraded from a Wonderful room to a Fabulous Room (Suites all sold out according to Front Desk). If this is what the Fab room is like, I would hate to think what the Wonderful room looks like. The room had a small-ish TV (32 inches?) and a nice King bed but not much room to move around otherwise. The sink is outside the bathroom and the counter space is quite limited (we also requested a coffeemaker - the coffee that was provided was superb!).

The lobby is quite nice, and is a great place to have a couple of drinks. Went up to POV on a Sunday night - no lines to get in, and lots of tables available. The view/lounge wasnt quite as good as we had expected - bit of a letdown. The location itself is terrific and great for taking in the main sights downtown.

Hotel staff had left 2 bottles of wine and a handwritten card in our room given that it was our anniversary. Nice touch. ^

Overall impression was positive although might check out the St Regis next time.

I just spent a night here and am mixed.

First, the good. I was very impressed with the physical property and the location. And someone much older that I invited over for drinks had fond memories of time on the roof of this place many moons ago, so it has some history. The rooms are nice, but the workmanship on some items is closer to "Aloft" than "St Regis" if you know what I mean (tile work, caulking, etc). I got a great upgrade to a 2 room suite facing the Washington Monument, that was great. The staff also were very good at accomodating last minute requests, they found us a reserved table upstairs for drinks (the lounge on the first floor was WAY too loud) and then somewhat helped us out for dinner.

And that's where the negatives come in. The lobby bar is like a club, I used to love W lobbies, but recent stays in Atlanta and now this really have me feeling old! So we had to move upstairs, I mean we couldnt even hear each other yelling in the lobby. When we were given a table upstairs (great view table by the way) I asked the hostess if she could call down and get us a table for 3 at J&G at pretty much any time that night. She came back about mid-drink and told us we were all set for 7:30. Imagine our surprise when we got down to J&G and they said they had no reservation and could not accomodate us! The part that pissed me off is that the very young hostess at J&G didnt even have the sense to call upstairs and determine that someone had screwed up. So we are left standing there as if we were trying to crash the place. I told her that one day she'd have the skill to negotiate something like this better and that in the meantime I'd appreciate a table in the wine bar or else things were going to get ugly. I still am floored at this and if we hadnt made plans with a third person to meet there I would have gone somewhere else. We got a table in the winebar and truth be told, I liked the environment there more anyway (and you can get the J&G menu down there too).

I tried many several times during my stay to use the Acura "wheels" for a shuttle, but no dice. First time, "oh it's 9:45am and we dont make the acura available until 11am." Second request was also shot down, "it only can be used for trips within the district" and my trip was a few blocks beyond. Oh well, I can't complain, except that none of that is on the card they gave me at checkin telling me how cool this free service would be. If I stay there again I will come back again at lunch just to take a spin around the block in that thing!

Overall, I really liked the roof top lounge and the location of the property, but the brand seems to be pushing down into the lower 20s more, and also into a more "club" scene. I guess I'm getting old, I find myself gravitating to St Regis and Park Hyatt more and more!

I stayed one night this past week and had a WOW suite. It was amazing. 1.5 baths. Dining area, living room with crescent shaped couch and large flat screen. Good desk area. Then a fairly normal bedroom. Awesome master bath with shower/bath combo side-by-side.

All in all, it was a very impressive upgrade. Awesome room with view of Washington Monument.

I return tomorrow night. Seems like my experience was an aberration. We'll see how it goes.

Rest of stay was fine, though I was in and out pretty quickly. Staff was friendly. I didn't get to POV but maybe tomorrow night. We'll see.

Oh, location seems great for sightseeing, and is Metro accessible.

Marvelous Suite tonight. Not over-the-top like the Wow Suite, but still very nice, large, and comfortable.

Good room service from J&G Steakhouse.

Color me satisfied. I'd stay here before St. Regis DC given the choice. St. Regis was disappointing.

Stay Report at the W Washington DC
-----------------------------------

Came into the city this past weekend for a night stay at the W Washington DC. Arrived in a taxi from Reagan Airport and it was a mess on the roads. Blockades here and there. ON A SATURDAY!!! (I guess it isn't the W's fault that the "nuclear" summit is in town and the hotel is booked to capacity and right next to The Willard, which is all secured and everything (with x-ray machines and metal detectors and all).

Check-In

Greeted by front desk personnel. Recognized Platinum Status after pulling up my reservation. Asked about upgrades but since the hotel was full, the only upgrade was to a Fabulous View Street (up from a Wonderful.) Didn't quite push for a suite because I didn't think they were BSing about having no suites that night. Was not asked about Platinum amenities but ultimately the 500 amenity points were posted to my account the day after checkout.

Accommodations

Got to my Fabulous Room on the 5th Floor with a perfect view of the Treasury Building across the way. Would have liked a higher floor to see over to the White House and the city. The room seemed small for a fabulous so I can't imagine the Wonderful room. The room had plasma tv, two W-signature beds, white bed frames with intimate lighting, a super comfy single couch and other standard hotel amenities. The bathroom was surprisingly big considering the size of the actual room. The shower was peek-a-boo style so privacy is an issue when traveling with friends.

Restaurant/Bar

Did not try at J&R steakhouse on the first floor. Did go up to POV for the views and drinks. The view on the rooftop lounge was excellent. Sweeping views of the White House on the right, all the way down to the Monument on the left. At night, the lines are long on the lobby floor to get into the special elevator, but as a guest, you can skip the line and get access immediately. Drinks were above average, $12-$15 mixed drinks, $6-7 bottles of beer, and others. The appetizers/tapas were good at $12-$22 a plate. Didn't have reservations so our group stood around the bar area and sat down on a "reserved" table until we were kicked out.

Recreation

Used the fitness center on the ground floor with a decent amount of machines and some weights. No swimming pool at this property. There is a Bliss Spa also on the ground floor.

Whatever/Whenever

Good response on all calls including dinner reservations, shoe shine, extra Bliss bathroom amenities and such. The Acura service was awesome and on-time.

Summary

A great hotel located around a lot of tourist attractions. Lots of restaurants around the area. Metro Center metro stop 3-4 blocks away. Good service throughout. Will stay here again if I'm in the area.

Had a less than great stay last Friday night. Booked a spectacular room, no upgrade given. Asked if any select standard suites were available and was told they are being held for other Platinum members who would be checking later (my check-in time- 330p).

Went on SPG.com, three Fantastic suites (select standard) for sale. Mentioned this to the MOD and was told all suites were sold out. Asked what would happen if I booked one of the suites for sale and was told I would receive it. Asked about Mega Rooms (also for sale, even when I put in 'eight' rooms) and told none were available.

Seems they really didn't want to upgrade me!

As usual, F&B was great- POV has a great staff and I'm always glad to see them. Acura service was excellent as well. Gym was great- would buy a membership if I could get it in conjunction with access to the locker room at Bliss....

to holding suites for other platinums (unless it is held for me )
the MOD was very accommodating and generously offered to upgrade me to a suite next time I'm in town, just give him a call. I thought it was a good gesture as the hotel was VERY sold out for the "nuclear" summit.

I read several people commenting about how small the Fabulous rooms and curious how small the Wonderful rooms are, so I wanted to clear that up.

AFAIK, the Wonderful rooms are actually BIGGER then the Fabulous rooms. The main difference between the room types is the view. I stayed in a Wonderful once, and it only had a view of another hotel room, about 2 feet away. The bathroom itself, however, was about the size of a Fabulous room, and the rest of the room was about normal size. I also heard they don't have very many Wonderful rooms, so pretty much any elite will be upgraded to a Fabulous.

If you want space, and don't care about the view, you may want to request to remain in a Wonderful room. That said, I have been in a Fabulous several times and didn't mind the small size as I found it very practical.

Yea I got a bit of run-around. I'm not surprised though; had an absolutely horrible experience at the end of November and it took months to resolve the issues. I'm not exactly the property's favorite guest....

Just completed a 3 nite stay, was told at check in that I was upgraded from a wonderful to a spectacular room. This was around 1:30 Pm so I stated I would not mind going out for a few hours and coming back and waiting for a better room, was told they were booked up and this was a very nice room. Headed up to my room and this was the smallest room I have ever been in EVER!!! My wife and I could not be on the phone at the same time without talking over eachother and I was in the bathroom, hit my leg 3 times walking from the bed to the window. Called down asked if there were any chance of upgrade, they said they already upgraded me, I said I had no idea these rooms were so small and I really would like to have something bigger, willing to pay if I have to.. I was told somone would call me back in a few minutes, 20 minutes later I call back and they said they were very busy and will get back to me in a couple of minutes, another 15 minutes and I get a call and ask was there a problem, explained everything again and was told would see what they could do and that I was already upgraded... while waiting broke out the laptop and it showed Fantastic suites and Marvelous suites for the 3 days I was there, called Platinum Concierge and asked what was a standard suite at this hotel, Plat Concierge stated that both of these categories are there standard suites and are available so why they are not upgrading me is incorrect. Plat Concierge was going to put me on hold and call the hotel I asked them not too and to see what I could do and if they were going to do there job. Called back down to the desk again said we will go out and eat and will check with you when we get back, was told will get a call back in a couple of minutes, waited another 20 minutes and finally called again and was told that they contacted the MOD and he authorized a release of a fanstastic suite, someone will bring keys right up to me. I thanked the Front desk agent and waited another 15 to 20 minutes and finally went down and got my keys....

I guess my frustration is why is this happening? a total of an hour and a half was wasted on this process when they had suites the whole time... This really make me start to re think requalifying this year. I am a 10 Year SPG Platinum member and the last few years have been totally on my own dime. Who wants to beg? I dont. Front desk has to call the MOD to authorize release of suites that Plats should be getting, Really nice...