W Santiago [Master Thread]
 

well I just booked W for the weekend........ I hope its open they accepted my reservation. :)

It is open. I didn't stay there on my most recent trip, and I don't know if I ever will because I just like the San Cristobal Tower too much, and the W rates have been exorbitant. When I need a cheap night, I stay at the Four Points. I also like the location of the latter two better, but the W is in a very nice area.

W Santiago [Master Thread]
 

i didn't find any other trip reports... so i'll start this one... if it happens to be the first, i'm sure a Mod will add "Master Thread" to the Title or merge this with the Santiago Thread...

I also want to caveat; i'm in the Ambassador CEM program, so i'm going to try to point out what experiences were CEM and which were platinum.

Overall I'm still here.. but W Santiago is easily Top 3 W's i've been at... With Seoul and Mexico City as the other two contenders; and that's out of i think 12 or 13 that i've been too. Also...as a new property; i was ready for some "operational breakdowns" or "green staff members"... nothing crazy.. (e.g., W Miami where housekeeping knocked on doors at 8am)... and the staff are all very experienced.

Getting There After the reservation was made, i was contacted by my Ambassador about a car service... there were two options... mid priced sedan and a Mercedes Benz... the MB was $15 more... so i splurged. Total was $60.

Location Seems pretty central for business travelers, hopefully i will get to add one "leisure day"; will edit the post at that point.

Check In Front desk knew who i was b/c of the car service... everyone was super lovely. I arrived at 9AM from an international flight... the upgrade suite wasn't ready, so they let me check into another room for a few hours to take a shower... MAJOR POINTS

In the room was a continental breakfast, hot coffee, OJ -- i think this is CEM related

Living Room and Other Common Areas W Seoul is still may favorite for Living Rooms... but W Santiago is definitely a very close 2nd. So well laid out... lots of space for informal meetings... Macs with internet access... stretches out into the bar area but there is a clear distance so that you don't have to be "in the bar".

Another major plus... i spent a good part of time in the Living Room to do some work; staff was perfectly attentive... not to pushy... but definitely there.

Free INternet access in the Living Room (with a code from the front desk) $18USD in your room for 24 hrs.

Rooms the first room... which i think is a standard platinum upgrade room was extremely well appointed, classic W aesthetic... but clearly newly designed; with a balcony over looking the city (weather is crappy right now so i can't see anything)

The suite... is pretty freaking fantastic. living area has a great table that can be manipulated around the sectional couch. the deck is HUGE; and honestly bigger than a room at the W NYC. One bit of warning... i personally don't care about this but some might.... think of the suite as an "L" with the bed area in the corner... off one side is the living area... in the other direction it goes bed, night stand and then... tub shower, sink... with literally zero partition. you can literally throw your pillow from the bed... at the person in the shower... and there is no wall stopping you. (i can't think of any other way to describe it). The actual toilet is a separate room.

Wherever/Whatever has been great so far... helped me plan a great day of fun touristy things... staff is super knowledgeable

Eating No Sa -- Breakfast was a typical menu... food was very good... and perfectly priced IMO. Light Snacks at the Bar... again, Hamburgers Three Ways was delish... and again; not exorbitantly priced food or drinks... Martinis are around $10 USD.. .Food is normal bar prices (cheaper than usual W prices)

Anyone have specific requests for info... PM me and i will happily append.

Ok checked in got a great suite and i am using the FREE nights.^ Hotel is going to have an AMAZING pool area! not ready and its winter here. the place is not all open yet but wow... SO far the staff have ben amazing. Jut here for two days.

PS the rooms on the 10th floor have 12ft ceilings.. amazing and the deck is MASSIVE.

Thanks for the report - I've got a stay coming up here in November. I agree, Seoul is one of the best W's - Hong Kong is also right up there too. Haven't been to Mexico City yet.

Going to Santiago for 2 nights in January. Can someone comment on the location of the "W" in the city? How convinient is it? What is it close to? I have heard Four Points is in a very central location. Trying to figure out the best option. Please advise.

Thanks.

The W is on Isidora Goyenechea. It is a very nice area. I prefer the location(s) of the Sheraton/San Cristobal Tower and the Four Points. (I have yet to stay at the W). Isidora Goyenechea offers authentic chileno offerings, such as Starbucks, Hooters, Chilis (or similar, maybe a Ruby Tuesday) and other exciting options :rolleyes::rolleyes:. However, there is a really good wine store (Mundo del Vino) ^. You are also closer to the malls, if that matters to you.

No interest in those authentic Chileno offerings or the malls unfortunately :), but I am curious about the hotel. How hard would it be to get around if I were to stay at the W (by subway and/or taxi) -- and how expensive are the taxis in SCL?

While I'm only going by recollection, here. I don't believe the W Santiago is close to any subway line, although I can confirm that taxis are relatively inexpensive. If you want a definitive answer, you may either wish to call the hotel directly or Starwood who will either have the information or call the hotel for you. On the topic of taxis in Santiago, do not agree to pay a flat fare for any trip you may be taking. Rather insist on paying the metered fare. Flat fares will invariably be higher. This is a common trick used by drivers to maximize their fares from tourists.

The subway system in Santiago is great by the way. Although it doesn't encompass a huge number of lines, it covers most areas you want to see and is cheap (less than 90 cents a ticket) well run, clean and safe.

Although the W Santiago has received great reviews for its facilities and service, it does not appear to be strong on location. On the other hand the Four Points Santiago is just that, a Four Points, meaning your staying at a far more downscale category of property (although location-wise it is the best of the 3/4 Starwood properties) .

I personally prefer the Sheraton / San Cristobal Towers for a balance of location and facilities. The walk to the closest subway station (about 10 - 15 minutes) across the river in Provedencia doesn't bother me and I've found the Sheraton's room rates to often be very close to the rates being charged at the Four Points.

I think the W location is better than the Sheraton.... to each there own i guess.

We just checked out after 3 nights at W Santiago, and I have nothing but praise for the hotel and its people.

We arrived a little after 7:00 p.m. on December 28. We took Taxi Oficial from SCL (16,000 pesos to the hotel, 12,800 back with 20% discount). We were met by someone who took our bags up to reception on level 4. Natalia checked us in and acted as though she were generally happy to see us. She acknowledged my platinum status and told us that we had been upgraded to a Fantastic Suite. Then Humberto helped us with our bags to room 604 and showed us all of the features, including the living room

http://i977.photobucket.com/albums/a...0/IMG_7589.jpg

and the bedroom which opened to the bath

http://i977.photobucket.com/albums/a...0/IMG_7592.jpg

Having the shower and tub in the bedroom seemed weird at first, but it was a nice arrangement. (The toilet was in a separate room.) There was also a 1/2 bath between the entry door and living room. Also, the bedroom and living room each had a 42" flat screen TV.

Our suite did not have a patio or balcony. Also, our view was obstructed a little by the balcony on the floor above.

The living room was bright and cheerful

http://i977.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_7679.jpg

and Manuela at the Whatever, Whenever desk is a gem! She helped us book a taxi back to SCL yesterday. The call from Nicolas last night, checking to make sure that everything had met our expectations during the stay, was a very nice touch.

There's more about the surrounding area in my trip report.

In conclusion, we found many things that we loved about Santiago, and the W is one of them!

(Edited to second IQQ's comments about the excellent array of restaurants in the area!)

W Location definitely superior to Sheraton. No contest.
 

W location is superior.

1) Subway system (El Golf station) is only 2 blocks away.

2) W has probably more than 20 places to eat within 3 blocks. While true that a FEW of these are US chains (Friday's, Starbucks etc) the majority are chilean places. These range from the very affordable Tiramisu, Domino (Chile's best sandwich place), or Tip Tap, to very old and traditional Santiago downtown restaurants that have moved to this area (Cafe Torres, Pinpilinpausha, Due Torri, Da Carla).

Any extras besides the upgrade offered to Plats? I guess W doesnt ever leave a welcome gift in the room as other properties do sometimes...at least, Ive never gotten one at the MSY, SAN, ICN hotels.

How come there is no C&P availability for the W? Was trying to decide between the W and the San Cristobal, but I think it'll have to be the San Cristobal. Love the C&P value at Cat 4s.

Just finished a stay here, and while I don't like the W concept (it always feels to me like the style is covering from a lack of substance), the people who work here are great. The front desk staff were able to correct a problem with my bill by exercising a bit of discretion, and while the concierge desk was pretty bad (not answering the phone most of the time, and telling several guests including me the wrong time to be waiting for a tour) oddly enough the great porters more than made up for it, arranging things that normally the concierge would handle (except they weren't there)
The breakfast was quite good, and priced acceptably. The wifi service was slow, but usable. The gym is great. The location is also pretty good, and only 2 blocks from the excellent subway.