Which W hotel in NYC?

[SQOZflyer]

I'm looking for a hotel in NY for a trip next week. Thought about the W properties and checked the starwood website. It appears that there are 5 W hotels in NYC. Now do Sqtalkers have experience with these hotels? Any thoughts? Which one is the newest?

The website lists the following properties and it's difficult to tell which one is the best from the website...

- W New York
- W New York - The Court
- W New York - The Tuscany
- W New York - Times Square
- W New York - Union Square

Following things are important to me when choosing a hotel for the upcoming trip:

- New hotel or recently refurbished
- Location! (near nightlife -> (straight) clubs, bars and restaurants)
- Spacious, modern bathroom (I hate the tiny bathrooms without a separate shower which are soooooo common in US business hotels)
- Entertainment within the hotel (preferably without bars which double as notorious hooker hangouts)
- Possibly a pool or at least a nice gym with lots of natural light

I haven't been to New York in a while so any help is much appreciated. Thanks

[SQ LPP]

(near nightlife -> (straight) clubs, bars and restaurants)

It's funny that someone specify "straight" club. Just you never know what's going on there. Anyhow, many gay bars are becoming a "heaven" place for straight girls for a simple reason, the straight girls want to have fun dancing and drinking without being hassle by the straight guys!
Oops, I'd better stop revealing any happening places where people thinks it's a so-called "straight" club.




Now I am hiding in the corner!

[HUGE AL]

Stop revealing all my secrets, SQ LPP!

[KeithMEL]

I've only done Union Sq and Times Sq. Of the 2:

- TS has a more hip and futuristic decor, as it only opened in 04 whereas US is older. US is contemporary but hardly edgy (though the public areas are beautiful).
- US is better with upgrades. [and according to reports i hear from friends the 2 properties on 34th are fab with upgrades]
- US (especially Underbar over weekends) has a more happening bar scene. The bartenders are more competent and the drinks' list is better.
- More of a local crowd at US, TS is more touristy (unless you go to TS after 1). More beautiful people at US IMO. US far better for people watching.
- Bathrooms are nicer at TS - more spacious. They have combined shower/bath at US, showers-only at TS (unless you get upgraded to the Urban Suite or above).
- Location is a bit of a toss up. TS drives me insane but other people love it; if it's someone's 1st NYC visit then the TS area can be magical. The TS area is catered more to tourists, whereas US has a more 'authentic' NYC neighbourhood feel with SO many good restos and bars nearby.
- I found the area around TS rather sketchy after 2 or 3, fair bit of drug dealing going on.
- Both are equally close to public transportation with tube stops v close by.
- Service v good at both, but people seem more personable and warm at US. Also, US has an excellent concierge desk (look out especially for Aisha, Heather or George).
- Both locations are reasonably near shopping - US is near the Ladies' District on 5th whereas TS is, well, TS. W on Lex would be closest to all the major shopping on 5th.
- None of them are within walking distance of SoHo, probably my fave part of NYC (for nightlife/shopping/dining) - several tube stops away. I'm looking forward to the upcoming W NY Downtown which looks like it might be nearer to SoHo.

I've only drank at the W NY on Lex. It has a v hopping bar but my friends have torn its tiny rooms a new a*sehole. I've also heard complaints about its dated decor but it's had a refurb recently.

Taking into account all the above I'd personally go with the W Union Sq out of all the existing Ws in NYC.

[jhm]

- Both are equally close to public transportation with tube stops v close by.

True but 42nd St TS is a much more convenient subway station with more lines passing through it.

[taipeiflyer]

i have stayed at the W NY, the Court and the Tuscany. The Court and the Tuscany are directly next to each other. The Court has a better lobby (the tuscany's is very small and there are no couches for lounging), where a lot of people meet in the afternoons for drinks, and a nice restaurant with an open terrace. The Tuscany has a fairly nice gym (the court does not have a fitness facility), which Court guests can access with a free card from the concierge. I was upgraded to a pretty massive suite at the Tuscany, and enjoyed the decor a bit more in the guest rooms, although the lobby at the Court was much better. Both hotels had great staff. These two are the absolute best if you want to mattress hop, since you just pack up and move next door, and can maximize stays.
The W NY has by far the best social atmosphere among the 3. The Whiskey Bar is pretty crowded every night, and there is a large open lobby with lots of seating. The room was the smallest among the 3, but its layout was well-planned and the amenities were nice. All three are within walking distance to Grand Central. The restaurants and shopping around the W NY are a lot better- short walk to the bloomingdale's flagship, serendipity cafe, smith & wollensky's steakhouse and the chrysler building.

[jjpb3]

I've stayed at the W Times Square, W Union Square and W New York (Lexington and 49th).

First of all, I don't think you need to worry about bar areas that are obviously glorified hooker hangouts. The W's have staff that are trained not to allow such a degradation of the W brand. For example, see if you'd like to mess with the staff members watching over the ground floor entry into the W Times Square.

Of the three, I liked the W Times Square the least, mainly because the neighborhood is overrun with hordes of tourists, and I think many of them head on up to the bar area from their hotels. Crossing to the lifts through the bar / reception area was a hassle.

Having said that, I admit that the hotel is in a good location in other respects: as jhm pointed out, it's probably the most conveniently located to get to downtown, uptown and across town if you're going to use the subway. There are very nice restaurants and bars in Hell's Kitchen (just head away from the Broadway / Seventh Avenue areas to Ninth Avenue and the side streets between Eighth and Ninth Avenues).

The hotel also gave me a room with an expansive view of the Hudson River: very nice. The theater district would also be at your doorstep. But these really couldn't compensate for the annoyance of the crowds (both outside and in the hotel).

The W New York has recently been refurbished, and they executed the refurbishment very well. There's a more spacious / lightier feel to the spaces now. I enjoyed my recent stay there much more than my first; in fact, because of this stay, this hotel moved from my "not recommended" to my "recommended" list.

I tend to like the quieter neighborhood compared to Times Square, because I'd rather have the quiet than the wrong kind of bustle. Three things sell me on this hotel. (1) the presence of an onsite Bliss Spa. The treatments are great, and the staff are a hoot. (They addressed me by my first name after my treatment, and did a special "Please buy something to keep us employed" dance to convince me to buy something from the spa. Some people may be put off by such informality, but I rather enjoyed it. ) (2) They had a very nice gym, one of the better-equipped I've run across in my travels. Just note that it can get full by 7:30 am or so. (3) The shopping on 57th, Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue are within reasonable walking distance, so that's another plus. My brothers would find it hard to forgive me if I went to NY and didn't at least check for their sizes in the NBA store on 5th.

The range of good restaurants within walking distance is more limited than at the W Union Square or even the W Times Square, but good restaurants and bars are all within reach by cab or subway anyway.

Still, my favorite remains the W Union Square, because of (1) the location and (2) [as KeithMEL pointed out] the staff. The location has excellent restaurants in the Park Avenue South, Lower Fifth and Gramercy areas; Chelsea and the Village, with their nightspots and interesting shops are a long-ish but manageable walk away; and the subway with links to uptown (both Upper East and West Sides) is a very short walk away. (Getting to far west Chelsea and the Meat Packing District is actually more convenient from the W Times Square than from here.) It may be hard to understand why location can matter so much in a compact place like Manhattan. But because I like walking, browsing and sampling (from the eating and the shopping options) when I'm in NY, I like the W Union Square the best.

Sorry I can't advise you on the clubs, but just to clarify did you mean dance clubs or just chillout / see-and-be-seen lounges? If the former, what kind of music, and what type of crowd (e.g., demographic group; whether they would rather have a burly guy in a suit or a drag queen as guardian of the rope )? I think HUGE AL would probably need that kind of guidance in order to narrow down his potential recommendations.

Anyway, about onsite bars and restaurants: my suggestion is to go somewhere else to eat, sip and hang out. Restaurants have much better quality-for-price ratios outside the hotel, and the NY hotel bars worth chilling out in are not in the Ws.

[KeithMEL]

I like being as close to SoHo, Chelsea and MePa as possible so have never considered the W New York for that reason as it's just a tad too midtown (we'd put Times Sq down to me being a clueless first time tourist who didn't know better ), and the negative reports of the rooms from friends. But in light of the good reviews of its refurb I might give that W a try on my next visit, as IIRC it's also cheaper than the others (unless the rates have gone up post refurb). Transportation in NYC is rather convenient anyway.

[jjpb3]

But in light of the good reviews of its refurb I might give that W a try on my next visit, as IIRC it's also cheaper than the others (unless the rates have gone up post refurb).

It still was less than a month ago. That's Reason #4 in favor of this hotel.

[HUGE AL]

I like being as close to SoHo...

I do too! Which is why I stay at my old house, the SoHo Grand!