Last Updated on October 31, 2024 by Katrina

Photo credit: W Hotels

Category: Luxury

Rewards Program: Marriott Bonvoy

Personality: Young, Trendy, Cheeky

What is it like to stay at a W Hotel?

In a nutshell: Founded in 1998 in New York City, W Hotels is now a luxury hotel chain owned by Marriott International with 55 properties in major cities around the world. While Marriott Hotels offer a classic upscale experience and Westins are all about wellness, W Hotels have a different place in the Marriott portfolio. Generally marketed to younger travelers, a W Hotel tends to be located in a city center or hip resort town. Perhaps because the first few W hotels were conversions of older hotels, the brand exudes a chic, boutique-hotel spirit, mixing mod style with cheeky ambience and local flavor.

What to expect: A laid-back, social vibe with a cocktail culture. The lobby in every W Hotel is known as the “living room,” where travelers can find swanky bars and sofas for relaxing in a clubby space. Properties also feature trendy in-house restaurants. Many properties offer “champagne check-ins” and lounges with local DJs and live music.

Design: The W’s defining look is sleek, minimalist décor with contemporary furnishings and offbeat artworks. Beds are luxurious with hypo-allergenic down pillows and thick duvets.

Room categories: Standard rooms with either one king or two queen beds average 345 square feet. The pinnacle of luxury, WOW Suites can span 1,200 square feet or more. Many W properties are paired with luxury apartments known as “Residences at the W.”

Fun Fact: In December 2019, W Hotels announced a partnership with Rent the Runway. The arrangement allows guests to choose to have fashionable apparel waiting for them in their room closet when they arrive.

W Hotel Amenities

Breakfast: Most W hotels have an onsite restaurant that offers breakfast, and some properties offer either a continental or full breakfast at a flat rate.

On-Site Dining: Dining options vary among properties, though they all have a Living Room bar/lounge in the lobby. Most hotels have at least one more dining option, such as a chic take on a steakhouse or new American cuisine.

Room Service: Yes

Wi-Fi: Paid Wi-Fi in guestrooms. Free Wi-Fi in public areas. Bonvoy members get free Wi-Fi in guestrooms when you book through the website or app.

Fitness Room: The onsite gyms, known as W Fit, also channel the hotel’s sleek design aesthetics, and some properties offer classes, too, such as yoga.

Spa: Not all W hotels have a spa, but those that do are either Bliss spas, or the newer Away Spa, whose menus of body treatments and salon services are complemented by cocktails and small bites.

Pet Friendly: Yes. Specific requirements and cleaning fees vary by property, but W has a P.A.W. (Pets Are Welcome) program, which typically includes a welcome treat, pet bed and a list of local pet-friendly attractions.