I stayed at the W Union Square at the end of August 2002. I was there four nights, Wednesday through Sunday, and had a great time.

The W Hotel chain is stylish and hip – which also means expensive. I had a room with two beds since I was visiting a friend who was in from Washington. I was there for an industry awards show so the bill was half on my ticket and half on the company’s. Everyone from my work was staying at the W and I’m glad we did.

I paid close to $300 per night I was there. That’s high, even for New York. Was it worth it? I thought so, but you might feel differently.


The W is: cool, hip, funky, youthful, full of people trying very hard to not be perceived as tourists.

The W is not: cheap, for people intimidated by hipsters, filled with traditional signposts of luxury (gold, brocade, chandeliers), for folks who use Consumer Reports as their bible or wear socks with sandals

http://www.starwood.com/whotels/search/hotel_detail.html?propertyID=1299

Union Square sits at 17th, Park and Broadway in the Downtown area of Manhattan that is very hot these days. Before and after the WTC disasters the areas of Tribeca, Soho and the like have been becoming the “cool” regions of the island. I like Union Square and it is close to many good to great restaurants and night spots. I have stayed in Midtown hotels and found the experience cramped and crowded.

The W is in a cool old Beaux Arts (sp?) building and the medium sized lobby is very stylish. There are 250 plus rooms that go from the 3rd to the 21st floor. All the people that work here are young and good-looking, probably hoping that one of the many media types that stay here will pluck them to be the next big star. Like the guests, the staff is clad all in black.

The lobby and other public areas are decorated with small trays planted with lush green grass. The grass boxes sit on the check-in desk and along the stairs that run up to the mezzanine level above the lobby. The grass is something that many people comment on.

My room was large and had a nice view facing the southwest and overlooking the Square. The bathroom was nice with a gorgeous sink area. The tub/shower was only so-so, like it was left over from before the “W makeover”.

The bed I slept in was super plush. I slept very well, probably helped by the fact that I stayed out later and drank a lot.

I used the internet connection which hooked right into the Ethernet port on my Powerbook and got me on-line with zero fuss. They did charge me (or at least my company) $14 per day for the DSL connection, but it was easy.

There is a gym in the basement with adequate-sized facilities for Manhattan. There are televisions on every cardio machine.

No real child care facilities, but most of the clientele is too fabulous and skinny to have kids or too gay.

There is a bar/restaurant in the lobby called Olives. It seemed busy in the evening. The morning I left I had breakfast here and it was great for gourmet eggs. Once again, on the pricey side. This was the only hotel food I ate, but they do have 24hr room service for when the pop stars get hungry late at night.

There is a bar in the basement called Underbar, which is run by hip club maven Rande Gerber. I stuck my head in late one night and saw it was packed with young people. Actually seemed like a bit of a bridge and tunnel crowd, so for drinks another local spot might be in order.

Next door to the hotel is an all-night deli, very useful when stumbling home and one must have a turkey and Swiss on rye. Or maybe that’s just me.

There is a subway stop just under Union Square – making the train an easy thing from the hotel.

I would also recommend a steak house in close by Tribeca – Dylan Prime. Stylish and good with absolutely the best steak I’ve ever had. Same price level as the W – cool, but you pay for it.

Now the wrap up. Why would someone stay at a place like the W and pay so much money, when just as much fun could be had in NYC if you stay at the Beacon Hotel (another recommended spot, but that’s not this review)?

Because it is fun. The W was a very exciting place to stay. I am not a best of all things kind of guy. I still pay $10 for a haircut. Some things are worth paying for. The W was a great experience and my friend and I had a top notch experience. Luxurious, but not stuffy.

The Holiday in Times Square is packed with families coming to see the Statue of Liberty and the like. For the majority of people, that would be a better choice. If you wanna feel like a hipster with a development deal and a film at Sundance for a weekend, try the W.






Recommended: Yes