[Anonymous]

[SimonRowberry]

Hi all,

Just spent a very ‘interesting’ Saturday night at the W Hotel in Istanbul, which I thought others may find enlightening if they are tempted to use this Starwood brand.

I arrived at the hotel by cab, to be greeted by an army of similarly-dressed guys, who were all dressed in black. This was a little confusing, as most of the male clientele were also dressed similarly. Indeed, the only way one could tell whether the person was a member of staff was the presence of a small W badge on their jumper/jacket or whatever.

The lobby was dark and garish (yes, it can be both), and somewhat confusing – the Concierge was at the ‘Welcome Centre’, for example, which one could reasonably take to be the check-in desk. But it wasn’t. That was elsewhere in the darkened morass of the lobby.

In true W tradition, the rooms are categorised as Wonderful, Spectacular, Fabulous etc. I had booked a Spectacular room at the ‘bargain’ rate of EUR 260 plus taxes. I was upgraded to a ‘Mega’ room, which would have cost over EUR 300.

The room was, bluntly, decorated like a dodgy boudoir – garish mauves, purples and reds. There was no bath, but there was a large wetroom, which was fine. All the signs in the room were in W style – i.e. the message they were conveying was never clear. For example, there were 5 different light settings by the bed, marked ‘work’, ‘relax,’ ‘illuminate’ etc. However, I was never able to actually get the mix of lighting that I wanted. The TV was pointlessly located behind a glass screen. Which meant that the picture quality was terrible and it reflected any lights that were on. Pointless over-the-top interior desigbn touches that detracted from functionality (that pretty much sums the whole place up, actually).

At 03.30, I was still awake. One side of my room, and its window, abutted directly onto the smoking terrace of the bar, which had turned into an all-night disco. In short, I had to change rooms at 04.00, which is not the most satisfactory task to have to carry out. The new room was a Junior Suite, but it too was garish and not the least restful.

In short, not a successful night, and although I found the hotel staff charming and helpful, the property itself was just too avant-garde for me. For example, the staff are called ‘Talent’ – doors which, elsewhere, would be marked ‘Staff Only’ were marked ‘Talent Only’ – which I found incredibly pretentious. As for the clientele……

I don’t know whether it was my age, and I ask myself whether, if I was 25 years younger, I would have enjoyed it. If this is typical of W hotels, then I will resolutely avoid the brand in future. Whether or not it is typical, to sell a room, at a very high price, that is next to the smoking terrace of the hotel disco, is unacceptable. I should add that they made no attempt to compensate me in any way for the ruined night’s sleep. Indeed, room service breakfast cost me around GBP40…..

Simon

[TominScotland]

Simon, this was clearly an interesting experience. It reminds me of my experience a few months ago in the Hotel Bloom! (exclamation mark is part of the name….) in Brussels.

Hotel Bloom! is designed in a minimalist manner, with bedrooms highlighting style rather than use so that gadgets abound but simple things like easy access to light switches from the bed, are not there. I too faced a noisy night, located above the restaurant cum nightclub. At about 2AM I phoned down and Reception did not seem inclined to do anything for me, instead putting me though to the nightclub!! Here, they promised to turn the music down a bit …. I raised this next morning after a difficult night. I was told that I had requested a family room (untrue) and my request for a room change, while granted, was qualified by the somewhat odd comment that “This is a funky hotel, what do you expect?”. Other odd and “funky” things included brown plastic bags, containing sliced French bread, on tables at meal time (I was at a conference), allowing all to share their germs with fellow diners as they rummaged in the bag for bread.

I, too, am probably too old to understand the pleasure of “funky” hotels so its probably my problem, not that of the hotels….

[SimonRowberry]

Hi Tom,

It seems I’m not alone then in these views, which is a relief!

I guess I find Hotels du Vin just about at my margin of acceptable ‘funkiness’! Funnily enough though, I find Starwood’s Four Points brand funky in a wonderful way….but for me, the traditional Luxury Collection are just about my level of appropriate hotel design.

Simon

[Hess963]

Hi Simon ! And everyone !

I was glad to read your report from the W hotel in Istanbul. I was actually planning to stay there this summer while transiting in Istanbul. But thanks to your report, I would stay in my favourite hotel and would definitely save money and bad experience. I did not think your taste is obsolete.
There is no specifications about one’s taste over something ! About Four Points brand — until today no bad experience – really recommendable.

And about my comment over a different thread — nice to hear that I made you laugh — safe travels to you and to other users here in BT !

Have a nice and successful week to all !

Hess

[VintageKrug]

I stayed at the Ciragan Palace on my last trip to IST:

http://www.lhw.com/ciraganpalace

Superb view over the Bosphorus, though the yellow hotel taxis charged double the normal rate, a/c was dodgy, beds were hard and my (free) breakfast was (still) a rip-off in this Kempinski-managed property.

The best part was the heated infinity pool – sublime, and worth staying there for that alone!

The two Istanbul Four Seasons properties all get top marks, though the new shoreline one next to Ciragan Palace had not yet opened when I last visited.

W is a “lifestyle brand”; it is not aimed at conservative tastes. [oops I mistyped “testes” there originally!]

Starwood hotels always seem to be less expensive when booked via spg.com and be warned they have the annoying habit of not listing the least expensive rate at the top of the listing, as one might reasonably expect.

[RBrown9]

Interesting comments. I have stayed at three “W” hotels with mixed experiences. I loved the “W” in Seoul which might be described as “different” (not in a bad way – somewhat refreshing compared to the typical five star hotel experience. Also spent a wonderful four days at the W Resort in the Maldives which I could not fault.

However, the W Hotel, Times Square, New York was a big disappointment. It appeared to have simply been a (cheap) makeover of another hotel (perhaps the Westin) with the original fittings in the room complimented by tacky and often impractical cosmetic touches, useless gadgets and decor. The lobby area was dark and the surrounding bar area was consistently overcrowded (presumably with walk in clients wanting to experience the “trendy” bar!!). As for the “talent”, well they appeared to have simply changed their badges and their vocabulary but not attitude.

So different W Hotels and different experiences. From the sound of the W Istanbul, I will be looking at alternatives for my upcoming visit.

[SimonRowberry]

VK – thanks for your comments on the Four Seasons properties. I was torn between the Four Seasons and the W, and now wish I’d chosen the former. As to the SPG website, you’re correct about the way the rates are displayed. I actually did book the W through the SPG site – I dread to think what the rack rate would’ve been!

Mr Brown – Interesting comments re other W’s – thanks. It seems that it’s an inconsistent brand.

Was there a W at Darling Harbour in Sydney about 10 years ago? I remember a ‘trendy’ hotel with a great upstairs ‘loft-type’ bar. There’s no W listed for Sydney these days.

I have stayed at the Hilton Istanbul a number of times over the last twelve months. It is a little staid, but it is solid, friendly, comfortable and reliable. The Executive Plus rooms with views of the Bosphorus are excellent – spacious and well-equipped. The Exec Lounge is also unusual amongst Hiltons in that it has an open bar (plus table service) for most of the day, not just a ‘cocktail hour’ (or two).

The ParkSA Hilton is also a good (and slightly cheaper) alternative, where I’ve stayed a couple of times. The rooms are smaller, and have no balconies, but it has just recently introduced an Exec Floor – the Exec Lounge is also very pleasant.

I just fancied a change last weekend from my usual hotels – seems like I made a bit of a cock-up!

[VintageKrug]

W Sydney is now “Blue” and is managed by Taj Hotels.

[SimonRowberry]

Thanks VK – I thought my memory was playing tricks. It must’ve been one of the first of the W brand to be built.

[continentalclub]

W Hotels are very clearly aimed at a specific demographic, though Starwood also suggest that they do reflect their neighbourhoods and clientele. They’re supposed to be the antidote to cookie-cutter anonymity, an attempt to win non chain-loyal guests and to regenerate the local F&B business that many hotels now turn their backs on (despite it being the most reliable business in a recession).

The new W London, in Leicester Square, for example, will open in October 2010 and Starwood PR heralds:

“W is a lifestyle and quirky brand and what we’re trying to do is put a London insider touch to it. You know with W you’ll be getting a really trendy, edgy brand where you can work and play but there will be some really nice British eccentricities”.

Rob Wagermans, owner and founder of Concrete Architects and Associates in Amsterdam […], which is in charge of the interior design of the hotel said, “The idea was to make guests at the W not feel like guests but to feel as Londoners. To see London and taste London as people living in London taste London and not as tourists. So we were completely not interested in red telephone boxes and double-decker buses and parliament and Big Ben. We wanted to show them and give them a sense of what London is really about. It’s about English people behaving and misbehaving and having loads of fun”

Personally, to pick up on an earlier poster’s comments, I think that most mass-market hotel brands tend to lose some ‘consistency’ in Manhattan and, to a certain extent, London and Paris too. It’s only at the top end (Four Seasons, Mandarin, St Regis etc) of the market that you’ll see a truly no-expense spared attitude to inter-property parity. Even then, I’m not sure that they pull it off universally successfully.

However, this is the second time that I’ve read posts on message boards comparing Ws to Four Seasons-esque hotels, and it does puzzle me slightly. Indeed, I suspect that it might concern Starwood and Four Seasons even more! I appreciate that rates can sometimes be comparable, but I don’t think that either Starwood or Four Seasons are less than clear in their brand propositions.

Perhaps they do need to look at how they communicate then, but for the most part I’m reasonably certain (curiosity aside) that W is a brand that has absolutely nothing to do with my own lodging priorities and, on that basis I can’t ever imagine foregoing a Four Seasons for a W.

Having said that, the general public is a curious beast: I used to work in the motor trade and could never get my head around, for example, customers who would come in to a showroom and seriously consider both a 4-door saloon and a 7-seater SUV at the same time. No wonder that they often used to complain when they’d bought the wrong thing for their real needs!

(Written from a surprise-free Speciality Suite at a very much up-to-spec Luxury Collection property :-))

[SimonRowberry]

Hi CC.

Good choice and taste with the Luxury Collection!

I found your posting very interesting indeed. I should just say two things:

I wasn’t trying to compare W with Four Seasons – normally I would always choose the latter. The reason I didn’t this time was that the W Istanbul looked interesting. It certainly was!

Secondly, I am not against “trendy”/boutique/designer hotels in principle. Indeed, I stay a fair amount at Malmaison/HdV in the UK, the Lady Hamilton and the Lord Nelson are two of my favourite hotels in Stockholm, and I use the Hotel Bergs and Ainavas in Riga.

In London, I much prefer the ‘funky’ Trafalgar to the very staid Hilton on Park Lane. It’s just when I can’t getting the lighting as I want it, the TV is unviewable and I can’t work out whether I’m in the toilet or the wardrobe that I get a bit perturbed…..

Simon

[CHINATRADERJMR]

Funny – I thought the hotel was in a great location, I had a fantastic room, service, fantastic and on and on but would I stay there again? NEVER!!!!! I cant even think of spending another summer day in Istanbul at a hotel with NO POOL!!!!! The entire time I was there all I could think about after a day of work or play was a fw hours in the Sun next to a cold pool…..Its to bad cause I really did think this was a fantastic property.

[DoorsToManual]

Well, how funny. I stayed at the W in Istanbul and loved it! I was there for 3 nights and have to say that the service was excellent. The hotel decor is true to the W family style and without wishing to offend SimonRowberry [started this thread] it’s for the young and trendy. I bet you don’t like Abercrombie & Fitch flagships stores? “Too dark and too noisy”, I hear you cry.

[SimonRowberry]

I’m not at all offended, DTM!

I can understand why you and ChinaTrader loved the place (pools excepted). However, it’s a matter of taste, as I’ve said.

It’s also a matter of providing the core benefit we all buy at any hotel, whatever its style/rating/brand etc. – that of being able to get a good night’s sleep.

The W failed abysmally in meeting this basic requirement, it charged me an extortionate amount of money for my sleep-free night, and it made no offer to make any form of redress. End of story.

Never been in an Abercrombie & Fitch, but I have been in many other designer hotels/stores/restaurants etc and have no problem with ‘trendiness’ in principle, as I’ve said above. Indeed, part of my Company is design-related, so I’d be pretty odd if I was anti-avant garde!

Simon

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