Dubai is the city in the world with the second most Starwood hotels (after New York), and their portfolio keeps growing. Starwood is heavily developing the Al Habtoor City area of Dubai, which at the moment is a massive construction pit with three Starwood hotels. This is where the W, Westin, and St. Regis are located, all of which opened in 2016.
I stayed at the W last night, and of course I’ll have a full review soon, but I can’t help but share some pictures right away. This might be the most “authentically” styled, psychedelic W property I’ve ever stayed at.
Here are some pictures of the public facilities:
I got upgraded to a massive 1,700 square foot W Suite. If you’re looking to host a party for dozens of people, I think it’s safe to say this room is for you. Given that I’m staying alone, it’s almost awkward, as it’s tough to decide where to sit.
I’m not sure I’ll ever get the concept of a round bed. Sleeping in one makes me feel like I’m being tucked in a taco, since you can’t ever get as comfortable in the sheets as in a rectangular bed.
The shower was even big enough to host a party in, if you’re so inclined. It puts the “party shower” at The Parker Meridien Palm Springs to shame, really!
What a hotel! Too bad I only checked in at around 3AM, and had to leave in the morning.
Regardless, these hotels are a very nice addition to Starwood’s Dubai portfolio. Al Habtoor City has a central location within Dubai, I just wish the immediate area were more developed. On the plus side, the sound insulation in the hotel seems to be great, as I couldn’t hear any of the nearby construction.
I'm an old boring man and I enjoyed the W in Santiago. The open bathrooms were a little odd, but was on a solo trip so no big deal.
So to the gents saying they've aged out of all W's, there's still at least one in the portfolio for you.
Hideous. Even if you were 18 it would be hideous.
The worst thing is this W Hotel in 5-7 years will be even uglier from a decor standpoint and will be rebranded into Marriott's boutique-esque Renaissance Brand like the ex-W in San Diego.
Some of the new purpose-built Renaissance hotels work but many of the old hotels are way out-of-place. Think Renaissance Newark, Renaissance Times Square, Renaissance Novi/Detroit, and the Renaissance Brussels. Then there's the iconic Renaissance St. Pancras, which totally doesn't fit with...
The worst thing is this W Hotel in 5-7 years will be even uglier from a decor standpoint and will be rebranded into Marriott's boutique-esque Renaissance Brand like the ex-W in San Diego.
Some of the new purpose-built Renaissance hotels work but many of the old hotels are way out-of-place. Think Renaissance Newark, Renaissance Times Square, Renaissance Novi/Detroit, and the Renaissance Brussels. Then there's the iconic Renaissance St. Pancras, which totally doesn't fit with the W-knockoff that Marriott envisions Renaissance to be now.
Fugly!
I guess, like Neil S, I've aged out of the target demographic for Ws. This looks like the ultimate in form over function. Gaudy. Uncomfortable. Tacky for the sake of being ironically tacky. It's basically the Emirates F Suite of hotels. I think I'd purposefully *avoid* this hotel.
Plus, I've noticed a trend in Ws recently where it seems the upkeep just isn't there. All the mirrored surfaces and white plastic/melamine do not hold age...
I guess, like Neil S, I've aged out of the target demographic for Ws. This looks like the ultimate in form over function. Gaudy. Uncomfortable. Tacky for the sake of being ironically tacky. It's basically the Emirates F Suite of hotels. I think I'd purposefully *avoid* this hotel.
Plus, I've noticed a trend in Ws recently where it seems the upkeep just isn't there. All the mirrored surfaces and white plastic/melamine do not hold age well, and SPG seems to think maintenance at Ws isn't a priority. To each his own, I guess.
C'mon Ben, lets not pretend you're above a shower for two ;)
What's wrong with tacos?
The round bed makes you feel like you are "tucked in a taco"? While it is tempting, I'm not even going there!
I expected to see Patrick Stewart reflected in a mirror in that room...
@HamsterBoi Lol. @Ben you'll have to agree he got you there
Have to say out of all W hotels I've stayed at, this one was by far the worst. Absolutely terrible customer service from management all the way down to the front desk staff. I was an elite and made my issues clear to management, only to be ignored by the GM after I was told he would contact me to discuss everything. Never again...
The Captain Phasma suite on an Imperial Star Destroyer
I have neither an ambassador nor a blog, and was upgraded into the same ridiculous suite a month ago. Late checkout'ed at 4pm on the dot, giving myself time to use the pool complex (the W and St Regis rooftop pools are connected by a nondescript door), the sundeck, and the gym. The suite, the amenities and facilities, and the staff were all top-notch. Which was key, because as Lucky notes, there is nothing to...
I have neither an ambassador nor a blog, and was upgraded into the same ridiculous suite a month ago. Late checkout'ed at 4pm on the dot, giving myself time to use the pool complex (the W and St Regis rooftop pools are connected by a nondescript door), the sundeck, and the gym. The suite, the amenities and facilities, and the staff were all top-notch. Which was key, because as Lucky notes, there is nothing to do anywhere nearby. Over time, this will be a dynamic location as the Dubai Canal gets fully developed, but the canal itself was only recently completed and it is still largely a dead zone. So I stayed in more than normal, and really enjoyed the W.
was there at opening , spg plat, no upg to suite but just a better view facing freeway this was at their lowest season in summer . ...special treatment for sure from ambassador.
This confirms it. I have now officially aged out of the W brand.
Hahaha couldn't agree with Andrew more...do not care about the Courtyard Newark Airport...will continue to enjoy SPG Ambassador booked rooms
That's not modern, it's just gaudy...
wow this is really funky. Might try it next time I'm in Dubai.
A plausible reason that he got the suite is because of his short stay. It's normal to upgrade late night arrivals on a one night stay in a suite in a sold out or high occupancy situation. Either way, it works for me. Get to aspire to some new products I wouldn't have known about if weren't for lucky.
a bit too 'modern' for my taste
"Ryan says:
January 10, 2017 at 8:16 am
Who checks into a W hotel at 3am and leaves in the morning ?"
Escort-girls?
Who checks into a W hotel at 3am and leaves in the morning ?
I've gotta disagree on the special treatment part. If I wanted to read a blog about standard rooms at the Courtyard Newark Airport I'd start my own blog. Travel is about aspiration and if I was looking at Dubai and the W you could try your SPG suite upgrades yourself.
Did they proactively offer bread??
@Dave, I agree. I wish Lucky wouldn't tell the world where he is going in advance -- remember how that Indian airline treated him differently. I also wish he wouldn't book through an SPG ambassador because, let's face it, the majority of readers do not have an SPG ambassador at their service.
It's no fault of yours but your starwoor ambassador surely knows about your blog with tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of original visitors a month. When he call a property to say you are checking in, do you think he mentions that you are a high profile reviewer so make sure to give you the best upgrade possible/make sure to follow the upgrade policy?