While W Syndey tries to adorn itself with all manner of superlatives, the final experience is somewhat disappointing: by thinking too big, you end up missing the fundamentals. Teething problem Maybe.
During my previous stay in Sydney, 15 months earlier, I had noticed the huge W Sydney building overlooking the marina.Impressive but still under construction, just a few weeks before this new trip. I immediately thought of booking a room there for this trip, but the prices put me off: 600 euros a night is still a bit much. But when I looked around a few weeks later, I saw that the prices had dropped considerably, which convinced me to give it a try. But I wouldn’t have paid more for a hotel, no matter how top-of-the-range, when there was a good chance that everything wasn’t quite up to scratch.
However, this W is a superlative hotel. It took 7 years to build and no fewer than 3 builders succeeded one another to bring the project to fruition. With its 588 rooms, it’s the largest W hotel in the world and certainly one of the city’s biggest. Its opening, delayed several times, was eagerly awaited by locals and tourists alike.
In the end, I’ll be staying at this hotel twice: once for two days, as originally planned, and again for one night, due to the cancellation of my return flight…but that’s another story I’ll tell you when the time comes.
You’ll find a summary of all the articles about this trip to Australia at the bottom of the page.
Booking
Once the reservations opened, I was put off by the posted prices and gave myself time to think… which was an excellent idea, since after a few weeks they had been halved. So I booked two nights in a Wonderful room at 229 euros a night, compared with 600 a few weeks earlier.
I’ll also be requesting an upgrade using my suite night awards, upgrade vouchers linked to my status in the loyalty program that allow me to secure an upgrade before check-in. I’ll be requesting all categories of suites and studios to give myself the best chance of success.
Good for me, because 48 hours before my stay I’ll have confirmation of an upgrade to a 2-bedroom sudio apartment.
As for my second stay, I’ll be booking a spectactular room overlooking the port.
Location of the hotel
The hotel is located at the very end of the marina, which it dominates across its entire width.
A prime location, although this may depend on your vacation style. I was already familiar with the city and went into leisure mode rather than discovery mode. For those not necessarily looking for the hustle and bustle of the marina, the Sheraton Grand Sydney near Hyde Park and the Marriott Sydney Harbour may be a little better placed and more central, regardless of each hotel’s individual qualities.
A hotel you won’t be able to miss!
Check-in and arrival
I check-in online the day before and see that my upgrade to a two-bedroom studio apartment has been confirmed. I also indicate my arrival time in the early afternoon to make sure my room is ready.
The cab drops me off in front of the hotel and a bellman takes charge of my suitcase. I then climb the long, W-esque staircase to reception (there’s also an elevator, of course).
The reception is quite pretty.
It opens onto one of the property’s bars.
It’s very crowded and the attitude of the people and the fact that many have travel bags with them tells me that they’ve already checked-in but are waiting for rooms that aren’t ready.
The reception was friendly and they confirmed the late check out I had requested online. As expected, my room is not ready. The receptionist invites me to go and have a drink at the bar and tells me they’ll let me know when my room is ready.
He accompanies me to the poolside bar on the hotel rooftop.
Yes, but here’s the thing: as I don’t have an assigned room, I have no way of putting my drinks on my bill. The receptionist then informs me that he has taken the necessary steps, that the bar staff have been notified and that when I leave, they’ll just have to look up my room number in the hotel’s systems.
So I’ll have a beer while watching the guests enjoy the pool, but I’ll go into more detail below.
After an hour, still no news. Surprising, especially as the normal check-in time has now passed. I contacted the hotel via the app chat and was told my room was ready and given the number.
I then ask for the bill and leave the bar, and, as my intuition led me to believe, the waitress runs after me because “there’s a problem with my room”, and treats me as if I’d wanted to leave without paying. Obviously, the receptionist didn’t give them any instructions. At this point my tolerance level is pretty low, so I put her back in her place by showing her the chat exchange and telling her that she just hard to figure out how to deal with it (well…not so gently).
Back to reception, a real zoo at this hour, where the person who took care of me was no longer on duty…so I had to start the check-in process all over again with an agent who of course knew nothing about my case.
Finally, I got my room key.
During my second stay I arrived from the airport at 11:00 pm…the agent, as friendly as he was, made no effort to see if there were any upgrade options (there were and they were compulsory under the loyalty program). But it was late, at this stage I didn’t know neither when I was leaving nor on which flights, so I preferred not to waste time arguing with him and take care of the really important things.
In any case, they were not my best check-in experiences. Newly trained staff and a running-in organization? Certainly, that’s the risk of staying in a newly opened hotel, and that’s why I wouldn’t have stayed here at any price, at least not at that particular time.
The two-bedroom studio apartment
The site offers both studios and suites, without specifying the difference. My intuition, which will be confirmed by my experience, is that the studio is designed more for longer stays, and is more conventional, functional and perhaps less exuberant and design-led than the suite.
When I arrive, all the curtains will be closed, not the best way to display the room…
The entrance is through a corridor which is in fact a fully equipped kitchen, confirming that this accommodation is more suited to longer stays and a specific type of lodging.
The fridge is well stocked…
Then you enter the bright main room.
There’s a dining area.
Then a lounge area.
I regret the absence of a real desk, a common complaint in more and more hotels.
A corridor leads to the night area.
The first room is a decent size but very average for a W.
A second room follows, which is a carbon copy and which I forgot to take a photo of.
The view of the marina is breathtaking.
Opposite are two bathrooms.
The first has a large shower.
The second, larger room has both a shower and a bath.
At the end of the corridor is a large dressing room with plenty of storage space, confirming the purpose of this room.
And we end with the usual video.
What can I say about this room?
When you know the chain and its standards, it’s beautiful but ultimately very classic and sober, perhaps lacking a little craziness. But that’s the difference between a suite and a long-stay apartment. I think that in the suites, the volumes would be more open, the rooms bigger and with a design that has more personality.
But that’s not a reproach: having to use up my Suite Night Awards before the end of the year, I asked for every possible category so as not to spoil them. If I’d been more selective, I’d certainly have had something a little more “exceptional”…but I’d have taken the risk of getting nothing.
The spectacular room harbour view
So for my second stay I booked a room overlooking the marina.
You also enter through a small corridor.
Immediately to the side is a beautiful bathroom with shower and bathtub.
Then there’s the bedroom itself, with a bed and a small lounge area with a chaise longue, table and armchair. No real desk either.
Pretty and warmer than the other in my opinion.
The bed will prove extremely comfortable and the lounge area relaxing.
There’s also a pretty minibar, always well-stocked at W.
And in the corner, a closet…in slightly more kitsch tones.
Despite the rather special context of this stay (room booked at the last minute following a cancelled flight without knowing when or how I was leaving, part of the night spent managing my rebooking…) I finally found this room more pleasant and welcoming than the apartment and I regret even more not having oriented my SNA towards a normal suite…
Let’s end with the video.
Hotel facilities
The hotel has two pools, a gym and a spa, which I won’t be trying out.
Swimming pools
The W Sydney’s main swimming pool is something of its main attraction. It’s large and located on the rooftop.
You wouldn’t know it at first glance, but this is an open-air pool.
There are plenty of armchairs, beds and deckchairs all along the way.
Its occupants enjoy breathtaking views of the city.
A superb place? Yes, but…
Yes, the pool is big, but remember what I told you: the hotel has 588 rooms and suites… so when it’s full it’s well over 1,000 guests… and here it’s totally undersized ….
I’ll never be able to find a place to settle down.
Two other comments: firstly, although I’ve heard that it’s heated, it didn’t seem so obvious to me, and secondly, there’s no system in place to cover it. I’m not sure that Sydney winters are conducive to taking full advantage of the pool, and when it’s too cold…. customers have no choice but to fall back on the second, much smaller pool.
It also looks great at night, but is not open 24 hours a day like the Ritz Carlton Melbourne or the W Melbourne.
The W Sydney has a second, indoor swimming pool.
Of decent size (well, not for the size of the hotel), it’s easy to see why this is a fallback solution.
There are only 4 deckchairs and I’ve always found this pool to be totally empty. Because customers prefer the other one? Maybe, but mostly because the music level is unbearable, and I’ve seen many customers leave shortly after entering without even taking a dip, complaining about the noise.
Gym
The hotel also boasts a well-equipped gym of acceptable size.
Very pleasant.
Bars and restaurants
Living Room Restaurant
An Asian restaurant I won’t be trying.
29/30 rooftop bar
Bar and tapas restaurant on the rooftop next to the pool.
Please note: you’re in Australia and it closes very, very early: 10pm on weekdays and midnight on weekends.
Nice place, decent service but nothing exceptional either.
Lobby bar
Next to the reception desk, I saw it crowded almost all the time, precisely because of its location, and didn’t set foot in it.
Service
Mediocre check-in experience, bar staff normally friendly but nothing more (I even had to use all my persuasion skills to get a beer during my second stay when I arrived 1 hour before closing time and the place was almost empty), staff who got the wrong room and delivered the wrong luggage to my room… not bad but far from exceptional. In any case, they can do better in this price range.
The only ones to find favor in my eyes are the bellmans, who are always quick to find me a cab even at peak times…
One last point, not related to service but affecting the overall experience: as at the Ritz Carlton Melbourne and the W Melbourne, very sensitive fire alarms caused several evacuations of the hotel…for nothing.
Check-out
I’ll check out on the mobile app and leave the hotel without having to go through reception again.
Bottom Line
All in all, a rather disappointing hotel. Of course it has much more personality than its Melbourne namesake, and of course it was still running in, especially on the first weekend of the Christmas vacations, but still….
In peak periods, its gigantism will inevitably play tricks on it: the swimming pool is easily overcrowded, the reception looks like a zoo… I think that customers who go to such a hotel, if they want a certain atmosphere, are also looking for attention and a form of tranquillity.
Ironically, if this hotel has personality, it’s also too impersonal…
Perhaps to be reviewed in a different context.
The articles about this trip to Australia
