OVERALL RATING: 8.1
Hotel: 8.8 points
Location: 10
fitness centers: 8
pools: 7
spas: 9
Restaurant: 9
Lounge: 10
Room: 8.75
Bed comfort: 10
Room Cleanliness: 10
Natural Light: 7
WiFi: 8
Room Size: 8
Bathroom (amenities/size): 8
USB/Charging outlets: 10
For the Business Traveller: 6.75
Workspace: 7
Business Centre: 0
Big screen connectivity: 10
USB connectivity: 10
Introduction
If you have read from my previous posts, you may know that I am a Hilton Diamond member. So, I have stayed at a lot of Hilton properties. Recently, I have been trying out Marriott properties for a few stays. I am a Gold member in Marriott's Bonvoy program which I obtained through my American Express Platinum credit card.
The W is a unique brand in the Marriott family, and I don't know of any Hilton properties that are an exact equivalent, so I can't really compare it to a specific Hilton property. W Hotels are a brand I intent to explore more as the "W" stands for "wow". The fact is, there is nothing ordinary about this hotel, rather, I experienced many extraordinary and "wow" moments during my stay at the W Mexico City.
The W is located east of the airport and is about 20–30 minute travel time from the airport. It cost about $30 CDN (approx. $22 US) to travel between the airport and the hotel.
Booking
I booked my stay using the Bonvoy app. It was quick, easy, and straightforward. I'm starting to like this app more and more.
Using a corporate rate, the cost was 4100 Mexican pesos per night, which is about $ 280 CDN ($ 209 US) per night. The regular night rate is about $279 US night. During my stay, using points would have cost 48,000 points per night. On a side note, the same night the JW Marriott Mexico City was 44,000 points and $300 USD per night, which is fewer points but more expensive than the W. Perhaps I will stay at the JW Marriott next time I visit Mexico City and compare it to the Sante Fe JW Marriot that I recently reviewed.
Location
The W is very well located if you're looking for good places to eat or for entertainment. It is in the Palanco region of Mexico City. I was within walking distance of a great restaurant called Brassi which has excellent food and phenomenal service, but is a little pricey.
Check-In
The check-in time was 4 pm, like most hotels, and yes, you guessed it, I used the app to check-in. On my drive from the airport, because I was running late for my evening engagement, I used the messaging service to ask for two keys and to have my room ready and assigned. Upon walking into the hotel lobby, which is not your traditional chandeliered, high ceiling lobby, but, instead, has more of a quaint appearance with what I can only describe as funny statue chairs, I went straight to the front desk to grab my keys. Andrea, who assisted me at the front desk, had my keys ready. I later found out that Andrea was the front desk supervisor. This has got to be the fastest check-in I've ever experienced, however, when I got to my room on the 22nd floor, my keys were not working. As a result, I had to go back downstairs and ask for my keys to be re-initialized. Andrea apologized profusely even though it wasn't her fault. She insisted that a hotel employee accompany me to the room to ensure the keys were working. It just happened that Diego was walking from the lounge/nightclub into the lobby. The lucky employee was chosen to escort me to my room. Unbeknownst to me, Diego was the General Manager. When I learned that, I asked if he could get me into the lively nightclub later that night. He suggested that I try out the terrace upstairs and that he would make me a reservation. This time, the keys worked and I was off to my dinner engagement.
Accommodation
I booked King City View room. When I entered the room thought that popped into my mind was "wow, this is a little different. I like it!" The decor was modern and contemporary, just like the rest of the hotel. When you enter the room, you enter into the living room, where there's a couch, a small table, and a chair, and across from there, you will see you have a work desk for when you need to open up the laptop. The workplace is straightforward, with a small desk, not a chair, but a square stool you can sit on. As it turned out, I would only do a few emails and a bit of work from this location.
The headboard has some very unique artwork
The bedside tables had ample outlets to plug in USB and regular power cords.
The bathroom was very modern, with a separate toilet room and two sinks. When I opened the shower door, I was hoping for a hammock in the shower; a colleague of mine said he stayed in a W and had a hammock in a storm. All mine had was a lot of checkered patterns, but more importantly, the shower had a working drain so I was not left ankle-deep in water during my shower which, frustratingly, is such a common occurrence in hotels.
Hotel Amenities
The property had all the amenities expected from a typical hotel, including a fitness room, a large hot tub, and a spa. The fitness room had a decent selection of equipment.
The hot tub was not your regular hot tub. It was large and was raised. On either side there were sizeable circular cushion-like beds that you could relax on after coming out of the hot tub.
upon entering the main entrance on the hotel, on the right-hand side is the living room bar where small snacks and Mexican finger food is served accompanied with live music.
When I arrived in the evening, it was almost a nightclub-like scene. As I mentioned, I asked if I could get reservations to get into this fantastic place, but Diego suggested the outdoor terrace called TRIVVU. I ended up loving the vibe and the feel of this place. As you can see from the pictures, there are lounge chairs everywhere and heaters. Yes, only one of them was working, but it was okay. I talked to Diego about it and apparently the propane supplier
took the day off from delivery.
The DJ was rather good, and I saw something unique that I've never seen anywhere else: A DJ with a live guitar player and then later a saxophone player. The DJ and the guitarist played seamlessly together, like they had rehearsed this for many years. To my surprise, this was their first night playing together. The saxophone player was good, but he was no Kenny G.
Breakfast
Breakfast was not complimentary and cost about $35 US. It was a buffet style but also with eggs made to order. Of course, if you've been reading my posts, you know I ordered the eggs benedict.
Fruit and Yogurt were also available at the buffet along with a variety of cereals.
There was also a bread station, which included a toaster.
The grill section of the buffet offered standard western style dishes like oatmeal, bacon and eggs
And, yes, there was a juice station
Conclusion
If you are staying in Mexico City and want to be close to the entertainment district, this is the hotel for you. The staff were super friendly and welcoming and made me feel appreciated as a guest. See you soon, Diego and Andrea.
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