There are so many hotels in Miami, I am writing this review to help folks like me decide among the similarly priced luxury hotels. I have not stayed in them all of course, but here are some glimpses of the W. The Good: the pool area is more spectacular than the photos suggest. There were plenty of loungers available - suggest the day beds at the far end for the best view of the waterfront and quieter experience. If you want the DJ experience (which was also fun) it is closer to the hotel. The room was fine - we were in an accessible room (although we did not need that feature) and it worked fine with us - enough surfaces in the bathroom, etc. Carpet was a worn, but the rest was fine if unusually Asian (I understand that harkens back to the hotel’s origins, but combined with the lack of lobby you really have no sense of a W experience or anything remotely MIami like). The room has a balcony with 2 chairs and a table to overlook the city. Nice. Now the less good... There is really no lobby to speak of and so the hotel really doesn’t have a vibe or character. There’s a small check in desk and coffee shop on the ground floor. That’s it, nothing else. The other “amenities” (one restaurant, workout room and the spa; another snack shop by the pool) are on the 15th floor. Other hotels downtown that have upstairs reception seem to make it work better. And the hallways, think a parking garage decor and hard tile/marble flooring (no carpet) so quite noisy. Truly unattractive. Now granted we stayed over Dec. 31/Jan 1 and I understand that it is no one’s favorite time to work, but our room did not get serviced despite asking twice (once in person down at the lobby and once in person to the actual housekeeper who we saw in the hallway in the late afternoon). Ok no big deal, but we had run out of coffee, soap and clean towels. After dinner we got those 3 items delivered eventually (with kindness and courtesy). Not asking for anything to change (other than better tracking of the service) this is just to help other visitors compare to other alternatives like the Kimpton, Mandarin, Four Seasons, etc. I think the W is not quite luxury/prestige experience other than the pool area.

Stay Report - 12/19 to 12/20 Location: The hotel is located in Downtown Miami on Brickell Avenue just south of the Miami River.  It's located in a really nice part of downtown in walking distance to the Kimpton Epic, the JW and a few other hotels with excellent dining.  Also there's nicely a number of CVS locations including a 24 hour one you can walk to.  It is a little annoying to get onto I-95 due to the roadways around here but you can still get to MIA in 15 minutes.   Hotel: The hotel is a modern 15 story high rise with attached Residences which is a longer building.  The lobby is comparatively small and only contains as small sitting area and coffee shop.  The pool deck is on the 15th floor and up there is a restaurant and bar.  Do note that on weekdays there is no in room dining or dining at the restaurant.  The spa is currently closed but the fitness center remains open.  Parking is valet only with in and out privileges at $42 a day.  Check In: A friendly agent helped get me checked in and offered me points or breakfast as an amenity.  All the staff I met here were extremely friendly and helpful. Room: I booked a Spectacular Guest Room and applied a SNA and was upgraded to a Marvelous Suite.  The room was incredible.  There was a huge living room with desk, TV, couch and two chairs, a dining table, a kitchen area with a microwave, fridge and range top and a powder room.  The separate bedroom was large with another TV, a balcony with a view of the river and a huge bathroom with separate tub and shower.  It's one of the best hotels in the US I've stayed in in fact. Dining: I visited the bar for a drink and then took breakfast at the restaurant as well.  Breakfast is a buffet with a server handling all the food.  It had cereal, fruit, yogurt, scrambled eggs, sausage and bacon, chicken sausage and waffles.  I will say some of the food was pretty low quality.  The waffles were clearly frozen and served with Smuckers Breakfast Syrup.  Service though was amazing. Overall the hotel was a touch pricy at $219 but I really enjoyed my stay.  The room and service made it all worth it. 

I went to Miami in July at the peak of the local Covid growth, and was juggling between the JW Marquis and the W. Well the Marquis shut back down suddenly, taking the choice from me. It's really close to the people mover and it was free trains from the airport to downtown during this time (free buses too to Miami Beach and elsewhere). The lobby is small, but that's fine, that's not why you come here. You come here for a great room and that amazing pool deck. I got a Magnificent Suite and even though it was stated there was no breakfast for Marriott Elites, the staff took care of me well. The room was HUGE, and so comfortable. My oasis from masks and covid. The deck was pretty big, and offered a bay view down the Miami River. It is part of a residential complex and that has some interesting effects on the layout and the place, but I didn't find it to be a detriment at all. There was takeout food from the restaurant and the staff was really attentive all throughout the areas of the property. The true gem is the Wet Deck, or the Swimming pool. It's awesome. So long, overlooks the bay, 15 floors up, amazing Miami temperatures and sun exposure. Drinks available, this is what Miami says to me. After walking hours around Miami Beach and Wynwood taking pictures, this was a great way to wind down.