W Melbourne

Dark elevator, dark hallway, dark room.... those were our first impression. I understand they wanted to be different but what's with the neon light inside a counter top that displayed snacks, coffee maker, and tea pot? You seriously need to be careful pouring hot water into a black tea/coffee cup. You will not be able to see it well. Everything is black. Dark tiles in the bathroom, dark wood inside the closet, dark water cups, etc. We had a "Fabulous" room which is quite spacious... about 450 square feet. The King size bed is smaller than in the U.S. Apparently this is Australian standard King size bed because we experienced the same thing in Park Hyatt Melbourne. The side of the mattress is flimsy. Not the best kind but the surface is firm enough. We booked thru Amex travel and spent 4 nights here. Location is very good. Everything is within walking distance (10 to 15 minutes) such as to go to Chinatown, Crown casino, Queen Victoria Market (via free tram), Yarra river, etc. Breakfast was good. Lots of variety and you can also order from a menu. Room service was also good. Overall, we may go back if we visit Melbourne again because of the location. Probably need to bring a flash light with us :).

We would highly recommend the W Melbourne. Check-in was a breeze and the room was fabulous. The hotel boasts well equipped gym and fun bar. Wonderful for a weekend away!

CAR DAMAGED BY VALET PARKING During a 1 day stay with W Melbourne my had the front drivers side bumper scraped whilst in their possession. Car is current model year newly ceramic coated and paint corrected this week with imperfections before left with W hotels. The carpark they use is very tight, full of tight turns and high curbs that are have marks from cars. Damage is very clearly new as the plastic were the scrape is is completely clean with even any dust. If you value your car do not leave it with valet parking to be charged 80 dollars to damage your car.

I wanted to commend Sabin (hope I got the name right), the duty manager for the excellent service we received at W Melbourne. When I first arrived at W Melbourne, I was disappointed with the valet service, who weren't very helpful with parking options. I have not even unloaded my luggages and the valet told me that there would be a charged if I lingered. Well, suffice to say I didn't bother to valet park at W and drove to another carpark. I gave my feedback to the duty manager, Sabin and he immediately apologised for the situation and sought to make things right. His wasn't defensive and he listened to the feedback. As customers, we just want to feel that you are listening and that you care. So what started poorly was salvaged by Sabin, and we enjoyed the rest of our stay at W Melbourne. It truly is a hotel with spectacular architecture and design. The room design is modern and spacious. They have a well equipped gym as well as indoor heated pool (remember to bring your swimsuits). Location is fantastic and you are just minutes away from great restaurants and shopping.

We had high expectations of the W experience but the first impression was a letdown. The valet was unhelpful and in fact adding to the stress of dealing with luggage and car parking by emphasising that if we stayed beyond 15min in the bay, we would be charged. But thank goodness Sabin at the front desk took good care of us during check in and he made sure to reverse the experience for us - he took care of the valet fees and gave us breakfast and welcome drinks to have us feel the love.