W Austin

Finished a nice stay at the W for work so this rating is for both the stay and the event. The room I stayed in was modern, clean and standard W trendy. It was a good size shower with larger Bliss toiletries and the room size was quite generous. I’m an SPG gold member and our work rate had free wifi. We also hosted an event on the 2^nd floor in the Great Room and the catering staff was amazing. We had an outdoor reception after on the terrace, and the staff took care of all the details and asked if we had any preferences on drinks, were very flexible to start earlier, and overall very friendly and accommodating. The chef at the carving station even made custom BBQ sandwiches.
I also used the gym which was massive and had a studio, Pilates machines, plenty of cardio machines and weights. The pool also looked quite tempting but i ran out of time with my stay (although got a couple of photos). I’d recommend for a stay in Austin as it’s conveniently located and great staff. Definitely on the pricier side compared to other Austin hotels.

This is an interesting hotel concept that is somewhat trendy and modern. The style and accents were very interesting, but I prefer more luxurious and upscale accents. I have stayed a many Wyndham hotels and prefer the Wyndam or St. Regis to this concept. The lighting in the place is very dim and the entire hotel is very dark with walls and accents in black, red, and shades of grey. The staff who are at the front door of the hotel are just standing in the doorway monitoring who is coming in and out of the hotel and did not seem very approachable or even offering to open the doors for the guest. The parking is $ 39.00 and the room is stocked with overpriced snacks and bottles of water. I had a small can of Pringles from the «Munchie Tray» and was charged 9 bucks for them. Although the location is downtown there really were not many good restaurant options walking distance to the hotel. I do want to point out some positive points, our concierge upgraded our room at check in at no extra charge. The room was very modern and interesting and very private. The hotel check out time was noon which allowed us to sleep in. We only spent one night but it was very restful and just what we needed. With the upgrade I feel like I got what I paid for since this hotel is very pricey. For the cost I would prefer to stay in a Four Seasons or St. Regis… I am more of a 5 star kind of guy than a trendy hipster vibe but for some my be what you’re looking for in Austin with their Keep Austin Weird mentality… To each their own…

I’m on the fence on how to rate my W Hotel experience…
PARKING
Valet only. $ 39 per night
CHECKING IN
Check in is at 3pm. We had booked 2 rooms for a 2 night stay. We arrived at the hotel by 4pm– only 1 of the 2 rooms were ready. I had to contact the front desk at 6pm to follow up with them about the second room. To their credit, they called me right back and shared that the 2^nd room was finally ready. However, the fact of the matter was it was ready 3 hours past the advertised check in time and I had to follow up with them. Major points deducted.
ROOM
Like other Unilocalers, I’m feeling the trendy décor. However, for the cost and reputation of a W hotel I found the rooms to be lacking. Our corner suite was just a queen bed. Why– where’s the king? The room layout was odd too. Like others mentioned, it advertises «space» but the strange layout appears to just be an attempt to have a room. Certain room amenities are also missing:
— drawer space
— a KING bed– if you’re sellin’ sex and mayhem provide proper spaces!
— outlets near your bed (They should invest in the nightstands or lights that have outlets. Not the cheap Ikea nightstands. This is a huge pet peeve (can’t you tell– lol) and provided that Austin boasts of being such a techie city I’m taken aback with the lack of outlets near the bed.). On a positive note, they do have a charging station with hook ups for older iPhones, iPhone 6 and Android phones.
— no coffee maker
SERVICE
— 24 hour room service
— guests can text the front desk their needs
— concierge
— the staff was friendly
NIGHT LIFE
Not a local? Or are you a local 25 – 40 year old? The 4 linked louges provide a energetic night spot with a little bit of something for everyone. If you’re staying a night, make sure to check it out. In town or a local weary of the same «6^th Street» crowd– come here. There are 4 different rooms providing a little bit for everyone at this venue.
Happy Hour is also from 7pm to 10pm.
LOCATION
Within walking distance to the downtown mayhem.

WHile décor was interesting– cool wallpaper, etc, my room overall was a disappointment. The tub was small/​a sitting tub. Very high tub «walls» and i actually fell getting out– even though I was being careful. It is just too stupidly high. The bed was not comfortable. The room was small. The pillows gave me a crick — both the little and thick pillow sucked. not impressed with the W– to say the least. WOrkers were friendly– but room not so much. will not be a returning customer. Oh, and the shower handle came off while i was in teh shower. walls too thin as well.

I’m a Starwood fan (although this whole Marriott thing is scary…) and I’m glad I stayed in the W Austin during my vacation. Great location, great sweeping views. I did public transportation (no rental cars for me), and found buses and walking worked out great. Professional, friendly staff (Starwood quality!), I’d definitely come back to the W Austin if this Marriott thing works out…

I’m pretty picky about hotels, but I have absolutely no hesitation in giving the W Austin all five stars. In fact, I think I can safely say that this is the nicest W property I have ever stayed at.
Unlike other W properties that are set in renovated buildings, this one was constructed as a W from the start (along with the residences that sit atop the hotel). It’s evident immediately in the design of the building that they wanted to create a stylish, open space, with the beautiful lounges in the lobby either getting a lot of natural light or having soaring ceilings. My particular favorite was the lounge with the fireplace, adorned with bookshelves-​full of old albums, which a friend and I had a blast going through (cocktails included).
Being a bit of an architecture buff, I was particularly impressed when the elevator doors opened up to my floor, to find a long hallway that showed off the concrete columns of the building, making for a beautifully decorated colonnade in its muted colors and accents of red. As for my room, I had a Fabulous corner room, and it was, indeed, fabulous… quite sexy, in fact. My room actually had windows on three sides, since the room juts out from the hotel a bit, bringing a lot of light into the room and providing a great view of the city. The beds are quite comfy, and the shower was one of the roomiest I’ve ever seen in a hotel.
What always makes a good hotel stay a great one is, of course, the staff — and, to a person, everyone I interacted with was genuinely friendly and aimed to please. (Some of the other W properties, like a couple in NY, could take a lesson from these folks!) A special shout-​out goes to George at the front desk, who made sure everything was just right for my stay and who checked on me every time I passed the desk, asking if there was anything else he could do to make my stay more comfortable.
Finally, the location is great, being right in the Warehouse District and in close proximity to Austin City Limits and some great restaurants. This is now my hotel of choice in Austin, and I hope you have the chance to check it out yourself sometime soon.

Great place. It has an extremely modern feel (like all Ws). The rooms and the hotel Welcome Area accentuates the concrete pillars and construction of the building. The staff from check in, to the bartenders and servers are very friendly, I was remembered by multiple staff members during my 2 night stay.
My room was absolutely gorgeous and comfortable. I was so comfortable in the bed that I had trouble sleeping when i went home. The shower is refreshing and accents are great. I walked down to the pool and it look nice, i only wish i had more time to take a swim (or if the pool bar was open).
For the high end price of the room, the drinks at Trace (their restaurant and one of 3 bars, which was the only one i went to) are quite reasonable. I had lunch at Trace and it was quite delicious. They have a nice patio outside Trace with comfortable seating so you can enjoy Austin’s weather (it was cool and refreshing during my stay in mid-​October) and people watch.
If I deserve to pamper myself with a great stay in Austin again, i will be back.

It’s a highly rated hotel for a reason. Great rooms, happy and helpful staff, amazing amenities. You really can’t go wrong with a stay here if you can get a room at the right price.
The bar is legit and has some pretty good food as well (but there’s enough great restaurants in downtown Austin so get out a bit).
I’d stay here every time I come to Austin, but sometimes the room rates go crazy during peak seasons. Still, if it’s slightly more expensive than anywhere else in town then it’s worth it.

My favorite place to stay in Austin. The bar is great. Great location. Great service. Simply love it.

Just recently had a 1 night stay-​cation. The experience was generally positive — the staff was nice and the view from the room wasn’t bad at all. The location is great and the décor of the hotel is generally very pleasant.
With that said, I had issues with how our room was serviced before our arrival. The sheets actually had spec’s of blood all over them which completely grossed us out. And not that it mattered — but the card you’re supposed to use to order breakfast with was already filled out from the previous occupant. I even had to call to get the price list for the munchie bar which the host suggested was in the room — but wasn’t there. These are all little details that can be easily remedied but something you definitely expect to be taken care of considering the price they charge.

Took my wife for a weekend relaxation. Pool and massages. The service was great. The beds relaxing. Stay in a room away from the hotel elevator. It’s a little noisy near it

The view from the suites is amazing. And the DJ at the lobby bar is by far one of the best around Austin on Saturday nights.
Impeccable service and a real 5-​star experience.

It’s nice enough, but they go a little too far for the «young», «hip» and somewhat skanky vibe for my taste. I was told on checking in that it is more «lively» than the Westin, and I truly believe that the nice man up front who told me that meant it like it was a good thing…
I’ll take the Westin any day though.

I rarely write reviews, so in order for me to be moved to do so is saying something.
I live in Austin and recently had my AC go out, so I booked a room at the W for me, my fiancé and my Dog. We specifically selected the W due to their pet friendly policy as stated on the booking website.
At the time of booking, their policy stated that there would be a $ 100 pet deposit and a $ 25 pet fee. I felt that was completely reasonable, so I booked it and we stayed the night.
The hotel itself was fine. Typical W hotel experience… probably a little overpriced to be honest but hey, welcome to Austin.
Anyway, the stay was good, I really didn’t have anything to complain about until I got my bill.
The $ 100 per deposit was charged to my card along with the $ 25 per fee. When I asked if they were going to refund the $ 100, I was told no, that the pet deposit was non refundable.
I really don’t care about the money, at the end of the day, it’s not going to impact my life one way or the other, but from a mater of principal, I felt they were sneaky and underhanded in their dealings with me. Nobody wants to be deceived and certainly it left a bad taste in my mouth as having been taken advantage of.
A deposit by its very definition is refundable unless otherwise and specifically indicated. That’s a pretty fundamental truth. I don’t like doing business with companies that bury bait and switch tactics into the fine print of their processes and expect me to smile when they are peeing on my leg and telling me it’s rain.
Anyway, nice hotel, nice staff, great location but just be aware that their apparent pet friendly policies come at a hefty price, regardless of what they say.

What an amazing experience here! I arrived on time for my check in and asked to have a two double beds instead of the individual king size bed. Because the room I requested for was not immediately ready, I was granted free drinks from the lounge bar and was given a $ 50 credit to my room. My room was ready within an hour. The room was gorgeous, service was great, and the view I had was beautiful! Would recommend and cannot wait to experience other W hotels!

I had such a great experience here. The room was extremely clean and comfortable. I loved the record room. Very cool spot.
Most of all, the staff was so welcoming! Likely the best service I’ve experienced at a Starwood outside of the Westin on Maui.
So, I ended up getting sick during my stay and they took such good care of me. I’m so appreciative! They sent me tea and water twice and sent someone to the store to go get me some NyQuil. See my photo. Just above and beyond the call of duty! Thanks again to Samantha and the crew for being so kind!

Complete waste of money.
Room:
For $ 600 I was expecting a room larger than a closet. There is no soundproofing so I got to hear every drunk party at all hours of the night. It was also super hot in the room no matter how low we turned it down. The way the lights work makes no sense. There were a dozen chargers, but none for an iPhone 5.
Food:
I wasn’t impressed by the menu at Trace /​room service so the only thing I tried was the chocolate cake. The cake wasn’t bad, but it was coated it in a cloyingly sweet caramel sauce, which made most of it inedible.
Drinks:
You would think they would be capable of making a mocktail. Not so much. My husband had to beg the living room bar to make me a ginger beer drink and they were incredibly rude. He tried to explain I was pregnant, but they just couldn’t care less. Also, the room service fee for a bottle of Titos ($ 30 at Specs) was $ 200. This place seems to exist for people that are stupid & rich.
The crowd:
A bunch of partiers ranging from 20 — 50. We ended up leaving the living room bar, because there was a drunk girl throwing a fit over a guy bringing his girlfriend to the bar. Not a good place at all for a babymoon. I should have done more research on this place.
The service:
Underwhelming. Despite being pregnant not once did a staff member let me off the elevator first or offer any sort of assistance. When leaving the floor by the elevators was completely covered in coffee. The checkin guy had one napkin on the floor and didn’t make any effort to clean up the coffee or help me get around it. He didn’t even move out of the way — he was standing in the only dry spot. When checking in my card was «declined» so I got to spend 2 hours with the bank. Turns out my card was fine and the charge seems to have gone through no problem.
Honestly, I want a refund. They should be disgusted with the amount they charge for something on par with La Quinta and non existent service.

Bed bugs!
The hotel is relatively nice and the staff is extremely friendly.
But one thing was scary… bed bugs!
The location was fabulous and the décor of the hotel was very modern… but one thing… bed bugs!
They need to clean the place and get rid… of bed bugs!

This place is hard for me to rate, because it’s really five businesses in one: the hotel, the event space, the bars, the restaurant, and the residences. I’ve experienced all four multiple times, so here’s the breakdown. First, though, a negative:
There is no garage parking for the W — only valet, which is something along the lines of $ 7 per hour up to a maximum of $ 24 or so. Absurd, even in downtown Austin. If you’re not staying overnight, lap the surrounding blocks and park somewhere else — City Hall’s garage is literally a block away.
HOTEL: The boy and I did a staycation here a year or two ago for his birthday. We rented a cabana with table service, invited some friends to the pool, and made our way to the hotel later. The room was a nice suite styled like the rest of the hotel — modern, trendy, and that slate gray/​shale blue/​eggshell palate everywhere. The staff included a split of champagne on the house, and the room was as comfortable as one would expect. The suite had a reasonable sized sitting room with a long L couch along a wall oriented towards the TV. Internet and electrical outlets were in the expected places (on the desk and by the bed), with wifi available. Internet was included with our room.
The pool is surrounded by private «cabanas» that are mostly just shaded seating areas that fit ten or so people. This is not the kind of pool that you «go for a swim» in — it’s the one you stand in with your chiseled abs, pecs shining in the sun while you sip on your fancy drink chatting with your other movie-​star pretty people. However, the surrounding non-​cabana seating areas are limited, and there’s not much room around the pool to hang out if you’re not in a cabana. There is a seating area set off from the pool for those who just want to be outside.
I’ve attended several foodie events outside by the pool, and it’s a nice space in all, if a little small for the size of the hotel.
Because the boy works in the hotel industry, we rarely pay full price for rooms, and did not, in fact, pay full price when we stayed. It is entirely possible that the champagne and included wifi were a result of «in-​the-​industry» treatment. With our discount, the prices were quite reasonable, but I understand that the normal rate for our suite would have been around $ 400 plus taxes, and I’m not really sure that *any* kind of hotel warrants that kind of price. They couldn’t have done it any better, for sure, but that’s still a *LOT* for a place to sleep for a night, fancy or not.
EVENT SPACE: We attended a friend’s wedding here. The food was catered by the hotel, as were the drinks, and it was all excellent. The hall used for the ceremony itself felt a little austere to me, but was perfect for the bride and groom, who are successful, trendy 20-​somethings who did things like live in high-​rises and walk to steakhouses for dinner before said bride got all knocked-​up-​like.
There was a nice view from the attached outdoor patio (the same one you walk up the stairs next to when you go to the Moody Theater), and lots of sitting space. Excellent for the smokers to be able to congregate without bothering anyone.
The larger hall in which the reception was held was really wonderfully set up. Lights were subtle but present, a nice stage that didn’t overwhelm the room for the live band arranged, and tables that were spaced exactly as they should be — close enough to not create the island in the room syndrome, but not so close that you’re rubbing elbows with the people at the table next to you.
I’m quite sure it was very expensive, but I’m quite sure that our friends got their money’s worth.
BAR: See my review of the Living Room Lounge.
RESTAURANT: See my review of Trace.
RESIDENCES:
I have several friends who live or have lived at the W Residences. They look exactly like you would think — a slightly more industrial version of the hotel, with ultra-​modern appliances and styling. Obviously, prices are exorbitant to purchase, and rental is limited to a very small percentage of the units. However, the concierge service is amazing, and the views stunning. If you’re in the market for a nearly million dollar condo, this should be near the top of your list.
The resident’s pool is salt-​water, and separate from the guests pool (which is not salt water). It’s quite relaxing and beautiful.
CONCLUSION:
In all, you pretty much get what you expect. Prices are high, service and amenities match. The boy is all about this kind of fancy — trendy, ultra-​luxurious. I’m more a shepard’s pie with a pint kinda fella, but I’ve learned since he moved into my heart. The W does it pretty darn well, though I have seen better at various aspects, I haven’t seen anyone do it ALL so well as the W. The boy tells me that the W is a «destination hotel», that people come to simply stay and be at the W, not leaving the hotel. That’s not how I travel, but if it’s how YOU do, well, it’s hard to do better than the W.

Beautiful hotel! Since I was flying in for an interview, my hotel room was comped so that probably made my stay that more delightful. I stayed on the 14^th floor which had a pleasant view of the city and the Colorado River! The décor was really nice and modern. My king bed was so comfy, I ended up sleeping like a baby. Watch out for the WATER! There were 3 water bottles in my room and only 1 was free! The gym and pool here were also fantastic. Sadly I didn’t have enough time to utilize either of them.
My only complaint is that they have NO FREE WI-​FI! They charge like $ 14.25 per day if you want it. However, there’s a super close Starbucks on the right side of this hotel that I ended going to. You got to love loopholes!