W New York - Union Square Rating: 4.0 Pearls

Gramercy and Murray Hill, Manhattan, New York City

Tic-tac-toe at The Livingroom Lounge

The W chain of hotels is the younger-leaning, more stylish arm of the Starwood Hotel group (which also operates Sheratons and Westins). W has properties all over the world, including five in Manhattan. The hotels are known for their purple, silver, and black color scheme, their extensive use of butterflies and kitschy design flourishes, and an unhealthy obsession with, yes, the letter "W" -- signs read "Welcome" at the front desk, "Whatever/Whenever" at the concierge, and "Woof" by the dog bowls at the entrance. Despite the Sesame Street-style alliteration, Ws around the city often draw decent crowds of young professional New Yorkers to their lobbies and on-site bars for $11 cocktails. The Olives bar and the basement Underbar at the W Union Square, the most "downtown" of all the Ws, is no exception: It's hip but not exclusive.

The public areas feel just a half-step behind those at the sleeker, moodier Royalton, but they're still interesting and comfortable -- especially with free Wi-Fi in the lobby (in-room Internet costs $16.95). As at other New York Ws, mobiles made of white-painted tree branches and glass balls containing purple butterflies hang from the ceiling. Modern-design interpretations of board games like chess and tic-tac-toe sit on the coffee tables. Techno and euro pop, such as Alphabeat's "Fascination," play over the speakers. The large windows let in a lot of sunlight and afford some incredible people-watching opportunities.

Room service

The staff fulfilled a request for extra washcloths in less than five minutes. Room service, which is available 24 hours a day, arrived 15 minutes after I ordered it. Each time someone came by my room, the conversation ended with, "Is there anything else I can get you?"

The beefy bellmen, clad in purple hats emblazoned with the W's logo, pace the lobby in search of guests who might need assistance. A doorman stands outside, hailing cabs and offering directions to travelers.

The concierge was diligent, fast, and helpful. The W chain prides itself on its "whatever/whenever" service, wherein guests are encouraged to ask for, as the name suggests, anything at any time. I was a bit more humble with my requests -- I asked her where to get an Italian sub. She recommended WichCraft, a chain of sandwich shops run by chef Tom Colicchio, and Toasties, another chain. Both are solid choices, but nothing extraordinary.

As for the small gestures, the staff was easygoing and never overly formal, stopping to chat about the weather when dropping off a room-service order. On the day of my checkout, several interactions ended with, "Make sure you come back, it's great to have you."

View on a Larger Map

Fittingly, the W Union Square sits on the northeast corner of Union Square, a park in the Gramercy neighborhood of Manhattan. In the daytime and evening, the immediate area witnesses heavy foot traffic. Everyone from skateboarders to dogwalkers to well-dressed media types pass through. By midnight, though, the square's well lit but the park and its surrounding side streets thin out considerably.

A major subway station servicing eight trains (the L; the N, Q, R, W; and the 4, 5, 6), Union Square is surrounded by commercial properties, including a Regal movie theater, a Whole Foods, and a Barnes & Noble bookstore. Several dormitories and buildings of New York University and the New School lay nearby. Students tend to hit the area nightspots, and activists and artists often set up shop in Union Square park, but the hub and the shopping bring people from just about every New York walk of life to the area, making for a crowded and busy daytime scene that thins out at night.

The Flatiron neighborhood, known in part for its high concentration of Web, advertising, and other media companies, sits to the north. Tony, residential Gramercy lays to the east of the hotel. It's home to Gramercy Park, Manhattan's only park that's not open to the public, as well as celebrities like late-night funnyman Jimmy Fallon and waifish romantic-comedy factory Kate Hudson.

The Wonderful Room

The W's mood-lit rooms persistently echo the hotel's purple, black, and silver motif. The gray carpeting, black furniture, and other dark fixtures conspire to absorb any sunlight that comes through the window.

It's not an ugly room, and the pieces bear few signs of wear other than very minor scratches on the large work desk. On the plus side, the 221-square-foot "Wonderful room," W's standard offering, has plenty of space for seating -- a plush chair next to the iPod dock, as well as a leather bench and a separate desk chair. Upgrades to the Spectacular and Mega rooms give guests between 243 and 400 square feet, respectively. Among suites, the "Fantastic" model bumps up to 445 square feet. And suites are big-time: The "Wow" rocks 647 square feet, and the "Extreme Wow" offers a cool 1,000 square feet as well as a separate seating area, a park view, and a Bose surround-sound system.

The beds sport very comfortable Simmons Innerspring mattresses, goose-down pillows and duvets, and 350-thread-count sheets.

The 27-inch flat-screen TV offers free HBO and pay-per-view movies, and the hotel also provides a DVD library. An iPod dock and easy-to-use hardwired Internet access -- which costs $16.95 for access from noon until noon the following day -- round out the electronic features. Each room also contains a minibar with an assortment of hard liquors, beer, wine, and mixers. Above the fridge, there's a shelf with a wide array of snacks, along with two bottles of red wine and two glasses.

The large bathrooms contain Bliss bath products and terry-cloth bathrobes. There's lots of counter space by the sink, and the showerheads pack plenty of pressure. The bathtub was both inviting and deep enough to soak in, but it wasn't overly deep as at other hotels .

However, the rooms are not well insulated from the noise outside, and even on the 11th floor I was awoken by the sound of a truck backing up at 1:20 a.m. Noise can continue late into the night in Union Square, not to mention the construction work in the morning. It's a bit worse than typical New York traffic, but not to worry: For a quieter night's sleep, guests can request rooms on the "city side" at no extra charge.

Great Fitness center

Sweat, the W chain's brand of fitness centers, houses three treadmills, two recumbent bikes, and several elliptical trainers. There's also a set of free weights and a punching bag. Each cardio machine carries its own flat-screen TV display, and there are fresh apples, a large flat-screen TV, and plenty of towels available for guest use.

The business center offers standard services such as fax, mail, and photocopies, as well as paid Internet access. There's free Wi-Fi in the lobby, although that space gets busy and loud in the evenings.

There's no spa at the W Union Square, but the hotel offers in-room treatments, including a manicure for $110, a pedicure for $125, and a massage for $150 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (after 8, the price goes up to $175).

Available through the concierge, the DVD and video library features nine films for "Children or the Childish," including several Harry Potter titles and Short Circuit. The room-service menu also includes children's options like mac and cheese, crispy chicken fingers, or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, all for $10 to $12.

The hotel offers cribs on request and also can arrange babysitting services through the concierge.

Solid family amenities notwithstanding, the hotel generally caters to business professionals, plus Union Square isn't ideally located for visiting kid-friendly New York attractions such as the museums around Central Park.

With two dog bowls filled with treats and water at its entrance, the W Union Square opens its arms to pets. There's even a room-service menu for them. What's more, the park adjacent to the hotel features a popular dog run.

The room was spotless, except for some minor scratches on the desk and a barely noticeable yellow film on the edge of the bath tub. The lobby, living room bar, fitness center, and business center were all immaculate. Large stains on the hallway carpet were the only eyesore in the public areas, and were frankly surprising considering how well maintained everything else was.

Olives Restaurant and Bar

Celebrity chef Todd English, who also operates upscale Mediterranean restaurants in the Bellagio in Las Vegas, as well as Washington, Tokyo, and Aspen, runs Olives on the W's first floor, which serves Mediterranean-inspired cuisine. English's signature molten chocolate cake was once a distinct delight, but has since become more common among many NYC restaurants. Main courses range from $27 for roasted free-range chicken to $33 for the lamb porterhouse. At lunch, a hamburger costs $16. My breakfast room service from Olives was hearty but not spectacular, and cost $38.

Around Union Square, there's a host of options, including Casa Mono, which serves highly praised tapas ranging from a $5 pan con tomate to a $25 jamon iberico.

• Wedding Size: Up to 150 guests; only one wedding at a time

• Ceremony Location: The Great Room

• Food and Drinks: $185 to $265 (depending on specific menu choices and the day of the week) for a five-hour open bar, four hot and four cold hors d'oeuvres, and a three-course plated dinner. Kids', kosher, vegetarian, and gluten-free menus available upon request.

• Honeymoon Suite: The Wow Suite is free for the bride and groom on their wedding night.