W New York Rating: 4.0 Pearls

Midtown East, Manhattan, New York City

Seating area in the hallways

With creative lighting, highly stylized furniture, a constant techno soundtrack, and a candle scent developed exclusively for the hotel -- the W chain cares greatly about the mood it creates. But this isn’t quite a designer boutique. It’s a member of the Starwood hotel family, and a stylish sister to the Westins and Sheratons the world over. But the W brand tries hard to distance itself from the rest. It even has its own language -- the lobby is the “living room,” elevators are “lifts” and the gym is simply “Sweat.” For all this sexy gleam, the hotel manages to get away with charging more than twice as much as the Intercontinental right across the street.

What’s interesting about this is that the W New York primarily caters to business travelers -- this is made clear by the constant presence of Blackberries and briefcases throughout the cozy “living room.” The lobby is undeniably inviting and cozy (particularly with its fireplace), and the modern, stylish rooms feel less sterile than a typical room in a large hotel chain.

The chain's affiliation with Starwood brands and its popular guest loyalty program make it an attractive option for business travelers, particularly since there aren't any other Starwood hotels in Midtown East (except the small but ultra high-end St. Regis). As the first W to open (in 1998), and having been renovated in the fall of 2008, it's the brand's New York flagship. All W Hotels are "80 percent brand and 20 percent indigenous," meaning New York hotels feature different design influences than the W in South Beach, or Marrakech.

Speedy check-in

I walked into the W and went right up to the front desk, where a low-key clerk greeted me, confirmed my reservation, and presented me with a key in about three minutes. The most notable thing she did was direct me toward the "lifts," which is W slang for elevators. (Why a New York hotel tries to sound British, I have no idea).

The W calls their concierges "Cool Hunters" with a particular mission to getting guests into fashion week events, top restaurants, and other exclusive New York happenings. I decided to test my ‘’Cool Hunter’’ with questions about the neighborhood.

"What is the best place nearby for a cheap mani-pedi?"

"Nail Expression on 49th between Second and Third."

"How much?"

"About $25 to $28 for both, but around $32 if you upgrade."

"Where's the closest Dunkin' Donuts?"

"At 53rd and Lexington. Walk like you're going to enter the subway station, and you'll see it before you enter. It's on the same level as the station, though."

And so it went. I asked for kid-friendly places, she named three Italian restaurants on Second Avenue. I said I might feel like Chinese takeout, she printed out two menus. The woman seemed to know her stuff, and she was friendly and patient with my barrage of questions, even though there was a couple waiting behind me.

One of the W's best free features is a fairly extensive DVD collection. So, around 10:30 p.m., I called to ask for Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End. (As a post-script, don't ever watch this movie.) The friendly "Whatever, Whenever" person who answered the phone asked for a few minutes to make sure the movie was in stock; three minutes later he called back to say he'd be up right away to deliver the DVD. A few minutes later there was a knock on our door, and he asked if he could offer me any other DVDs; when I declined he wished me a pleasant evening and went on his way.

The next morning as I began packing up I decided to see if I could get some extra Bliss bath products, as I'm a huge fan of their Foaming Face Wash and particularly love it in travel size. When I called "Whatever, Whenever" to ask for an extra bottle of the stuff, the woman we spoke with responded with an enthusiastic "Of coooourse, Ms. Macmillan!" Three minutes later someone delivered an envelope overflowing with products; in fact the woman had sent us two complete Sinkside Six sets, a $50 value.

View on a Larger Map

The W New York is located in Midtown East, a neighborhood that has long been a favorite for visitors who come to the city for both work and play. Though the immediate blocks surrounding the hotel feel like a "hotel district," business travelers love the area because it is convenient to the offices of nearly every Fortune 500 company, and is just six blocks from Grand Central, which services all East Side subway lines.

Leisure guests enjoy the central location of the hotel, which is convenient to popular tourist destinations, including Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center, and the MoMA -- all are within a two-to-six block radius. Other areas of interest nearby include Central Park, an 843-acre haven for the urban outdoorsman just 20 blocks north of the hotel. The hotel has hosted several high-profile guests in town to visit to the U.N., which is just five blocks away.

The Theater District and the lights and crowds of Times Square are just a 10- to 15-minute walk to the west.

The hotel is also convenient to Lexington Avenue shopping, which includes favorites like Bloomingdales, as well as the more upscale shops of Madison and Fifth avenues like Chanel, Prada, and Dolce & Gabbana, and high-end department stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Barney's.

The hotels is just two to six blocks away from nearly every east side subway line, and it's easy to head west, via the 42nd Street subway shuttle.

Most of the midtown neighborhood is considerably less empty in the evenings and late at night. Still, because there are so many higher end hotels in the immediate area -- with doormen loitering out front -- safety shouldn't be a huge concern for guests.

New York has three nearby airports: JFK, La Guardia, and Newark (in New Jersey). Flying into JFK or La Guardia is typically easiest and the least time consuming. From JFK, it's a flat-rate $45 (one-hour) taxi to anywhere in Manhattan. From La Guardia, it's about a $40 (30-minute) metered cab ride to midtown Manhattan. Rides from Newark cost at least $40 (plus tolls) and can take over one-and-a-half hours. Don't forget to tip your driver 15 to 25 percent.

To save some cash, group shuttles are available at all three airports for about $14 per person. For more information on the shuttles, go to Super Shuttle or New York Airport Service. You can also take public transit from any of the airports for as little as $7 per person, but travel times can take up to two hours and involve a lot of lugging bags up and down stairs. For mass-transit directions right to the hotel, check out HopStop.com.

The Cozy Room

At about 170 square feet, the standard room, which they call the "Cozy Room" is certainly tiny -- only about a foot wider than the length of my double bed. The cramped space makes it difficult to get between the bed and the swiveling TV to the window. An upgrade to the 200-square-foot Wonderful or Spectacular Rooms (identical except that they're on the top 10 floors and therefore offer better views), can be well worth it. At 270 square feet, the Mega Room is a good space for business travelers or anyone in town for more than a few days. These have space for the multi-functional desk to swivel out, and much more space for suitcases and other objects.

Rooms are decorated in a white and "aubergine" color palette, and have textured purple wallpaper in the bathroom, a purple orb light near the bed, a sleek purple cordless phone, and a purple chenille desk chair.

The desk, slim closet, and mini-bar are all made of modern dark wood that the hotel touts as "exotic zebrawood." It struck me as cheap paneling; I'd be curious to see what it looks like in a couple years. Within the desk is a custom Daily Candy pocket guide to New York, which, mind you, doesn’t mention anything to do within walking distance of the hotel.

Special features in the room include a 37-inch flat-screen LG TV that swivels on a pole to allow for space and flexibility. The TV comes with lots of cable channels and also features on-demand movies and in-room checkout, and also has a DVD player. Bedside, there’s a Tivoli clock radio and iPod dock, though I was unable to get it to work with my iPhone. There is also a plug-in high-speed Internet connection that costs $16.95/24 hours. The hotel also has free Wi-Fi in the lobby, and guest-rooms are apparently equipped with Wi-Fi now.

All rooms have a digital thermostat, rather than a radiator, which means you can control the heat in the room.

Most bathrooms are also quite small, but they’re clean, and have a glass shower, a long back-lit mirror, and two stainless steel shelves. As at all W's, a major highlight was the selection of six Bliss bath products, including shower gel and face wash. To maximize space, the frosted glass bathroom door slides shut like a shower door. It's a groovy design trick, but provides slightly less privacy.

The W's Web site also touts the aubergine ceiling and canopy, which amounts to a dark strip of paint above the bed.

The "Heavenly" bed features a pillow-top mattress covered in 350-thread-count sheets, and is backed by an illuminated headboard that accounts for much of the bedroom's light. The beds are a bit on the firm side for me, but this is a matter of personal preference.

The rooms are dark. There’s no light in the entry area by the door. Other than a tubular LED desk lamp, there is no other direct source of bright light; everything is colored, or tempered by some sort of filter. The mood-lighting seems intentional, but it’s an annoying choice for a business hotel. I brought this up with management, and he told me that the hotel makes every effort to move business travelers -- particularly repeat Starwood Preferred Guest customers -- into larger, better-lit rooms. For anyone else, tough luck.

Luxurious Spa Suites are on the fourth floor adjacent to the spa, Bliss49 and the fitness center. With light wood floors and neutral-colored walls, these shockingly tranquil rooms are a major departure from others in the hotel. The open-plan bathroom essentially flows into the living area, so that the tub sits right behind the couch with a great view of the television. The shower is also open and located off the living room.

The hotel has two top-of-the-line Extreme Wow Suites, which the manager said can go for $4,000 "on a good night." Celebrities like Snoop Dogg and Terrence Howard have stayed in the suites, which feature beautiful wraparound terraces (including waterproof pool tables), Bose speaker systems built-in to the walls with iPod and XM Satellite radio integration, enormous flat-screen TVs, and another TV built into the bathroom mirror.

Large, modern Fitness Center

The W New York houses one of the city's most popular spas, Bliss, which originated in New York but has now expanded into franchises all over the world (usually in conjunction with W Hotels). Located on the fourth floor, the bright spa with cloud-covered walls and a happy blue color scheme has an extensive menu of available treatments. Prices are a bit high, but competitive for a name New York spa -- manicures start at $25, massages at $70, and waxes at $15. There is also a Bliss boutique on the first floor of the hotel, and all guests receive complimentary Bliss toiletries.

The fitness center, Sweat, is large, modern and features a separate personal training area. It wasn't very crowded when I visited in the morning. With the Precor bikes, treadmills, and elliptical machines (all with personal TVs), there's plenty of modern equipment. The large, fourth-floor windows look across the street to the gilded accents of the Waldorf Astoria.

The business center, Wired, has a few desktop computers with high-speed Internet and faxing capabilities. Typical hotel business services are also available through their branded, “Whatever, Whenever” service. The hotel also has modern, stylish meeting and events rooms.

On the ground floor is W The Store, which sells products found in the hotel (like Bliss, custom-scent candles, and music compilations), as well as upscale clothing, accessories, and travel goods. During my quick sweep of the store, I saw everything from minimalist vibrators to Havaianas flip-flops to Hanky Panky thongs to Hudson jeans. This is no ordinary hotel gift shop, but the prices are even more exorbitant than usual.

A Mega Room is spacious enough to hold a cot, and the neighborhood is filled with a variety of cheap, family-friendly eating options. Service at the hotel is so friendly and accommodating that I don’t doubt they’d do their best to enhance a child’s stay.

The W’s P.A.W. (Pets Are Welcome) program offers perks like dog walking, grooming, and special pet-friendly snacks. There’s even a pets’ room service menu. The only issue is that there’s nary a park or patch of green space within five avenue blocks of the hotel (about a 15- to 20-minute walk to Central Park).

Housekeeping carts were a constant presence in the hallway -- a cart filled with dirty towels was parked outside my door when I arrived, and someone placed a discarded room service tray next to my door the day of my departure. But considering the cutbacks many hotels have had to make, I was pleased with the high level of cleanliness at the W.

Breakfast at Heartbeat

Due to the economic slowdown, the Heartbeat was only open for breakfast during my stay. That said, I arrived 10 minutes before closing, was promptly seated, ordered food within five minutes and had it in another five. My cranberry brioche French toast with fresh fruit was excellent and tasty, as was the coffee.

Lexington Avenue is clogged with hotels and office buildings, but a block over on Third Avenue there are lots of chain restaurants (plus my all-time favorite New York bagel place, Ess-a-Bagel). Second Avenue is lined with great restaurants.

Drinks at Oasis Bar

The hotel is also connected to two bars. Oasis Bar is located in the middle of the lobby, and is a popular spot for meetings and casual after-work gatherings, particularly given the lobby's cozy atmosphere replete with comfy couches and a fireplace. It closes at 11 pm.

Whiskey Blue is adjacent to the lobby, and is much more of a scene. Open till 4 a.m., the swank David Rockwell-designed space features expensive drinks, pictures of rock stars on the wall, and waitresses in tight black dresses. It's the most stylish bar in the area and is therefore a magnet for many business travelers. When I asked the concierges at the nearby Waldorf Astoria and New York Palace for a cool bar recommendation, both recommended Whiskey Blue; it's less popular with locals, who take issue with its high prices and heavy dose of attitude.

• Wedding Size: Up to 250 guests; only one wedding at a time

• Ceremony and Reception Location: The Forest Ballroom

• Food and Drinks: $165 to $225 (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.

• Spa: The Bliss Spa has a full menu of services, though you'll have to make hair and makeup appointments elsewhere.

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