Back from Cancun and I’m going straight to Barcelona to commence my first cruise trip with Virgin Voyages! For the peace of mind I arrived one day before, which gives me the chance to try out the W hotel as well.
Although its quality is debatable (its TripAdvisor rating is only 4), the W hotel is one of the most known and popular hotel in Barcelona, thanks to it being the only building standing out on the city centre’s beach.
The hotel is located at the southeast corner of the beach, making it not the easiest to reach by public transport or walk, but there are always cabs waiting outside. The beach is very nice though, and you are come down for a stroll anytime.
As I’m staying with a friend I booked a twin room. Although I still had a few suite night awards, the best room I could have ticked was some kind of studio so I decided against it – and it is a decision that bites me hard!
The front desk gentleman thanked me for being a Titanium member, and told me although they couldn’t upgrade me they’d put me in the best room in the same category. And to compensate they would offer me free breakfast instead.
It is very rare that I receive no upgrade at Marriott properties, and the hotel is definitely not full. Complimentary breakfast is a Titanium benefit at W hotels.
It is a pretty big hotel so they have multiple elevators, but half of them don’t go beyond the fourth floor, whereas there are 26 floors in total. Thanks to being on the lowly fourth floor, our room is reachable by all elevators which saves us from waiting, how thoughtful!
The hallway reminds me of old Hong Kong horror films.
The room is actually decent enough, if you ignore the mouldy smell.
This is the “bay view” from my room.
For comparison, this is the suite my friend received last year, using his suite night award.
Breakfast is served in the Fire restaurant, and Saturday morning is so busy!
The buffet:
An a-la-carte menu too. My Eggs Benedict is quite good.
There is a swimming pool outside the restaurant. All the spots are taken at 8am!
There is another larger pool upstairs, with a better view.
The gym:
The bar on the top floor is very busy, but disappointing to be honest. It is very small and there isn’t much of a view at night.
Can’t say I’m surprised at its average reviews on TripAdvisor and other booking platforms. If you’ve got a good deal however the prime location and some of its facilities are still worth it, but I highly recommend to use your suite night award to score a decent room.
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