I last stayed at the W Ft. Lauderdale more than 10 years ago. It was hip, fresh, and posh. Everything about it made you feel like you were hanging out in the coolest place in Ft. Lauderdale. Sadly, that is no longer the case. While it does still seem to attract a pretty hip clientele, the W feels kind of drab and worn out, and desperately in need of a complete makeover, both stylistically and functionally.
The Good: (1) Location, location, location. The W is at a prime location on North Beach - Beautiful beach, convenient to amenities, especially good eating and drinking establishments, and a quick drive to even more options. (2) The staff is excellent. Everyone we interacted with was friendly, professional, and helpful. We had one minor mechanical issue with our room and it was fixed super fast by an extremely courteous technician. Housekeeping kept our room fresh and clean the entire stay - zero complaints. The folks running the beach operations were efficient, nice, and accommodating. Everyone seemed to like doing their job at the W.
The Bad: (1) What was once cool is now drab and uninviting. The modern aesthetic that I loved previously now comes off as austere and even bleak (the lighting throughout less cool subdued and more dark alley). The common areas need brightening up, not just new paint and polish - they need a redesign. They are dated. (2) The rooms need a gut and redo. Our room was clean but there was evidence of overuse everywhere. The walls looked liked they had been painted too man times (you know what I mean), the carpet was frayed, the lighting was poor, and all of the furniture and fixtures seemed beat-up. Even the TV cable system was dated, like 10 years behind similar properties. Everything seemed past its sell by date. Further, as others have noted, the open bathroom design is just terrible. If you find a glassed in toilet and shower and no door at all for the bathroom area (i.e., virtually no privacy) a good idea, you must really like public restrooms. There is nothing romantic about this set-up, it's just gross.
Would I stay here again. Absolutely not. I just felt like I didn't want to spend any more time in the W than I had to. For some folks, the hotel isn't a significant part of the vacation experience, but, for me, it's a huge part of it. There are better options even right in the neighborhood. The excellent staff can't make up for the facilities, nor should they have to. Marriott needs put forth the money and effort to gut and redo this property. (I popped over to the Hilton Beach House next door, which I've stayed at in the past few years. While I didn't see a room, the common areas have been redone and are now beautiful and inviting.)
