After our arrival from Austin and overnight in Newark, it was finally time to get our New York trip started. The W in Union Square was in a great location where Mrs. ATX Jetsetter and I can easily get to our offices (in Chelsea and Midtown). During our last visit we stayed at the Renaissance Chelsea which was nice but this location was better even though the hotel was undergoing a renovation and was lacking amenities.
Booking
Typically, this is the type of stay where I would prefer to use points; however, since we were here for work, we booked the cash rate which was just over $300 per night for our 4 night stay.
Location
As the name implies, the W Union Square is located on the northeast corner of Union Square at the corner of Park Avenue and 17th street and is connected to the NYC Subway via a number of lines including the 4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R, and W. Since we were coming in from Newark and had luggage, we chose to take an Uber which took roughly 30 minutes as there wasn’t much traffic on a Sunday morning.
Lobby/Check-In
We arrived at the hotel just before 11:00a and planned to drop our bags before heading out for the afternoon. The front of the hotel is covered in scaffolding and the majority of the ground floor, including the restaurant, is closed off so you had to look closely for it. At night, the large neon ‘W Union Square’ sign on the roof makes it easier to spot.
We were pleasantly surprised that they had a room ready for us especially because we were staying under Mrs. ATX Jetsetter’s name, who is a Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite member. The receptionist quickly checked us in and gave us the keys to room 1013, a Wonderful (Their name, not mine) King room.
Room
We used our keycards to access the 10th floor and found our room to the left at the end of the hall. Upon entering, the bathroom was directly ahead with the wardrobe and mini bar to the right and the bedroom to the left.
The room was a decent size, especially by New York standards. There was a comfortable king bed flanked by nightstands with a chair in the corner.
Across from this, was a combination desk/tv stand and luggage rack. The desk chair and space was comfortable enough that I managed to work a full day from here without issue. The desk also had a phone, lamp and $9 box of water available. There was a large window that looked to the east over StuyTown and the East River, though you couldn’t see the water from our room given the lower floor.
Back in the entryway, there was a selection of snacks for purchase as well as a stocked mini fridge in a small area next to the closet.
Past this was the bathroom which clearly hadn’t yet been renovated, though it was clean and well maintained. There was a large shower area stocked with single use MOMO/skin regimen/W branded toiletries.
Amenities
There was a severe lack of amenities at the hotel during our stay, though, to the hotel’s credit, they made this abundantly clear during the booking process so we knew this going in. No guest booking directly with the hotel should be caught off guard, but it could be an issue through a third party booking service.
Thankfully, we were here to see the city, not be stuck in a hotel and the hotel had my favorite amenity, complimentary coffee (and espresso), available in the lobby each morning until 11:30a along with a selection of pastries. The restaurant and bars were both closed and renovations are expected to continue through 2024 according to the staff (though signage around the hotel suggests 2023).
Check-Out
On our last day in New York Mrs. ATX Jetsetter and I both had a full day of meetings. We checked out of the hotel early and they agreed to hold our bags for us while we went to our respective offices. We received an emailed receipt almost instantly and, upon our return from work, our bags were quickly located and we were off.
Summary
Of our recent stays in New York, the W Union Square is by far the best fit for us location wise. While it leaves something to be desired during the renovations, I look forward to seeing it back at full capacity and would happily stay there on a future trip, especially once the rooftop bar opens!
