We stayed for three nights in October 05. The general feel we took away from the W=A was that it has not managed to keep the polish and excitement one associates with this famous name.
The service was excellent: The bell desk helped us with everything from a room swap to limo transfers, and did it all very courteously and professionally. The housekeepers were also very nice and accommodating with extra towels, etc.
As far as the facility is concerned, yes the lobby is lovely, as is the Silver Corridor, but the rooms could really use some tweaking. Also, it seemed that some floors of the hotel were newer and cleaner than others.
We initially had a room on the 20th floor. Per recommendations on Trip Advisor, we asked for a corner room. Well, our corner room was not that big. It was livable at 15'x15', but not that spacious considering we had two children with us. The wall paper was peeling (and dirty) in several locations and the bathroom was just old and tired (though clean). The desk area was small, and the hallway outside the room had peeling wall paper and was lit so bright it seemed antiseptic. Further, there was a loud grinding sound in the ceiling that came and went all night. That noise prompted us to ask for a room exchange. We were accomodated and moved to an interior room on the 12th floor that was 22'x16', much larger indeed. The bathroom was also better sized. In fact the entire 12th floor looked cleaner and more updated than the 20th floor.
Other than the "used" feeling of the hotel, the only other gripe we had was the food prices. The room service menu was set absurdly high, to the point of being offensive. $30+ for two eggs and bacon? Ha! Just walk across Lexington Ave to the Metro Cafe for a hearty and inexpensive breakfast.
One other bright point bears mentioning, and that is the gym is very good - plenty of room and with cardio stuff and free weights, it was plenty for me. I had free acess to it as a Hilton Honors Silver member.
Also, the beds were magnificently comfortable - they a GREAT job with the mattresses and sheets - WOW.
We were glad to have experienced the W=A, and especially to have seen the gorgeous detail work throughout the common areas. The service was terrific, and you will get a good night's sleep there. It is conveniently located to everything. It could, however, use a little more refreshing in some areas.
hotel reviews