I agree with the gist of most of the other reviews I have seen here: This is a very nice hotel in a convenient, cool part of LA.

However, I can understand why the W might not be for everyone. It is maybe just a bit pretentious and silly (e.g., the special W vocabulary where "Wheels" equals "Valet parking" etc.). If you don't want to fight through a bit of a line Saturday evening to get back into the lobby and up to your room, you might want to consider a less trendy location. Also, the parking is a bit pricey. I also don't see why they couldn't throw in free Internet at this price.

Those are small gripes, however. The staff are as nice and helpful as anyplace I've stayed. The room was spacious and comfortable.

The location is convenient: It's great for the Getty, Santa Monica/Venice, and is pretty convenient for Hollywood, too. Don't underestimate LA traffic, however! It's unbelievable!

I'll start by saying I was here for business, not pleasure. My business associate had booked us to stay here. Very pretentious and the entire wing we were staying in smelled of marijuana. It fired up in the evenings. I told the front desk, but they did nothing to hunt down the culprits. This place definitely caters to the tragically hip. Not my cup of tea.

I loved my five night stay at the W. I was on a mixture of business and just fun, and it couldn't have been a better fit. L.A. can be hard to get around, but the W is in a great location in Westwood Village, and a pleasant walk to great restaurants, movies, theater, and other services.
The hopping bar/restaurant at night was fun and hip-but-not-[--], the spectacular pool/lounge/outdoor dining patio was a delight, (and in late February, the scent of blooming jasmine and cherry blossoms was the just what this winter-weary northerner needed). And to top it off- the BLISS spa on the second floor, well-- it was Bliss-ful. And the bath amenities in the rooms are theirs.
There is a gym- but , not being so into the iron-pumping, I put on my sneakers, walked out the door and jogged through the amazing UCLA botanic gardens. Room service was prompt, the staff is beyond friendly, the concierge suggested and obtained great reservations. My spectacular suite was suitably spectacular, spacious, and full of high tech goodies- there was even an ipod dock, which solved my problem of having forgotten my charger. Would I stay here again? In a L.A. Minute!
My only complaint? $31/day for parking and $15/day for internet.

My husband and I had to be at UCLA for his cancer treatment and wanted to be very close to the campus. We looked at several places online but decided on the W. The hotel is very modern, which is not my taste - however everything is done extremely well. The service is excellent and when I checked in Tracy Morgan of 30 Rock was in line in front of me. The W is just a few blocks from the UCLA campus and within walking distance of the Westwood Theater and Shopping district. We are part of the Starwood network and because of this we were upgraded to a suite on the 6th floor. The short version: Not the cheapest hotel in the area but worth every cent if you want to be treated like a celebrity.