Future W Hotels (and Retreats and Spas)

[Snaffled]

The W Retreat & Spa is very similar to the other W hotels, but more laid back & a resort feel to them. W Maldives is the only one at the moment if you want to see it on Youtube, but there are are others on the way, inc Bali & Koh Samui. Yes, still very funky & great music throughout the resort, just more relaxed.
Other Asia Pacific city ones opening are HK, Shanghai, Macau and Bangkok.

[KeithMEL]

Thanks for the insight!

Other Asia Pacific city ones opening are HK, Shanghai, Macau and Bangkok.

The BKK property is an aLoft. It's supposed to be Four Points standards but W-style. It'd be located on Sukumvhit.

[jhm]

Other Asia Pacific city ones opening are HK, Shanghai, Macau and Bangkok.

Good news - particuarly HK where the existing SPGs aren't that great compared to the world class hotels there.

Any idea where the ones in HK and Shanghai will be located ?

[KeithMEL]

Good news - particuarly HK where the existing SPGs aren't that great compared to the world class hotels there.

Any idea where the ones in HK and Shanghai will be located ?

SHA - Pudong (no idea where that is as I don't know SHA at all)
HKG - Kowloon (why not Central?! )

[jhm]

SHA - Pudong (no idea where that is as I don't know SHA at all)

Uh oh. It's on the "wrong" side of the Huangpu river (along with the Grand Hyatt and Shangri-La) - the business district but not where the nightlife etc is.

The Royal Meridien in Puxi (the other side of the rivew) is much more convenient and only opened last year so still pretty new (important in China). The Westin is in Puxi as well.

HKG - Kowloon (why not Central?! )

Or even L*n Kwai Fong ?

[KeithMEL]

Or even L*n Kwai Fong ?

Yes, was expecting that when I first heard the news.

[jhm]

Yes, was expecting that when I first heard the news.

I stayed in the Hotel LKF last month - a small'ish design hotel in Lan Kwai Fong so everything is literally downstairs. The only problem (as with all these boutiques) was the staffing level and this hopefully won't be a problem with the W. Shame about the location of the W though!

[StarG]

HKG - Kowloon (why not Central?! )

Cause it will have a harbor view of the beautiful HKG skyline perhaps?

[Snaffled]

There is a huge new development at Harbourfront on the Kowloon side & the W is part of this. Yes, great views from there. The Ritz will also be built there.
Sorry Keith - you are right, it's an Aloft for Bangkok, but a W is going to Guangzhou in a few years if anyone travels there.
The W Pudong is being built near the water beside the Shangri La, so a great location (true, not on Nanjing Road though!). The views from Pudong side back towards Puxi are damn cool too!

[MAN Flyer]

Uh oh. It's on the "wrong" side of the Huangpu river (along with the Grand Hyatt and Shangri-La) - the business district but not where the nightlife etc is.

Indeed. I stayed in the Pudong Shang a couple of years ago and it was dead around there at night. I also went for a walk to the Hyatt to go to the bar at the top to enjoy the view but by the time I got up there they'd switched all the lights off on the buildings on the Bund. This was about 1030pm!!

I am back in Shanghai again in late November and have yet to decide where to stay.

[Snaffled]

My preference in Shanghai is the Puxi side, but Pudong has changed & been developed greatly in the past few years...

[sqforever]

A little OT but speaking of Shanghai hotels, I fully 100% reccomend the JW Marriott at Tomorrow Square. Its very close to Nanyang and has amazing views at the Oriental Pearl. When I checked in, kites were flying by my window by students in a park, I could see the cars whizzing on the highway, the river was flowing with small tugboats and containers, and I could see Pudong's glorious buildings. Great sight at night. Wonderful restaurants, great sky lobby, and very nice Chinese contemporary decor. The bathrooms are amazing, wonderful views too It has a Maserati/Ferrari dealership on the ground floor too, adds to the god-like feeling. And I was in a standard double bedroom! That and the JW phuket are the best marriotts I've ever stayed at! Not far from Xinhai too and xiangyang too.

[HUGE AL]

First off, let me say that I KNOW KeithMEL is EXTREMELY happy when "W Hotel" is mentioned!

SHA - Pudong (no idea where that is as I don't know SHA at all)

Pudong = the old graveyard -- where they moved the graves is one of the biggest mysteries...

[KeithMEL]

Cause it will have a harbor view of the beautiful HKG skyline perhaps?

But doesn't change the fact that it's Kowloon. (no offence if you actually like the place though ). More importantly, it's less convenient to get to LKF than the hotels in Central. Ah well - I've stayed at the LM in Cyberport before so Kowloon ought to be slightly closer...

Hmm looks like the W SHA is going to be in the middle of nowhere like the W Dubai-Festival City. Is it easy to get around in Shanghai and are taxis cheap? After all I'm aiming to stay at each W at least once.
Come this DEC i'm stay running around SHA (Westin/LM/SRegis) and I think at least one of them is in Pudong...

[Snaffled]

Yup, St Regis is in Pudong. Westin is about 5 minutes from the Bund, almost at the end of Nanjing Road. LM is about a 10-15 minute walk up Nanjing Road from there.
If you are staying at all Starwoods in Shanghai you have another 4 or so hotels to choose from too... Shanghai is a big place!