In Osaka, you walk into W through a glowing tunnel inspired by paper cutting, and the lobby turns out to be a bar with an in-house DJ. In Taipei, the hotel sits on top of City Hall metro station, and some rooms frame Taipei 101 from the bathtub. In Bali, the beach bar on Seminyak sand fills up as the sun goes down. Three hotels, one brand, and a service desk named Whatever/Whenever.
Thirteen pages, about thirty minutes: what a W stay feels like, where the brand is stronger than its peers, the Asian W hotels to plan a trip around, and how to book so the stay includes more. Who it suits less, up front: travelers who want a quiet lobby and a hushed pool.
The last page has a checklist of twelve things to try at any W. Three cost nothing. One of them is giving the Whatever/Whenever desk a single specific request on day one, which is where many of the warmest guest reviews start.
01 · THE SHORT ANSWER
A hotel that feels like the liveliest address in town, with a room above it all
A W stay feels the same in two ways wherever you book it: the hotel is built to be the place people meet, with a lobby bar called the Living Room, a pool with music and design you remember, and it sits where the city is busiest, above a metro station in Taipei, on Osaka's main boulevard, on the beach in Seminyak. Add a service desk that takes requests of almost any kind, and you have the three reasons people book it.
| Roots | W New York opened in 1998 in the former Doral Inn on Lexington Avenue, created by Starwood's Barry Sternlicht with Rockwell Group |
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| Positioning | Marriott luxury with a lifestyle edge, alongside EDITION. Full brand map: Marriott's 39 brands, explained |
| Size | More than 70 hotels worldwide (Hospitality Design, 2025) |
| Signatures | The Living Room lobby bar, the WET pool, AWAY spa, FIT gym, DJs and music, the Whatever/Whenever desk |
| In Asia | Early arrivals include W Maldives (2006), W Hong Kong (2008), W Koh Samui (2010), W Taipei and W Bali (both 2011); Japan's first W opened in Osaka in 2021 |
| Advisor perks | W is a Marriott LUMINOUS brand: welcome amenity, note from the General Manager, early check-in and late check-out when available, upgrade if available at check-in; full list on page 11 |
- Pick the moodCity energy in Osaka and Taipei, beach and sunset in Bali and Koh Samui, a private island in the Maldives.
- Pick the viewIn Taipei, ask for a Taipei 101 view; in Osaka, a high floor over Midosuji.
- Plan the nightsA W is at its best after dark. Leave at least one evening free for the hotel's own bars.
02 · ORIGINS
A New York conversion, a lobby turned into a living room, and a black tower in Osaka
In 1998, Starwood chief executive Barry Sternlicht turned the Doral Inn on Lexington Avenue into W New York. David Rockwell, whose firm designed it, later called it "the beginning of the age of boutique hotels." The idea was a hotel where the lobby works as a bar and meeting place, which W still calls the Living Room.
| 1998 | W New York opens on Lexington Avenue, the first W |
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| 2006 to 2011 | Asia arrives early: Maldives (2006), Hong Kong (2008), Koh Samui (2010), Taipei and Bali (2011) |
| 2008 | Istanbul, the first W in Europe, inside the Akaretler Row Houses from the 1870s |
| 2016 | Marriott buys Starwood, and W joins the Marriott portfolio |
| 2021 | W Osaka opens on Midosuji, the first W in Japan, behind a black facade by Tadao Ando |
| 2025 | Marriott describes a "W 2.0" reboot: warmer materials, wellness, bars that tell local stories. Counts differ: Hospitality Design says more than 70 hotels; Wikipedia lists 71 in 2023 and elsewhere "around 60." |
George Fleck, who leads the W, St. Regis and EDITION brands, described the shift in 2025: W now sits firmly in modern luxury, a space the brand had not occupied before.
03 · SIGNATURE MOMENTS
Five things you find at almost every W
Each W has its own design story. A handful of spaces and services carry the same names everywhere, and they shape the stay more than the room does.
| Living Room | The lobby as a bar. In Osaka it is on the 3rd floor, with Kokeshi doll artwork, mellow sets from an in-house DJ and a cocktail that may use honey from neighborhood urban bees (Time Out, 2025) |
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| WET | The pool and its scene. Taipei's outdoor WET pool on the 10th floor has a DJ and a bar; Osaka's indoor pool sits under an LED ceiling |
| Whatever/Whenever | The service desk for requests of any kind, "as long as it is legal," as W Hong Kong's opening manager put it in 2008 |
| AWAY and FIT | The spa and the gym; in Bali the gym runs 24 hours and the spa has a vitality pool and a decompression lounge |
| Small surprises | W-branded Pocky in Osaka rooms; in Taipei, a W animal in every room, twelve designs since the renovation |
The idea behind all of it is that a W is a place locals visit too. A 2026 review of W Taipei in The National noticed young Taipei residents at the WET pool alongside hotel guests.
04 · ROOMS AND DESIGN
What you see when the door opens
Rooms at W carry playful names, from Cozy and Wonderful up to the WOW and Extreme WOW suites. What the Asian city hotels share is a big window, and in Taipei that window often holds Taipei 101.
| Taipei | 405 rooms on floors 8 to 31 above City Hall station. A two-year renovation finished in early 2025; entry Wonderful rooms are 43 m². The Extreme WOW Suite spans the 29th and 30th floors with a telescope for stargazing |
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| Osaka | 337 rooms; entry Cozy rooms are 40 m². Blinds and lights are automated, and pink or blue neon alternates by floor for cherry blossoms and the waterfront. The 200 m² Extreme WOW Penthouse has a 1.9-meter chrome tub and a DJ booth |
| Bali | 237 rooms on Seminyak Beach: 158 ocean- or garden-facing rooms and 79 villas, many with a private pool behind a garden wall |
| Maldives | 77 villas, all redone in 2025, each with a private plunge pool |
Guests return to the views again and again. A Fora advisor who stayed at W Taipei with family in 2026 noted that even the bathtub in the Marvelous Suite had a view; a guest in Osaka described the blinds opening on the city as they walked in.
05 · SIGNATURE SERVICE
Whatever/Whenever, and how to get the most from it
W service is less formal than at classic luxury brands: staff dress in black, speak casually and lean toward tips on where to go. Guests remember it most when a single request gets handled fast.
Stories guests and advisors tell
- W Taipei, 2026: a traveler whose bags missed a connection from Guangzhou checked in on the 10th floor, and the concierge phoned the airport about the luggage the next morning (The National)
- W Osaka, 2026: a family that changed plans at the last minute got restaurant tips and help securing tickets, and staff remembered each guest and checked in after every excursion (client review in the Fora Portal)
- W Osaka, 2026: after an upgrade to a suite, a couple found the bed made "night ready" with slippers and extra water (client review in the Fora Portal)
- W Taipei, 2026: a birthday message waited in the room, with an upgrade (client review in the Fora Portal)
- W Koh Samui, 2026: a birthday cake in the villa, small gifts for the children, and a DJ who let a child try the decks (Milesopedia)
| Advisor notes | A Fora advisor wrote in January 2026 that the W Osaka reservations team arranged VIP amenities and airport transfers for a client's birthday trip |
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| The style | Another advisor found W Taipei's service "casual" before the renovation; if you prefer formal service, see page 13 |
- Before arrivalSend the occasion, arrival time and one or two things you want to do. An advisor booking passes them to the hotel with your reservation.
- Day oneAsk the Whatever/Whenever desk for the night plan: a table, a bar, a show.
- Every eveningAsk what is on in the hotel that night. DJ sets and events change by day.
06 · DINING AND BARS
Where to eat and drink, hotel by hotel
At a W the bars matter as much as the restaurants, and both are open to the city. Booking a table here is part of the stay, not a fallback.
| Taipei | YEN, modern Cantonese on the 31st floor, with YEN Bar beside it; WOOBAR for Tipsy Tea; The Kitchen Table on the 10th floor |
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| Osaka | Teppanyaki MYDO, with artwork by local artist Seitaro Kuroda; Sushi Ukiyo omakase, which Time Out called "sublime"; OH.LALA... bistro; MIXUP pastries and cocktails on the street |
| Bali | FIRE, a modern steakhouse over the pool; Starfish Bloo, seafood and Asian dishes by the beach with a Sunday brunch; WOOBAR on the sand; the W Lounge for afternoon tea and evening martinis |
| Koh Samui | Namu and a Japanese restaurant reviewers rate highly; music, a DJ and a fire show in the evening |
Guests rate the signature rooms highly: a 2026 client review in the Fora Portal called YEN "a treat," and a 2025 review called it "amazing." In Bali, the Milesopedia reviewer ate most dinners at FIRE.
07 · A DAY AT A W
One day, from a 24-hour gym to the last DJ set
A W day runs later than most. The times below are the rhythm reviewers describe; check the hotel's own schedule for DJ nights and events.
| Morning | FIT gym (24 hours in Bali) or the yoga room on the pool floor in Osaka; a beach walk in Seminyak |
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| Midday | The WET pool. In Taipei it has a DJ and a bar; in Osaka the indoor pool is popular on Instagram year-round |
| Afternoon | Tipsy Tea at WOOBAR in Taipei, or afternoon tea at the W Lounge in Bali; the AWAY spa |
| Sunset | WOOBAR on the sand in Bali, where DJs play as the sun goes down; in Koh Samui, tables on the beach |
| Dinner | YEN in Taipei, MYDO or Sushi Ukiyo in Osaka, FIRE in Bali (page 6) |
| Late | The Living Room in Osaka, with Dotonbori around the corner; the Xinyi District around W Taipei |
08 · ASIA'S MUST-STAYS
Six W hotels in Asia to plan a trip around
Each hotel below suits a different trip; the last column is the one thing to do there.
| Osaka | Midosuji, Shinsaibashi, opened 2021. One Michelin Key. Do: a drink in the Living Room, then walk to Dotonbori |
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| Taipei | Xinyi District above City Hall station, opened 2011, renovated by 2025. Do: book a Taipei 101 view, then dinner at YEN |
| Bali | Seminyak Beach, opened March 2011, 79 villas. Do: sunset at WOOBAR, then dinner at FIRE |
| Koh Samui | The first W in Southeast Asia (2010), with private pool villas on a hillside. Do: stay for the evening fire show |
| Maldives | Fesdu Island, 77 villas redone in 2025, about 25 minutes by seaplane from Malé. Do: snorkel the house reef, then a night at 15Below, the underground club |
| Hong Kong | West Kowloon, next to the ICC, 393 rooms, opened 2008. Do: use the Airport Express, two stops from the airport, and watch the skyline from the room |
- City and beachPair a W city stay with a W beach stay: Taipei or Osaka first, then Bali or Koh Samui.
- VillasIn Bali, Koh Samui and the Maldives, a villa with a private pool gives you a quiet base away from the bar scene.
- WeekendsCity W bars are busiest on Friday and Saturday nights. Plan a weekend if you want the scene, weekdays if you do not.
09 · HOTEL HIGHLIGHTS
Hotel by hotel, starting with Taiwan
Outside ratings help sort the list, and so does how the hotel fits the trip.
| W Taipei (Taiwan) | 405 rooms; Forbes Travel Guide four stars (shown in the Fora Portal). Renovated over more than two years by GA Design, the firm that designed the original interiors, with calmer colors, Bluetooth Bose speakers and recycled terrazzo surfaces. A 2026 client review in the Portal praised the link to City Hall station and the walk to Taipei 101. Our full review: W Taipei, reviewed |
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| W Osaka | One Michelin Key ("a very special stay"); client reviews in the Fora Portal average 4.9 out of 5 |
| W Bali Seminyak | In the Michelin Guide hotel selection; Milesopedia rated it 8 out of 10 and called its villa stay "unforgettable" |
| W Koh Samui | Milesopedia rated it 8 out of 10 in 2026 and named the private villa pools and the fire show as highlights |
| W Maldives | Fully redone villas in 2025, a 2 km house reef and a private island, Gaathafushi, for picnics and dinners |
And in Taiwan?
W Taipei is the only W in Taiwan as of October 2026, and the easiest W in Asia to reach by train from the airport: the airport metro and the city metro bring you to City Hall station, about a two-minute walk from the exit. The 2025 renovation was done a few floors at a time; while the 18th floor was being renovated, the hotel stopped selling rooms on the 16th and 17th floors to keep things quiet.
10 · AGAINST ITS PEERS
Where W is stronger, and when to pick it
Three strengths come up again and again in reviews and in the brand's own design work.
- The address. W picks the busiest part of town: above a metro station in Xinyi, on Midosuji near Dotonbori, on the sand in Seminyak. Guest reviews of Taipei and Osaka in the Fora Portal praise the location again and again
- A hotel that is a night out. The Living Room, WET, WOOBAR and DJs make the hotel itself a destination; Time Out gave W Osaka five stars and called it one of the very best hotels in Osaka
- Design you remember. A Tadao Ando tower, a paper-cut tunnel, rooms named Wonderful and WOW. The 2025 "W 2.0" work adds warmer materials and local stories to the bars
| vs EDITION | Both are Marriott lifestyle luxury led by the same brand leader. W adds beach resorts in Bali, Koh Samui and the Maldives to its city hotels; EDITION is the smaller brand. Compare in W Hotels vs EDITION |
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| vs Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis | Classic luxury with Club lounges or butlers and formal service; W trades that for energy and design. See our St. Regis guide and The Ritz-Carlton, explained |
| vs Moxy and Aloft | Marriott's younger lifestyle brands share the social lobby idea at a lower price; W adds bigger rooms (40 m² and up in Osaka and Taipei), a spa and signature restaurants |
The weak points are the other side of the same coin. Reviewers in Bali and Koh Samui found the bar scene loud and the beaches less pristine than the pools, and one advisor found the Taipei pool busy with children. Where W wins clearly is a city break where the hotel is part of the night.
11 · HOW TO BOOK
Same night, same room: what each way of booking includes
W is a Marriott LUMINOUS brand. Each W chooses whether to take part, and at those that do, an advisor booking adds a fixed set of perks on top of the room. Below are the rates the Fora Advisor Portal showed on October 24, 2026, for Sunday, December 13 to Wednesday, December 16, 2026: three nights, two adults.
| W Taipei | Wonderful Room, 1 King, city view, 43 m². LUMINOUS US$353 a night (US$1,242 for three nights in the Portal); Bonvoy member rate US$336 a night (US$1,180); public rate US$353 a night (US$1,242) |
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| W Osaka | Cozy, 1 King, 40 m². LUMINOUS US$330 a night (US$1,161 for three nights); Bonvoy member rate US$369 a night (US$1,296); public rate US$434 a night (US$1,537). The hotel also runs a three-night offer on standard rooms, so compare the terms of each rate, not only the number |
| Points, booked by you | In the Marriott app, when the redemption beats the cash rate. An advisor adds nothing to an award stay |
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| Cash, direct | Public or Bonvoy member rate. Elite benefits apply |
| Cash, through a LUMINOUS advisor | Welcome amenity; daily breakfast for two; personalized welcome note from the General Manager; early check-in and late check-out when available; upgrade if available at check-in. A US$100 hotel credit applies only at some LUMINOUS hotels and only when the rate says so. Points and elite nights still post |
What status adds
| No club lounge | Most W hotels have no executive lounge. An advisor noted that elite guests at W Taipei get a generous happy hour instead; check each hotel. Details in Marriott Platinum, brand by brand |
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| Stacking | LUMINOUS perks sit on top of elite benefits. More in Marriott STARS and Luminous, explained |
Full disclosure: I book hotels as a Fora advisor, and the hotel pays me a commission on advisor bookings. That is why the first route on this list is points, booked by you.
- Points firstCheck the award price before anything else. If it beats cash, book it yourself.
- Read the termsRates on the same night can differ in cancellation rules. Compare those along with the price.
- The viewAsk for the view you want at booking. Upgrades depend on availability at check-in.
12 · BEFORE YOU ARRIVE
What to arrange before you arrive
The best W stays usually start with a short message a week or two before check-in.
| The occasion | Birthday, anniversary, a first trip together. The guest stories on page 5 began this way |
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| The view | Taipei 101 in Taipei, a high floor over Midosuji in Osaka, ocean or garden in Bali; upgrades are subject to availability |
| Tables | YEN, MYDO, Sushi Ukiyo and FIRE can fill up; ask the hotel to hold a table |
| Nights out | The evening you want WOOBAR or the Living Room, and any shows or tickets in town |
| Transport | Airport transfers in Osaka and Bali; in Taipei the airport metro is often the fastest way in |
| Quiet | If you sleep early, ask for a room away from the pool and bar floors |
- Two weeks outSend the occasion and the view you want. Through an advisor, they go to the hotel with the booking.
- Three days outConfirm arrival time, tables and transfers.
- On the dayTell the Whatever/Whenever desk your plan for the first night.
13 · FIRST DAY AND CHECKLIST
A first day at any W, and who it suits
Times vary by hotel. The order below works at most W hotels, city or beach.
- Check-inAsk what is on that night, pool hours, and where the welcome amenity and any credit apply.
- First hourFind the view: the window toward Taipei 101, the Living Room in Osaka, the beach in Bali.
- AfternoonThe WET pool, or afternoon tea at WOOBAR or the W Lounge.
- SunsetWOOBAR in Bali; a high floor in the city.
- DinnerOne of the signature restaurants, booked ahead, then the bar.
A good fit
- You want the hotel to be part of the night out
- You like bold design and a big window over the city
- You want to be in the busiest district, close to shopping and food
- You collect Marriott Bonvoy points and want a lively stay that still earns them
A weaker fit
- You want a hushed lobby and a quiet pool; reviewers found WOOBAR and the Bali pool festive in the evening
- You prefer formal service, where Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis fits better
- You are choosing a beach resort for the sand alone; Bali and Koh Samui reviewers rated the pools above the beaches
This article is written in the expected-experience style ("what you will find"). No first-hand stay is described. LUMINOUS perks come from the Fora Advisor Portal's Marriott LUMINOUS program page, read on October 24, 2026. Rates on page 11 were read in the Portal the same day for December 13 to 16, 2026.
Sources: Wikipedia (W Hotels, W Taipei); Hospitality Design, "W Hotels 2.0" (2025); Journal des Palaces (W Hong Kong, 2008; WOOBAR Bali, 2011; W Sound Suite, 2017); Hotel Online and Marriott News (W Osaka opening, 2021); Michelin Guide (W Osaka, W Bali); SETN and Tatler Asia (W Taipei renovation, 2025); Spice News (W Koh Samui, 2010); Lux Atolls (W Maldives); The National (W Taipei, 2026); Time Out Osaka (2025); Milesopedia (W Bali, 2025 and 2026; W Koh Samui, 2026); Fora Advisor Portal advisor and client reviews for W Taipei and W Osaka (2025 and 2026).
Items that conflict between sources and should be confirmed: the number of W hotels (more than 70, 71, or around 60), whether W Bali and W Koh Samui take LUMINOUS, and whether W Taipei's LUMINOUS rate includes a hotel credit. Images are from the hotels' official galleries in the Fora Advisor Portal and are used with permission; they were not taken by the author.
Keep reading: Marriott's 39 brands, explained · W Hotels vs EDITION · Marriott STARS and Luminous, explained