W Scottsdale

The view of Camelback was beautiful, the suite itself was very nice, and the front desk staff were kind. One of them even went to the kitchen to get me black coffee one morning, and Alyssa at concierge was helpful. But the problems affected my stay a lot. Sleep was the worst part. The beds were so uncomfortable that we took turns sleeping on the couch. For $600+ a night, that’s unacceptable. There wasn’t a thermostat in the room, and the HVAC swung between hot and blasting A/C straight at the bed. The suite had just one vent, right in front of it. I left with a horrible cough and sore throat. Basic conveniences were lacking too. There’s no sundry shop for medicine, drinks, snacks, or even a vending machine, and no loyalty lounge or shared workspace. The room’s bottled water costs $11 each. Coffee was a daily frustration: after 9am there was none in the lobby or a coffee bar. When I asked, they sent me to the restaurant, where they only had espresso, no lattes or flavors. The nearest Starbucks is a 10-minute walk through an area that isn’t very walkable, so we used DoorDash for coffee later in the morning. At this price? The security card reader kept falling off the door whenever it closed. I reported it to the front desk several times, then eventually learned to put it back on myself. I travel over 100 nights a year with Marriot, and the W brand feels like smoke and mirrors to me. Instagram fame can’t make up for poor sleep and missing basics at $600+ a night. It felt more like a high-end party hotel than a luxury stay. This was a disappointment, and after my experiences this year, not just in Arizona, I won’t stay at a W again.