Greetings! Off to NY 5/20 for 3 days then to Philadelphia for a wedding Memorial Day wknd. There will be 3 mid-20 adults, need hotel. Would like to keep it around $150/night, good location, etc. (ie: Mid Town, Times Square, etc)Can get rate of $205 at W Hotel on Lexington. A little out of range, but will do if worth it. Is this worth it? It looks great, but just don't know. Any other hotel suggestions welcome. Thanks

The W hotels do have a level of "hipness" and they are relatively new. The Location on Lexington is pretty close to Grand Central and many subways run through there. But, how much time will you really spend in your hotel room? I think location is pretty important unless you really like the idea of staying at a slick hotel. That extra money per night might be better enjoyed on food or entertainment, but the $205 rate seems reasonable for the W.

The Ws are very slick and 'hip' if that's what you're into. Some are a bit more refined than others. I've been in the lobbies and rooms at the Union Sq W and it was very nive. I thought the lobby area at the times sq W is horrible but then again I'm not in my mid-20s either. I agree to save on the hotel and splurge on the food and entertainment. You can have a drink at a W and enjoy the environment, you don't have to spend the night there.

You may want to check the comments about this particular W Hotel at flyertalk.com in the Starwood forum. It has recently received a large number of bad reviews due to poor service, snotty clerks, etc.

I love the W in Honolulu - and if the NY property is anything like it - then I'd say go for it. But, recent reviews aren't promising.

This W is not a good idea, particularly for 3 in a room. The rooms are very small. I believe the W in Times Square may have bigger rooms. Check rants & raves here. I personally would opt for room size vs hipness for 3 of you together.

I found a very good deal on Waldorf's website. I booked a room for 3 people for $219/night. If you divide that by three it's only $73. Not too bad for the Waldorf.

Holy Cow! Three in a bedroom in a W Hotel? Way too crowded.

I can recommend the Belvedere. My husband and I stayed there last year. Rooms are big and newly decorated. Room rate was $150 per night (we stayed Saturday night).

The room I saw at the Union Sq W had 2 double beds and 3 adults did stay in it. It was a airly average size room. I think the roomsize, depends on which W hotel. There are a few of them in NYC.

I can vouch for the rooms at the W New York (on Lexington) being small. I got one with two single beds. Comfy, but boy do I HATE sleeping on a single bed.

Three in a room there would be far too crowded. I like the property, if only for it being so close to our NY office, but it's not a good choice for your situation.

Search for W Hotel and you'll get a lot of opinions. My opinion: W stands for the WORST as in "worst hotel choice in Manhattan."

VERY SMALL ROOMS.

Try one of the fun hotels on 44th. Sofitel is my fave.

The rooms are definitely small and can be very noisy on Lex (seems all the city's noisy delivery trucks take this route from 3-6 a.m.!)

Check out Fodor's reviews of the "W" properties in Manhattan. The one in Times Square may be better.

The W hotels are extremely nice places (The one in Union Square is awesome). Union Square is also probably cheaper than the rest because it is not in Midtown. However, it is next to 8(count 'em) different subway lines and a whole host of shops and restaurants (including the famous Union Square Cafe). Check it out

If you absolutely have to stay in Midtown, try the Grand Hyatt, Hilton, or Sheraton towers.