'W The Card' Still Seems To Be Pretty Useless

July 3, 2007 at 9:35 AM | by juliana | Comments (4)

Last week, we tried to figure out what the heck was going on with W Hotels VIP Card. How do you get one? What does it give you? Where can you use it? Etc. Etc. Etc.

But thanks to a commenter, Michael S Dacko, a W-phile, we finally learn a little bit more about this mysterious card.

Michael writes:

I have been a W Card holder for approximately 1 year. You don't sign up for the card. You are randomly selected for the card based on your W stay frequency. Only about 3000 members have the card. I've only been able to see what the card can do once staying at the W San Diego.
It's got some pros: Free Voss Water and 2 drink tickets to the W Bar downstairs from the GM, maybe some chocolates.... haven't really had to use the VIP status for going to any clubs, but may use that later this year in New Orleans.
I would actually prefer if this card had only one sole purpose rather than the free small stuff.... which would be to guarantee an upgrade in room.
And wishfully thinking that being a gold member already gives you that opportunity, this would make it guaranteed.... but this card does not do that.

As we heard before, you can use this W card to get preferred reservations at W Hotel restaurants which is sort of stupid because when was the last time you heard a W Hotel restaurant was too full to accept other reservations. And while we are nitpicking here, shouldn't hotel guests always be able to get reservations at the hotel restaurant?

Sound Off on the W The Card program below.

Related Stories:
· What is the 'W The Card' For? [HotelChatter]

Comments (4)

Return to » 'W The Card' Still Seems To Be Pretty Useless

Upgrades for "Gold Members" are available on a first come basis, assuming they are available. If you are too cheap to reserve what you really want, be prepared to be constantly disapointed.

I've had a W card for a little over a year. I've stayed at a couple W Hotels and am a SPG Gold member. The Card just showed up at my door one day. (Literally. It came in a big clear plastic box.) I would not say it is useless. There are a few small perks I've seen (free bottled water ... free cocktails here and there ... one time the Chicago W Lakeshore left me some snacks in my car for the drive home). But really, what the W card is meant to be is sort of a W Concierge for your life. For example, a few months ago some friends and I were staying in New York -- NOT at a W, nor any Starwood hotel -- and we wanted to go to a specific restaurant on the Lower East Side. I called the restaurant for reservations and they said they had nothing all weekend. I called my W The Card Concierge ... and I had a table for 4 at 7:00. It's a way for them to extend their Whatever/Whenever service to the rest of your life. If you are looking for big freebies like upgrades ... you probably aren't going to get them. But you do get a nice 30% discount from the W Store. Not a big deal if you are just trying to stock up on Warmth of Cool CDs ... but boy did I get an awesome deal on the king size Heavenly Bed I just bought ...

but do you have to stay a minimum amt of nights at a w hotel each year to keep your card?

A good question. I got the card after only having spent a handful of nights (4-6) at W Hotels . And while I was a SPG Gold member, I got upgraded to that level through my Elite status with United's frequent flyer program. So I really hadn't spent as much money with Starwood as one might think I should have to get the W card. My W card was renewed this year, again, after only having stayed at W Hotels a handful of nights in 2006. I have to admit though, the card got me to up my W stays to perhaps 8-10 or so last year. I have to imagine there are people out there who have spent more time at W Hotels and do not have a W The Card. So it may really just be random. Or, it could be that not many SPG Gold members are in their 20s ... so I fit into some sort of W Hotel target demographic. I really have no idea.

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