Review: W Hollywood | Prince of Travel

I recently made a trip to California to celebrate my wife Nicole’s birthday. We flew into San Francisco, drove down the coast through Big Sur, and eventually wound up in Los Angeles.

This trip happened during my first year holding Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite status. I was especially looking forward to utilizing my increased benefits, especially after spending roughly $150 and 40,000 Marriott Bonvoy points on an 11-night “mattress run” earlier in the year.

W Hollywood – Booking

The W Hollywood is the only Marriott property that is located right on Hollywood Boulevard. As I only had one and a half days in Los Angeles, staying in a central location was important to me.

I booked us into a Wonderful Room directly through the Marriott Bonvoy website. My intention was to use up some of my recently accumulated Marriott Bonvoy points, which I had transferred during a transfer bonus promotion.

At the time, the going rate for the hotel was 50,000 points, which would later drop down to 45,000 points during the “Week of Wonders” promotion. Both prices were below the benchmark of our 0.6 cents per point (USD) valuation, when compared to the going cash rate of $245 USD ($337 CAD).

While 45,000 points for my stay would get me close to the minimum desired redemption valuation, I ultimately decided to pay cash. Given the rather sparse amount of Bonvoy points I currently hold, I’d rather save them strategically for aspirational redemptions, as I had my sights on a stay at the St. Regis Maldives Vommuli.

I paid for a portion of my stay using my American Express US Gold Card, which had an Amex Offer to spend $200 and get $50 back. The balance was paid on a Marriott Bonvoy gift card, which I had purchased in BC to take advantage of the Discover Canada promotions at the time. 

Without getting into the math too much, I ended up paying around $180 USD ($248 CAD), if not less, for my room at the W Hollywood. I consider that to be a bargain.

W Hollywood is a property that is eligible for Marriott Luminous bookings. By booking a Marriott Luminous rate, you can receive additional benefits at the same rate you’d pay when booking directly with the hotel.