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The W New York Union Square is worth booking if you want a newly renovated, central and lively Marriott Bonvoy hotel in Manhattan, especially with elite status. Reopened in 2025 after a US$100 million renovation, this W sits in a 1911 building on the northeast corner of Union Square. We stayed in a suite, and here is what you can expect, from the lobby to the rooftop bar.
To earn the points for a stay like this one, the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card gives you 5 points per dollar at Marriott and a free night every year.
The hotel at a glance
Here is what you need to know before you book your stay at the W New York Union Square.
| Criteria | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | W Hotels (Marriott Bonvoy) |
| Address | 201 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003 |
| Rooms | 256 rooms and suites |
| Opened | 2000, reopened in 2025 after a US$100 million renovation |
| Destination fee | US$40 per night, plus tax |
| Breakfast | Free for Platinum Elite members and above (welcome gift) |
| Restaurants and bars | Seahorse, Living Room (coffee, bar and lounge), Guardian rooftop |
| Gym | Open 24/7, Peloton room with 5 bikes, hydromassage |
| Checkout | Noon |
Location facing Union Square
You stay at 201 Park Avenue South, on the northeast corner of Union Square. The 14 St–Union Square subway station is steps away, which puts you a few stops from both Midtown and lower Manhattan.
The Union Square Greenmarket sets up right outside on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., all year round. Washington Square Park and Greenwich Village are also about a 15-minute walk away. To plan the rest of your trip, our New York travel guide gives you a 4-day itinerary.
A 1911 building, fully renovated
The Beaux-Arts building was completed in 1911 for the Germania Life Insurance Company, later Guardian Life. New York City designated it a landmark in 1988, and it has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2001.
Marriott, which has owned the building since 2019, hired Rockwell Group for its US$100 million renovation. The same studio designed the hotel when it opened in 2000 as the second W in the world. As soon as you walk in, you notice the staircase with its wavy red and orange carpet, the large floral arrangements and the flower-patterned hallways that echo the park below.
Our suite at the W Union Square
We stayed in a suite, secured with an upgrade award tied to Marriott Bonvoy elite status. You get a large living room (curved green sofa, white armchairs, floral rug and dining corner) separate from a bedroom with a king bed.
The living room bar hides a Nespresso machine and two drawers, one for cold drinks and one for snacks. The closet also comes with a W tote bag and a steamer, and the Marshall Bluetooth speakers let you play your own music.
Our windows looked out over Union Square Park and the Manhattan skyline, which is the main reason to book a park-view category. If you book an entry-level room, expect a city view instead. If you are a light sleeper, keep in mind that the park side also gets the most traffic noise from Park Avenue South.
Room categories
The hotel has 256 rooms and suites. You can choose from these categories:
- Rooms: Standard, Deluxe, Superior, Premier and Premier Deluxe
- Suites: Studio Suite, Deluxe Suite, Premier Suite and Urban Suite
- Penthouse: 1,215 sq. ft. (113 m²), not bookable online
Marriott does not publish the size of the other categories. Our advice: if you have elite status, apply your upgrade awards, because the gap between an entry-level room and a suite is significant in Manhattan.
The bathroom
In our suite, the bathroom combines a double vanity, a walk-in shower, a dressing table with an orange stool, and bathrobes. A second powder room, with a round backlit mirror, is there for guests.
You get Davines toiletries, and suites come with a Dyson Supersonic hair dryer.
Seahorse, the seafood restaurant
Seahorse, on the ground floor, is the hotel's seafood restaurant and raw bar. John McDonald and Mercer Street Hospitality created it, and the executive chef is Miguel Pelaez Diaz. You dine under a 40-foot mural painted by Brooklyn studio En Viu.
We recommend booking for dinner, since the room also draws a local crowd. Here are the opening hours:
- Breakfast: 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., daily
- Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., daily
- Dinner: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., until 10:30 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday
- Brunch: Saturdays
Breakfast for elite members
If you are Platinum Elite or higher, you can choose breakfast as your W welcome gift, instead of 1,000 points or an amenity. It is served at Seahorse, for you and one guest, every night of your stay.
The menu given to elite members offers three options, all with fresh-squeezed juice, coffee or tea:
- Continental: freshly baked pastries, cultured butter and preserves
- Greek yogurt parfait: local berries, raw honey and house-made granola
- Eggs any style: Niman Ranch bacon, hash brown, marinated tomatoes and sourdough toast
Without status, you can apply the US$35 daily credit included in the destination fee. Our guide to Marriott Bonvoy elite status benefits explains what each tier gets you.
The Living Room, from coffee to cocktails
The Living Room fills the former second-floor ballroom, under a double-height ceiling. Rockwell Group turned it into an open lounge where you can work in the morning and have a drink at night.
You will find two options, open every day:
- Coffee: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., with Devoción coffee and pastries
- Bar and lounge: 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Guardian, the rooftop bar
The rooftop bar, Guardian, had not opened yet when we stayed. It now welcomes guests seventeen storeys above the street, under a retractable roof that keeps it open in every season. AvroKO designed the space, and you can book on Resy.
Here are its opening hours:
- Monday to Thursday: 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
- Friday: 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
- Saturday: noon to 11 p.m.
- Sunday: noon to 10 p.m.
Gym, Peloton and hydromassage
The fitness centre is open to you 24 hours a day. You will find cardio machines, free weights and a Peloton room with 5 bikes facing a large screen.
Next door, two hydromassage beds are waiting for you. The destination fee includes one 10-minute session for two people.
Meeting rooms for business travellers
The hotel offers 4 "Studio" rooms totalling 2,587 sq. ft. (240 m²), 3 of them overlooking the square, for up to 80 people. On a business trip, you can therefore combine an on-site meeting with more casual get-togethers in the Living Room.
The destination fee, item by item
The W Union Square charges a destination fee of US$40 per night, plus tax, or US$45.90. In return, you get:
- a US$35 daily credit at the hotel's restaurants and bars
- admission for 2 people to Mercer Labs
- one 10-minute hydromassage session for 2 people
- enhanced Wi-Fi
If you use the credit every day, the fee largely pays for itself.
Booking with Marriott Bonvoy points
The W Union Square uses Marriott Bonvoy dynamic pricing, so the number of points depends on your dates. Before you book, compare the points price with the cash rate; our article on the value of Marriott Bonvoy points gives you the benchmark, which is 0.9¢ per point.
Two levers lower the bill:
- The fifth night free: when you book 5 nights with points on one reservation, the cheapest night is free. Our article on the fifth night free with Marriott Bonvoy points explains the conditions.
- The free night award: offered every year by the Marriott Bonvoy American Express cards, it is worth up to 35,000 points, and you can top it up with up to 25,000 points from your account. Our guide to the Marriott Bonvoy free night award shows you how to use it.
For everything else, our Marriott Bonvoy ultimate guide covers the program from A to Z.
Credit cards to fund your stay
Two Canadian cards let you earn Marriott Bonvoy points directly:
- Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card: C$120 annual fee, 5 points per dollar at Marriott, 2 points elsewhere, Silver Elite status, 15 Elite Night Credits and a free night worth up to 35,000 points every year
- Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express®* Card: C$150 annual fee, 5 points per dollar at Marriott, 3 points on gas, dining and travel, 2 points elsewhere, Silver Elite status and the same annual free night
The welcome bonus gives you a quick first-year return:
- Personal card: 60,000 welcome points at 0.9¢ are worth about C$540, for a net gain of about C$420 in year one, after the annual fee
- Business card: 70,000 welcome points are worth about C$630, or about C$480 net in year one
Already have American Express Membership Rewards points? They also convert to Marriott Bonvoy points; our article on the Cobalt Card and Marriott Bonvoy points walks through the math. To compare with other options, use our credit card comparison tool.
Pros and cons
All in all, here is what we take away from our stay, good and bad.
- Location: facing Union Square, steps from the subway
- Bright suites: park views in the categories that offer them
- Living Room: open every day, from morning coffee to evening cocktails
- Rooftop bar: retractable roof, open in every season
- Elite breakfast: served at Seahorse for Platinum Elite members and above
- Gym: open 24 hours, with a Peloton room and hydromassage
- Destination fee: US$40 per night, plus tax
- Noisier park side: the view comes with more traffic noise from Park Avenue South
- Elevators: small and often full at peak times
- Compact entry-level rooms: sizes are not published, so they are hard to compare before booking
- Variable points price: nights follow Marriott Bonvoy dynamic pricing
- Minimum age: 21 to check in
Our other W and New York reviews
Like the W Union Square? We have also stayed at other W hotels and at other Marriott Bonvoy hotels in Manhattan.
Bottom line: who is it for?
The W New York Union Square pulls off its renovation. You get a central location, bright suites with park views and three places to eat and drink, from morning coffee to the rooftop bar.
We recommend it first to Platinum Elite members and above, who get breakfast and upgrades, and to business travellers who want to be in the heart of Manhattan. If you are booking the entry-level category without status, compare it with our other New York reviews first.
- Annual fee
- $120
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$600Total$600Plus $100 of bonus paid after the first year, not counted in this total.Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $600
- Welcome offerAfter $3,000 in 3 months
- Up to 70,000 points
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W New York Union Square - Frequently Asked Questions
How many Marriott Bonvoy points do you need for a night at the W New York Union Square?
The price follows Marriott Bonvoy dynamic pricing, so it changes with your dates. To lower the bill, book 5 nights with points on one reservation: the cheapest night is free. You can also use the free night award from the Marriott Bonvoy American Express cards, worth 35,000 points and topped up with up to 25,000 points.
Is breakfast included at the W Union Square?
Platinum Elite members and above can choose breakfast as their welcome gift, for themselves and one guest, every night at Seahorse. The menu offers a continental option, a Greek yogurt parfait or eggs any style. Without status, the US$35 daily credit included in the destination fee covers part of it.
How much is the W New York Union Square destination fee?
The hotel charges US$40 per night, plus tax, or US$45.90. The fee includes a US$35 daily credit at the restaurants and bars, admission for 2 to Mercer Labs, one 10-minute hydromassage session for 2 and enhanced Wi-Fi.
Does the W Union Square have a rooftop bar?
Yes. Guardian, the rooftop bar, sits under a retractable roof that keeps it open in every season. It is open from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday, noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 10 p.m. on Sunday. You can book on Resy.
What are the Living Room hours?
The Living Room is open every day. The coffee bar, with Devoción coffee and pastries, welcomes you from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., then the bar and lounge takes over from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Does the W New York Union Square have a gym?
Yes, the fitness centre is open 24 hours a day. You will find cardio machines, free weights, a Peloton room with 5 bikes and two hydromassage beds.
Which credit card should you choose to earn Marriott Bonvoy points?
The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card costs C$120 a year and gives you 5 points per dollar at Marriott, 2 points elsewhere, Silver Elite status and a free night worth up to 35,000 points every year. If you own a business, the Business version, at C$150, adds 3 points on gas, dining and travel.
How many rooms does the W New York Union Square have?
The hotel has 256 rooms and suites, from Standard rooms to Urban Suites. The 1,215 sq. ft. (113 m²) Penthouse is not bookable online. If you have elite status, your upgrade awards can get you into a suite, as they did during our stay.