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Located on the corner of Leicester Square, W London is one of the premier luxury hotels in Soho, the hip cultural center of London, England. The W Hotels brand prioritizes glitz and glam, attracting guests looking to enjoy the city’s vibrant and thrilling social scene. The hotel’s energetic bars will pull you in, serving up great cocktails and a good time.
During my stay, I received an extra dose of excitement, attending a live performance by British pop star ELIZA in the hotel’s lobby-level bar. During an exclusive meet & greet before the show (paid for with rewards points), I had a nice chat with the star over a glass of champagne. It was a memorable experience, and the W London was a perfect setting.
Room Rates & Reservations
The cost of a hotel room at the W London varies considerably, with prices related to demand and season. Given its location on Leicester Square, it is one of London’s most popular 5-star hotels. In looking at rates over the next year, standard rooms range from £240 GBP per night to £440 GBP or more per night.
Those rates are a bit too steep for me, so I paid for my room with Marriott Bonvoy rewards points. The W London is a category 7 property in the rewards program, meaning a standard room will be priced between 50,000 points (off-peak) and 70,000 points (peak) per night.
Reservations can be made online via the hotel website.
Wheelchair Accessible Hotel Room
I had reserved a wheelchair accessible room with a roll-in shower. The property has only a small number of these rooms and no accessible suites. I was assigned to a “Spectacular” room type, specifically room 731. The door opens into a beautiful entryway full of mirrors.
A countertop running allow the entry hall features a sink and a space for a wheelchair user to sit in front of the mirror. This is primarily arranged as a place for make-up or styling.
The mirrors throughout the room gave off the impression that the room was quite large, but the opposite was in fact true. The small size of the room created some accessibility challenges, as I was only able to access one side of the bed with my wheelchair.
Although the hotel advertises a king size bed, I’m not sure that is the case. It looks to me to be either a full or queen size bed, but I’ll leave that determination up to you.
The bed was very comfortable, but low to the ground. At its lowest height setting, my power wheelchair seat was several inches taller than the mattress. For wheelchair users needing to use a transfer hoist, this bed wouldn’t work on account of its platform base.
A large, high-definition television was mounted on the wall opposite the foot of the bed. A mini-bar stocked with high-quality beer, wine and spirits was located nearby, but the prices were high. This is a luxury hotel in London, after all.
The television and some of the room’s other features (lighting, temperature, etc.) were controlled with a tablet, placed on a nightstand next to the bed. In-room dining orders, spa appointments and other requests could also be made from the device.
Wheelchair Accessible Bathroom
The bathroom was was spacious and fairly accessible, with an abundance of grab bars! It was designed in the style of a wet room, with drains in the floor.
The toilet was accessible, with space to park a wheelchair directly alongside the seat for a safe transfer. Both vertical and horizontal grab bars were affixed to the wall, and a small sink for washing was a nice touch. An emergency pull cord situated in front of the toilet is an important safety feature.
The roll-in shower had all of the expected accessibility features: a wall-mounted seat, water controls within reach, grab bars and a hand-held shower nozzle. The latter was attached high on the wall and out of reach, so it must be taken down before use.
W Hotels provide Bliss soap and shampoo, one of my favorite brands. Three bottles of soap, shampoo and conditioner were placed on a shelf next to the shower seat, but unfortunately out of reach. I placed them on a grab bar instead.
Like the toilet, there was an emergency pull cord located near the shower, but it was a bit too far away from the seat to be of much use.
Restaurants & Dining
The W London hotel features a large restaurant and bar on its lobby level, called Perception. It boasts a broad menu that appeals to many tastes, and it has a large drink menu, including my favorite American bourbon Woodford Reserve.
Seating of all types is offered, including tables that are accessible to wheelchair users. On busy nights, the space can be filled with people, making getting through the crowd in a wheelchair slow. It is worth noting that I was there for a live concert, meaning the hotel and bar were probably busier than normal.
Location & Transportation
Leicester Square is one of my favorite places to stay in London, just steps away from Chinatown, West End theatres, shopping, restaurants and more. Unfortunately, it is not directly served by an accessible subway station. The nearest accessible tube stations and the lines that stop there are:
- Green Park, 0.6 miles — Jubilee, Piccadilly, Victoria lines
- Tottenham Court Road, 0.5 miles — Central, Northern lines
- Westminster, 0.8 miles — Circle, District, Jubilee lines
Numerous city bus lines operate around Leicester Square and it is easy to hail a cab or order a wheelchair accessible Uber in the city.
Final Thoughts
My wheelchair accessible room at the W London hotel was too small, compromising its accessibility. I’d have preferred a larger room with space to access the bed on both sides and to approach the window, which should be a global standard for accessibility. One bright spot was the bathroom, with accessibility features to meet all of my needs.
Despite the room being small, I did have a pleasant stay. The food, drinks and atmosphere were enjoyable, and I had a memorable evening at the music concert. If the level of accessibility I have documented will meet your needs and you are willing to pay for a touch of luxury, I don’t see how you could go wrong at the W London hotel.
