*sigh* I am disappointed to say that Philip O. took the words right of my mouth! I’m not a spiteful Unilocaler and don’t just pass out one-star reviews like these. Actually, I was going to give two stars because I thought that my experience might have been a fluke. After reading other Unilocaler’s reviews, I am feeling my frustration all over again. Furthermore– why isn’t the W Lounge management team replying to these reviews and taking action? Anyway, here goes. My mother and I were going to a show at the Wang(across the street, as is the Wilbur) at 8pm on a Tuesday. We arrived at the W lounge around 6:45pm. After 10 minutes of being complete ignored by all staff and not even knowing if there was a hostess working, we went to the bar to find someone who could seat us. Just a few minutes after sitting down, a server came to take our drink orders. We just wanted a glass of wine and a cocktail, and also ordered our food at that time: Salads and a cup of soup to share. We told our server that we were going to the 8:00 show and would like to be out by 7:50 or so. I will admit that Mom and I are power eaters… we can put away a Thanksgiving feast in 15 minutes, so we weren’t worried about timing– we figured even if our salads took 30 minutes to come out we’d still be in good time. What happened next was incredibly frustrating. They were way understaffed or totally inefficient, or maybe even both. We had been waiting 30 minutes, and our drinks did not come. No one came to check on us or tell us they’d be right out. I visited the bar and spoke to the original server, giving her our drink order again. 1 hour till ShowTime. Hey– if they bring our drinks and food out now, we’ll still be fine. No such luck 20 minutes later(a total of 50 minutes since we arrived) we still did not receive drinks, food, or acknowledgement. I don’t think I’ve ever left a restaurant after ordering and not receiving my food… but there was no way we were paying $ 70 to shove a meal and drinks down our throats with just seconds to spare before the lights go out in the theater. This experience really put a damper on what was supposed to be a special evening for my mother. She doesn’t live in Boston and was looking forward to a lovely dinner. Instead, we had to have a crusty pretzel from the Theater for dinner. I will not be giving the W Lounge my patronage. Get it together, guys.
Rosie Q.
Place rating: 2 Boston, MA
Great atmosphere for a lounge. The decors and fireplace is very chic. Service: Sucks! Hardly anyone working on the floor. When you do manage to find someone to order, they disappear because we ended up with a different person throughout the time we were there. And when you manage to spot them, you’ll find them in groups chatting by the register which makes absolutely no sense because you should have a host there and all waitstaff should be manning certain areas or tables and actually working. The only people who were nice are the one who brought out our food. Must-try: Parmesan fries, yum! Very flavorful.
Linda F.
Place rating: 3 Wakefield, MA
Went in before a show at the wang. Sat in the lounge and one server for about 20 tables. He did a real good job considering he was the only one working the lounge. Try the fired chicken sandwich to die for. The breading and taste were yummy. Burger under cooked and cold no time to send back. ate around edges wish we got two chicken sandwiches. Need to put extra staff on when it is show night. prices very high for ok food. Might try dining room next time, if there is one.
Katelyn D.
Place rating: 5 Quincy, MA
Food was delicious(especially the calamari and pizza). Atmosphere was nice and relaxed. All the employees very nice. Service was a bit slow, but it was also very busy. Overall a good experience!
Philip O.
Place rating: 1 Andover, MA
Located directly across from the Wang and the Wilbur, you’d think a restaurant could make a killing in this location. Unfortunately, in order to do this, it would need to be able to serve food and drinks. We arrived on Friday at 6:50PM, hoping to get appetizers for an 8PM show at the Wang. While they were busy, they found us a table(for 2) quickly and we were seated. Our waiter arrived almost immediately to take drink and food orders(7PM exactly), and said we should be «fine» for an 8PM show, guessing we’d be done by 7:45PM. However, by 7:25PM, our concern had grown for 4 reasons: 1. We’d never received our drinks(much less food) 2. We’d never even had our water glasses filled 3. Waiters were visible, but nowhere near our section(there was no one to waive down), and 4. The 3 tables closest to us all seemed to be very delayed for food or drinks. In one case, a couple who had been seated before us STILL hadn’t been able to get anyone to take their order by 7:25. Seeing the writing on the wall, we left.(We explained why to the hostess as we left — she said nothing, making me think our complaint wasn’t uncommon). We ended-up eating at the Panera across the street. It wasn’t fancy, but the staff was cheerful, service was prompt, and we saved some money, too.
Michael S.
Place rating: 5 Boston, MA
Went to the gallery section(the bar around the corner from the main bar, much less crowded!) of the W Lounge on a Thursday evening with a couple friends after we went to Rock Bottom Brewery for dinner. Had a couple great old fashioned whiskeys and was really impressed with the service and kindness of our bartender Eleni! Very reasonably priced and well worth it. Will certainly be back in the future.
Jen N.
Place rating: 1 Woodbridge, VA
Literally the worst service I’ve ever had. I’m currently still here… Waiting. The cocktail waitress took forever to come to the table. I had to go to the bar, they said they’ll send a waitress. Waited for a good 15 mins before she finally came. She wasn’t helpful and didn’t offer any suggestions. We had to ask her. Finally the food came… The steak wasn’t cooked correctly… I wanted medium rare and mine was pretty much done. I’ve been waiting for her… Or anyone to come check up on us… So I could tell them about my steak… We needed sauce and wasn’t able to get anyone’s attention. I feel like I shouldn’t have to go up to the bar and ask if There’s plenty of people walking around… Yet still no one checked up on us… We are about to go to the bar to ask for the check and leave. Worst service I’ve ever encountered.
Scott G.
Place rating: 4 Bourne, MA
We went later at night when there was a DJ playing 90’s club type music and we had a great time. The younger brunette girl we had as a bartender was great, really nice, made good drinks. The only negative thing was that it’s in the hotel lobby area and it took until 930 – 10 for the guests in giant winter jackets, fur hats and mittens to be replaced by people dressed for a night of going out in Boston. It completely changed the vibe, making it feel more like a upscale lounge/club. Can’t wait to go back!
Kahuna M.
Place rating: 3 Falmouth, MA
Just stopped in for a drink, because I was staying at near by hotel. Ordered a Ketel and soda. Drink was made by unfriendly male bartender; the girls were friendly, but unfortunately, the only guy behind the bar, took my order. Drink was delivered, and i gave him a $ 20 dollar bill when it arrived. He took the $ 20, and never came back; no words were exchanged. After a while, I asked one of the girl tenders how much a Ketel was; She said $ 12; I said«ok», please tell the guy, that the $ 8 change was my tip. I would have left it anyway; but the fact that the guy didn’t even bring me my change, and assumed that the $ 8 was his, chapped my ass. Girls seemed friendly and attentive, but the guy needs to go back to hospitality school. W spent too much on this property, to have«one, and done» service.
Annabelle C.
Place rating: 4 Walpole, MA
Decided to stop here after dinner in the city and had a great time. The atmosphere was very posh and the music wasn’t bad. We just hoped that the DJ wouldn’t switch songs so quickly… We couldn’t enjoy most of the song because they kept changing. Drinks were pricey but that’s Boston. We were able to grab seats pretty quickly because the bar was packed! If in the city wouldn’t mind going back to this stop.
Klim K.
Place rating: 5 West New York, NJ
Review for the brunch/lunch restaurant area: delicious food with great waiter staff and management!!! Thank you all very much for making our trip to the W that much better. You can’t go wrong with the food, so sit down and enjoy yourself.
Frank D.
Place rating: 3 Union City, NJ
OK for a club! Music is just good and the drinks are too watered down. The bartenders are ok but need to know how to mix a drink!
Adam P.
Place rating: 4 Bronx, NY
My family and I arrived late on a Thursday in Boston. After looking for food options in the area we settled back on the hotel lounge. I’m glad we did. The service was great, and on a thursday the lounge was totally accomodating to my family(including my 7yo — and I’m glad I got to see her first experience ever at a «club»). Aside from the loud music for what felt like a pick-up-joint at a hotel lounge, the burgers were amazing. My 7yo still craves their burgers(and for a person who has a few years experience eating almost only burgers, this is high praise). If I were in the area of the W Lounge and I needed a good burger to keep down a nights worth of drinking or if I needed a foundation for a nights drinking, the burger at the W Lounge really cannot be beat. It was arguably one of the best burgers I’ve ever had(coming from NYC where a great burger is on every block I feel this is high praise).
Josh F.
Place rating: 5 Webster, MA
I stayed there for 3 nights. The staff was so helpful and made me feel like I was at home. Anything I needed they got it for me. The bartenders in the lounge were great too! After checking out I grabbed a bite to eat at the bar. The burger was one of the best I’ve ever had. I will definitely be staying there and going to the lounge when I’m in Boston next.
Ruth P.
Place rating: 2 Jamaica Plain, MA
Three bartenders, one waitress, and no one waited on us for 20 minutes. It was not busy. No one at the bar. Just a scattering of tables. Food was average but very overpriced. As were the drinks.
Deirdre C.
Place rating: 5 Brighton, MA
A few friends and I booked a table at the W Lounge through Tablelist on a Friday night. We were greeted by the super friendly staff and ended up being seated in one of their insanely comfortable couch/VIP tables right next to a fire place. The décor in the W Lounge is beautiful, its very modern and chic. Great music & overall vibe. A perfect place for a girls night out or catching up with some friends. We decided to order the cocktail service option when we booked the table and it was a great choice. It allowed us to try a variety of the their cocktails– all of which were amazing. Our waitress was extremely knowledgeable and helpful on drink suggestions. We’re still talking about how much fun we had– definitely returning to the W Lounge soon.
Marie P.
Place rating: 4 San Francisco, CA
Nice trendy, upscale lounge. good vibes. We came here on a good night to chill, drink and chat. Good music and nice ambiance in here. I believe there is a little bit of a dress code so be sure to see what the protocol is first. Peeps in the front were cool too no drama, just good times! Drinks are off the hook too.
Jamey B.
Place rating: 4 Arlington, MA
Odd hotel vibe but bonus star for really strong drinks. I had a very lovely French 75 and one of the specialty cocktails– a mojitoish creation that left me a little lightheaded. I actually visited twice in one evening and both times were equivalent. The calamari is TASTY. I mean, one of the best versions of this ubiquitous dish I have ever sampled. This was quite a surprise. Both waitresses I encountered were polite and efficient and I more than kind of wanted their LBDs. Aloof service but polite and fairly efficient. I don’t want waitstaff at a lounge being my BFF.
Jacquelynn C.
Place rating: 5 Los Angeles, CA
Decided on a whim to spend our NYE here, we definitely didn’t want to spend over the top money somewhere and not have a good time and this place was the best surprise of all. Was doing some instagram research on what was expected for NYE, Guest DJ, no guest list, no line and no cover… thats a winner for me. We thought, we would have a couple of drinks at the bar, do a little mingling till midnight and have a good time… Insider tip that we discovered that night… the main tables in the middle of the lounge all have«reserved» on them, if you ask a waitress nicely if your party can sit at them she will gladly let you until the table is sold, and if your lucky can stay there the whole night like we did. And all it took was just to ask! We ordered food, drinks, etc. did not have to pay the ridiculous price of having to pay bottle service just to sit there. The music was good, got amazing service from the friendly staff and got party favors! Pros — no cover, no line, amazing service, great good looking crowd, just ask! Cons — drinks are a little pricey, but its the W… come on its expected.
Mark M.
Place rating: 2 Austin, TX
I stopped by here a few times during my 3-night stay at The W. It is certainly not up to par with its sister W Lounges around the world. The main issue is the service. It’s slow, inconsistent and the servers seem to be consistently annoyed by customers. Otherwise, fun atmosphere. Not too oonce oonce(many W Lounges are). Fun people watching.
Hilary H.
Place rating: 2 Providence, RI
I will keep this simple and to-the-point: The bartender was more interested in talking to the sexy waitress than taking orders, and when he finally did, he mixed and poured my gimlet with such sloppy carelessness, it had full-on ice cubes in it when he slid it over to me. Ice in a martini that costs $ 15? I don’t think so. The drinks were weak and, while the menu was inventive, lackluster. The lounge and bar are gorgeous, of course, but it’s all trend and lacks substance. We did have an order of calamari that was delicious but miniscule for the $ 18 we paid for it. Basically, take your money elsewhere — there’s a lot more quality to be found nearby than in this bar, for sure.