W Santiago

Rooms and decor

Walk into the lobby at W Santiago for the first time and you'll find yourself looking up at the high ceiling and the coloured lighting that shifts through the day. This is the first W-brand hotel in South America, opened in 2009, parked on Isidora Goyenechea street in El Golf, the upscale finance district of Las Condes that locals call Sanhattan. The 17-story tower packs 196 rooms and suites full of sensory detail — the brand's signature scent in every space, lounge music that shifts tone through the day, and persimmon-coloured velvet sofas and blue neon set against grey stone walls. Rooms were designed by New York's Studio GAIA in dark grey and brown, cut with bold colour from small furniture pieces, persimmon curtains and lighting that changes mood. High ceilings keep it feeling open, and floor-to-ceiling windows open onto the city or the Andes — the high, mountain-facing rooms are the ones reviewers ask for most. Anyone who has stayed at a W elsewhere will feel right at home: playful, informal, not trying to act solemn the way classic luxury hotels do. It's a strong, hard-to-shift personality — you'll either love it or shrug, depending on your own taste.

Food and amenities

Every room has a WET Bar, the W-style minibar stocked with snacks and drinks, and some have a glass bathroom designed to open onto the bedroom — a brand signature that makes the room more romantic for couples, though you can pull the blind down if you'd rather have privacy. Up on floor 19 is the Terraza, the hotel's rooftop highlight: an outdoor pool with a 360-degree Andes view, plus twin cabanas, a jacuzzi and a small bar. At sunset the golden light spills across the mountains behind the Sanhattan towers, and plenty of reviews call it the best photo of the whole trip. The main restaurant is NoSo by chef Sergio Barroso, serving Latin-Asian fusion that plays Chilean ingredients like southern sea fish, Maipo wine and avocado against Japanese-Peruvian technique — ceviche, tataki and Nikkei sushi come up most in reviews. The lobby is home to Whiskey Blue Bar, a cocktail bar that pulls in the city's younger crowd on Friday and Saturday nights with a DJ spinning house and Latin lounge. Floor 6 holds the Bliss Spa and a 24-hour fitness room.

Location and getting there

Step out the lobby door and you're on Isidora Goyenechea, lined with restaurants, good coffee shops and the offices of big Chilean firms. It's about a 5-minute walk to El Golf metro on Line 1, and from there it's just 3 or 4 stops to the old centre at Plaza de Armas and the La Moneda palace. The Costanera Center mall and Sky Costanera — the tallest building in South America — are a 15-to-20-minute walk away. Arturo Merino Benítez airport (SCL) is a 25-to-35-minute drive when traffic is light. It's an easy base if you're here on business in El Golf; if you mostly want to wander old neighbourhoods, you'll be taking the metro out a fair bit.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk — the loud W personality, the music and coloured lights in the public areas, won't suit everyone. Anyone hoping for a hushed, deferential classic-luxury hotel may find it too lively, especially on Friday and Saturday nights when Whiskey Blue Bar in the lobby gets loud enough that the crowd spills into the hallway. Some guests in lower-floor rooms complain about bass and chatter into the small hours, so choose floor 12 or above and ask for the mountain-facing side to dodge both the noise and bag the better view. The other recurring point is price — food and drinks in the hotel, especially at NoSo and Whiskey Blue, run well above the city average, and some reviewers feel they paid more than the quality delivered; to spend less, walk Isidora Goyenechea or take the metro to Lastarria for a wider, cheaper spread of places. Finally, the glass bathroom — a genuine W signature, but couples who aren't that close may find it awkward, so check the blind works before you settle in, and families with older kids may want a room type with a clearly separate bathroom.

Our take

W Santiago is the lifestyle high-roller of the El Golf side, selling personality, fun, design and a good time as its main draw — more than classic luxury. If you're a couple after a stylish evening, cocktails in a buzzing bar, a fusion dinner in a well-designed room, then a nightcap on a rooftop with an Andes view, this place nails it. Business travelers with meetings in El Golf are close to the offices and a short walk from the metro. Anyone chasing quiet calm, or a family with small kids, may find the mood too lively and the design too loud. Overall we give it 8.4/10 — best for couples, lifestyle travelers and younger business types who want to mix work with a good time, in a city where high mountains and skyscrapers sit in the same frame.