W Montreal

Mirrored surfaces, wide gray loungers, and sultry LED lighting -- all under a soaring wood awning -- set the mood in the space-age-inspired lobby at the W Montreal. The overall scene feels club-like, especially on the weekends, when the downstairs Wunderbar, with its wall of undulating rainbow lights, plays loud music until late at night. (Sounds and reverberations can be heard -- and felt -- in lower-level rooms.) As a result, the crowds skews younger, and the hotel is especially popular with parties. Guests wanting traditional rooms and peace and quiet should look elsewhere.

Located on a busy street, the W Montreal is on the border of picturesque Old Montreal/Old Port and the downtown financial district, putting many of the city's sights within walking distance. As a financial area, the immediate surroundings tend to be liveliest on weekdays, but the shops and restaurants of Vieux-Montreal are minutes away on foot. - The hotel is directly above the Square-Victoria-OACI metro station

• Across the street from Victoria Square, a public park
• Six-minute walk to Central Station, the city's main train station
• 11-minute walk to Montreal Eaton Centre, a large and historic shopping mall
• 12-minute walk to the Palais de Justice de Montreal, which marks the center of the Old Montreal
• 23-minute walk to Centre Bell, a multipurpose sports and concert arena
• 13-minute walk to McGill University 
• 20-minute drive to the Biodome
• 25- to 30-minute drive to Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport

With a color scheme of black, white, gray, and flashes of canary yellow, rooms are simultaneously snappy and sexy. True to the brand, they slant more towards tongue-in-cheek quirk than traditional upscale luxury: walls have a zoomed-in classical marble motif, 42-inch flat-screen TVs are framed by a mirror "mantelpiece," and the black-and-yellow carpeting resembles chevron-parquet hardwood flooring. The glass panel between the shower and the main room area could also be considered an extension of the W's sense of whimsy, though some guests are unsettled by the privacy-compromising design. (Bathroom perks include rainfall showerheads, Bliss bath products, waffle-weave bathrobes, and magnifying mirrors.)All rooms have Bluetooth speakers, safes, soft-close drawers, and extensive and high-end minibars. Some rooms have windows that look onto an interior staircase and receive no natural light. Larger rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows and balconies. In-room Wi-Fi is free for Starwood Preferred Guests members and costs a fee for non-members.

The W Montreal is best known for its nightlife; its three lively bars are all popular with locals, guests, and in-the-know out-of-towners. Etre Avec Toi (E.A.T.), the on-site restaurant, does its part to maintain the hotel's social atmosphere with an art gallery, live DJs, mixology program, and a menu of shareable plates. There's a large, modern fitness center (open 24 hours), with treadmills, exercise bikes, and elliptical machines, as well as weighted balls, free weights, and weight machines. Away Spa is small, but it offers a massive range of salon and spa treatments, available in both the treatment rooms and guest rooms. There are also five meeting and event spaces, plus free Wi-Fi in common areas. Room service is 24 hours -- that includes a pets' room service menu, which features rare sirloin, cooked salmon, and Iams cat and dog food.The W features SPG Keyless, which sends arriving guests their room number on their smartphones, thus allowing them to by-pass the check-in process at the front desk. Guests can use their compatible smartphones and Apple Watches to access rooms throughout their stay.