Beach at W San Diego

Well. I tried this place last weekend. I thought it was lame and all I could think of is get the bleep out of there. I had to practice patience though since I was with other people. I ordered a beer, and it was served in a HOT glass, one that probably just came out of a dishwasher, or maybe they accidentally put it in the oven instead of the freezer. I couldn’t really believe it when I felt how hot the glass was, I still took my first sip to decide that the beer is actually warm before I say something, and immediately told the bartender. He said, no, it’s not warm, just the glass. Well, duh! Who serves beer in a hot glass. Have you heard of businesses freezing beer glasses? He got annoyed and opened up Another bottle and gave it to me without a glass. Some women do enjoy and appreciate a good/​cold beer. Don’t judge.
This review is solely a constructive criticism. You’re welcome!

Came up to the rooftop bar for a friend of mines birthday. The ambience is awesome bit pales in comparison to some of the trendier rooftop bars in la. The server was great I guess. But I ordered the chicken sliders which tasted good but first bite I get a gigantic chicken bone crack between my teeth. The server was apologetic and offered me options and she brought me a new product and gave it complimentary. Great service recovery. Wine list kinda sucks but as long as its wine… it’ll work. Lol. Will I stay at the W agaon? Of course I will. But will I take a spin on their rooftop bar? Only if its my friends birthday.

I love going to rooftop bars, they are usually something special. W rooftop bar definitely is. I like the fire and I loved the sand, but for some reason they took the sand away. Very trendy, modern and stylish! The DJ was fantastic playing very good «soft» house music!

I will say one thing: I miss the sand. Since the rehaul they added some cool night life feature but took away the one cool thing that set them apart from everyone else… the sand. Now it’s hard wood floors and prolly much easier to clean when people spill their drinks and food all night. Anyway, always a cool DJ and always really beautiful full figured woman and stylish dudes a plenty.

This is the «Rooftop» bar (on the roof of the first floor, therefore get off the elevator on floor 2)
Super fun, heaters when it’s cold, fun bar vibe, cozy lounge areas, fire pit. Pop in & enjoy!

Let’s clear up some confusion: Beach is now known as ‘The Rooftop Bar’ at the W, and gone are the sandy floors, umbrellas and generally beachy atmosphere that made the name ‘Beach’ seem logical. Rooftop is Beach, Beach is Rooftop, although it’s not actually on the roof of the hotel. I know it’s confusing, but it’s on the roof of the lobby, which is only 1 story, so Rooftop is actually on the second floor. I hope that helps, because when I was a guest at The W, at least one time out of three I got into the elevator with someone who hit the top floor button but was actually on their way to Rooftop on 2.
The bar itself is nice. I mean, it’s a pretty vast outdoor space with comfy lounge sofas and no street people harassing you for change. The bartenders are friendly and the drinks are inventive and decent, if a little mild for my taste. If you get there between 4:30 and 6:30, you can get a full pitcher of cocktails for $ 20, which is a steal considering you get several from a pitcher and the average price for a drink is $ 12.
On a sunny day (which most days in SD are), this is a great option for a little late-​afternoon drinking. It can turn a bit clubby after hours, so I tend to prefer it for daytime. Cheers!

Even though I love this hotel, I was disappointed with the service at the bar here. I came up to the bar to have a drink with my parents before going to dinner and we sat down waiting for the server. We probably waited 20 minutes and she walked past our area but totally did not acknowledge us. I even waved my hand and said excuse me to get her attention, and yet she just walked away. We didn’t want to be late for our dinner reservation so we decided to just go sit at the bar for a drink. The bartender was nice and gives you your alcohols worth in your drink which is good. But service seriously sucks.

Not a huge fan of paying inflated prices for the «roof top» bar at the W. By rooftop they mean it’s about two stories above street level. The service was good but it did not justify the price for the cocktails. The sand at the bar is also cool, but not really cool. I get kind of sick of the stupid little phrases the W uses in their hotel to try to create a unique experience.
That’s my take.

Good view.
Slow, unimpressive service.
Very expensive for VERY weak cocktails. If you have to be here for some reason, go for beer or wine. The cocktails just aren’t worth it.
In fact, I signed up with Unilocal specifically to write a negative review of this place.

I wasn’t overly impressed with the Beach at the W. Was the atmosphere nice? Did they offer heat lamps for the cooling weather? Yes. Otherwise that was it. It’s a cool concept with actual sand on the 2^nd floor to provide with a more «outside» beachy feel, but it’s not very large, the service is all right and the drinks are expensive. I understand that it’s a hotel bar, but it won’t entice the local (being me) to come in here for any particular reason. I also find it weird that you can have a glass beer bottle, but they serve you wine in a plastic glass. I understand safety and all if it were a pool bar, but it’s not. It’s just outside, that’s where it ends.
I was not here for happy hour, so I’m unsure if that pricing is better and I just missed the boat or what. I think it would be more fun during the summer time with later daylight hours and warmer weather. You do get a fairly decent view of the city considering you are only on the second floor though. Parking is street parking unless you feel like getting nutty and going with valet.

This place is very cool in my book. I love the beach and I love the city and I love fancy schmancy hotels and the W San Diego has it all.
Add adult beverages and a Sunday gay beach party where we met Ross Mathews and that is why the Beach at the W receives 5 stars from me.

The Beach at the W San Diego is nice located upstairs with an open and airy feel. They had lounge chairs, heaters, and sand everywhere. I will suggest to only wear flip flops since wearing nice shoes will either not be seen or impressed by your date. :)
The crowd is pretty well controlled however maybe they should change the music to a top 40’s instead of all house or electronic. The view was nice. Great for groups or large parties. You can actually hear each other talk.

Discovered this cool little spot during the Fiji Water #fijihunt. It’s located on the 2^nd floor of the W Hotel. What’s cool is that it’s an open air bar area with actual sand, lounge chairs, music, heaters, and apparently a happy hour.
Down the stairs, you’ll be able to see the pool and actually feel like you’re at the beach. From the rooftop, you’ll get a decent view of the city and you’ll also be able to soak up some sun and breeze.
I loved the vibe and think it’s a pretty cool spot to hang out.

Great concept — with actual sand on the 2^nd floor open-​air bar @ W
Good music — house mostly
Decent view — panoramic
Okay service — not impressed
Not okay drinks selection — they were out of most things or didn’t add enough alcohol into whatever they could make
Weird crowd — yeah, let’s leave it that.

I cannot recall back on my college days without mentioning the Beach at the W Hotel.
Instead of dive bars and house parties, my super hot model roommate and I would frequent this place on a regular basis. This is a rooftop lounge bar at the W Hotel in DTSD. They filled the place with sand and bon fire pits to make it a beachy feel (the BEACH, get it?).
It was hip, trendy, swanky and most of all, filled with fellow super hot crowd. Add decent music and delicious, albeit expensive drinks and you got yourself a great place to hang.
Ironically, I didn’t visit when I actually stayed at the W years later but it always remains a special place in my heart.

I was shocked that on a Saturday night, this place was near empty. THe upstairs wasn’t crowded, the downstairs was a ghost town. But I am so excited I came here. I didn’t have to deal with snotty servers since I was in the VIP, so I can’t share that experience with those who have had to deal with it (I’m sorry, that’s the worst). People were dressed from casual to overdressed, and everyone seemed to fit in (well, not TOO casual, but there were jeans).
I absolutely think the space is stunning on the rooftop, and the sand is an awesome touch, even though it got in my strappy sandals and was pretty uncomfortable. But I’m not even going to complain about it. The views are to die, and this is an area that’s low traffic, so I was able to park on the street. YES!

I adore rooftop lounges, and the Beach at the W is no exception. With glimmering lights casting a romantic glow over the downtown San Diego skyscrapers and the feel of soft, cool sand under your feet, you are bound to have an entertaining and relaxing night.
Casual, sophisticated atmosphere with fun, bumpin’ music.
Drinks aren’t too pricey. 2 shots of Patron = $ 26 and 3 shots of liquid cocaine = $ 30.
I will definitely be back. The W Hotel is very chic and modern as well. LOVES IT!

Loved the idea of a beach theme downtown… pretty cool… downstairs there was another bar and the bartender was cool… but then we went upstairs and the bartender sucked… my drink barely had alcohol in it and it took a while to get a drink, they need to open a second bar upstairs or leave the downstairs open or something…
View is awesome… i would definitely take my friends from out of town here again…
No dress code =) got in with a hat and no cover when we came around 10:30 PM on a Friday… I enjoy the heat and fire to keep us warm up on the roof cause it was slightly chilly with the breeze
The door guy was cool cause he called us a party bus to take 15 of us to downtown after we pre-​funked here…
Crowd is older… so bring your own friends and be the life of the party with your group… that’s my two cents

Cell phone conversation:
Friend: «Hey Lisa, where you at tonight?»
Me: «I’m at a bar… at the beach with sand in my toes… on a roof… in down town Diego!»
That’s pretty awesome. Needless to say, my friend (from Portland, OR) was quite confused and needed some clarification. How many bars can you say that about and be telling the truth.
I love how it has beach sand. It makes you feel like you are at the beach. The only problem with it is that it can be hard to walk on, especially if you get kinda tipsy, and the sand gets in your shoes. But it’s still pretty darn cool. They have cool seating arrangements as well. They got some chairs around fireplaces and then even some 70’s style hanging chairs. The drinks are certainly pricey but the experience is still kinda worth it. Plus they have a downstairs dance floor and some loungey areas on the middle level that I think is where people sometimes make out (not me, but other people).

What a great spot for a team event of birthday party!
I went with a group of colleagues when I was in San Diego for work, and we had a great time!
You feel like you’re on small island about 5 stories high, in the middle of the city. The sand is heated and is a cute way to hang out with your friends or co-​workers and just chill.
The drinks were great! I also remember they serve small plates, and the food was pretty good.
I was there during the week around 7pm in August of 2005, and it was an after-​work-​crowd. Picture this… businessmen in suits with rolled up pants and shoeless. It’s a really soothing atmosphere!