Review of W Montreal, by James Wallman

Walking into the W Montreal feels like you've just stepped into a party where everyone's invited. Understated lighting and music ensures that even when quiet, it feels as if someone's socialising just round the corner. And ever-friendly staff make you feel you could join in at any time.

The wi-fi enabled lobby is a gently lit, double height space framed by outsize black panels and dark wood. Low, modular black sofas cluster round red plastic cubes. Books on design are stacked on low shelves. In front are two fire engine red three-pronged loungers, white lamb fur balls at their epicentre. Above, five delicate ivory-coloured spheres hang like different size moons. Below, bird of paradise flowers perch atop a six-foot gentle fountain, whose water spills down slate sides.

The facilities

The W Montreal has three bars, as well as suites for meetings or dinners. On the mezzanine is lounge bar Le Plateau. Bartini fits ten - the kind of place you're on first name terms with the barman within minutes. Wunderbar is the late-night party bar, lauded for its hip décor by style magazine Wallpaper*. Clever lighting changes the wavy ceiling's colour from purple to red and orange. On Thursday nights, it's where the city's hip hang out.

The basement Away Spa helps you forget you're in a city. My hot stone treatment involved lots of very hot stones and hot oil, and made me forget who I was, let alone that I was in a hotel basement.

Rooms

The 122 rooms and 30 suites are a blend of modern chic and homey comfortable. Rooms are called Cozy (the smallest is 312 square feet), Wonderful, Spectacular and Mega. Suites are Urban, Wow and Extreme Wow - where Richard Branson stayed. Grey carpet, black upholstered comfy seats and ebony stained ash furniture are brightened up by big mirrors on most walls, floor-to-ceiling windows and W Hotels' signature electric blue - on silk cushions and matching curtains.

Beds are impossibly comfy - just-the-right-side-of-solid soft, with lots of pillows. It took me a few nights to work out how to turn off the light-barrel bedside tables, but moments to open and play the freebie 'lounge beats' CD. Bathrooms are minimalist white ceramic, with baths so deep that it takes five minutes to fill - even with a tap that would give the Niagara Falls a run for its money. Oversized bathrobes are lined with terry towelling. Toiletries are by Aveda, including rosemary and mint shampoo.