Sure, playing Call of Duty at home is fun — but have you ever wondered what it might be like to stay in a hotel with some of the world’s best gaming equipment at your fingertips?
Wonder no more! Trendy hotel brand W launched its specialised Gaming Suite last November at its London branch, which has the distinction of being the UK’s first and combines “the sensation of casual gaming with the luxury world of hospitality”: basically, they’ve taken W London’s prestige WOW suite and added a whole load of hi-tech consoles.
With the suite’s running time now extended to July 31, now’s the perfect time to pay it a visit.
But is it really the best place to game? I set off to find out.
The hardware
The first thing that hits you when you walk into the W London Gaming Suite is the sheer amount of hardware on display.
There’s a top-of-the-range gaming CyberPower PC that downloads games at warp speed. There’s also an Xbox Series X/S, though, weirdly no PlayStation, making this feel like a somewhat incomplete gaming set-up.
The best feature, however, has to be the Samsung 55” Odyssey Ark. With its massive, curved screen and insanely good graphics, it makes gaming — especially playing shooters — a dream. I don’t think I’ve ever played so well, though the graphics for Halo or Call of Duty sometimes did struggle to do justice to its immense size.
Really, for a gamer — and especially a Twitch streamer — this has everything you could possibly want, and then some.
You want a mic? This one lights up. There’s lighting (and a camera) rigged up to ensure that any video streams look spectacular; the chair — a Secretlab TITAN Evo 2022, no less — feels like sitting on a cloud. Even the desk — a Secretlab MAGNUS Metal model — can be adjusted for height and has a soft leatherette surface to rest your arms on.
In terms of games, the suite comes with a range of popular ones pre-downloaded (think Fortnite, Call of Duty, and Fifa) but helpfully, you can also ask for ones to be added prior to your arrival — or even peruse the hotel’s Xbox Game Pass once you arrive.
The only downside? The hotel’s WiFi, which didn’t quite keep up with online gaming speeds. Games like Halo’s online multiplayer struggled to perform on the Xbox, with significant lag times — though, once the actual game was downloaded, it wasn’t a problem.
The room
The Gaming Suite is located right in the heart of London — and when I say heart, I mean the windows look onto Leicester Square. It’s located in W London’s WOW Suite, which is pretty gorgeous: you can control the lighting and music from one of several iPads, the bathroom is massive, and the bed huge. The suite is divided into two, with one side comprising the living area (and the gaming set-up) and the other, the bed.
W, helpfully, has also designed a specific menu for those who are too deep into their gaming to want to leave their rooms. It’s titled ‘Brain Boosters’, which is pretty accurate: the food on offer (alongside the standard dining/restaurant options) are more trendy nibbles than full-on meals.
We went for a selection of Bao buns but, for the health-conscious, there are Lion’s Mane mushroom drinks, cacao granola bars, and protein balls (as well as some cocktails) to get stuck into. Très chic - and also, presumably, good for boosting concentration.
The verdict
Is the W Gaming Suite a fun way to spend a night or two? Absolutely. Even if you’re not a professional gamer, sitting in front of that massive screen, surrounded by whirring lights, makes you feel like video game royalty.
The only drawback, perhaps inevitably, is the cost. Is it worth visiting? With prices starting from £1,500 a night, probably not if you live in London, especially considering that a decent gaming PC will set you back significantly less. Plus, this might not be the best place to bring friends: there are two Xbox controllers, but everything else is catered to one person, from the chair (one) to the massive screen (also one).
But if you’re a Twitch streamer on the move — and want to access the best kit possible while travelling — then there’s nowhere better to be. Plus, did I mention the massive TV screen? That alone is almost worth the price of admission.
