W XYZ Bar

"W XYZ Bar" is a Marriott International brand for their restaurant and lounge concept that serves their Aloft Hotel chain. This particular location provides service to the Aloft and Element hotel properties which share this location, and is popular with business travelers and their guests who frequently this property for its proximity to Microsoft's global headquarters.W XYZ follows a fast casual model for food service that replies on simple menus and orders placed using a mobile app. The menus are limited and somewhat underwhelming in their execution, but they're fine for bar fare and will do in a pinch if you just need a nibble or can't make it off property. They're open twice daily for breakfast and dinner service, though most popular in the evenings after work owing to a good bar menu and solid craft cocktails.

Ok for a hotel lounge, I guess. I ordered clam chowder and a burger. They came at the same time, so I had decided between hot soup or hot fries. The chowder was served with a teaspoon rather than a soup spoon and wasn't exactly what I'd call hearty. The perfectly formed burger clearly came out of the freezer. My water glass never got refilled. And to top it off, you can order dessert (which I didn't), but you can't order coffee. Meh. Seconds after I posted the above, the waiter showed up with a cup of coffee and some Coffee Mate. He said it had to be our secret. Kinda redeemed the night. One extra star for that.

The food is hit or miss. Stayed in the attached hotel for a week and ate here 3 times during my stay. The first experience was the Korean BBQ tacos off the starters menu. These were way too big to get a bite and while the avocado was fresh, the BBQ and sauce was watery and not very good at all. The next meal I had a simple grilled chicken Cesar salad that was good. I had the cheesecake with strawberries for dessert. The strawberries were not cleaned and cut very well, but overall it was okay. If I had to summarize the food, it was just okay and not worth the higher price. The bar staff was nice but not great at making mixed drinks.

Cool place for a drink or two. The ambiance is nice and boujee and perfect for having a drink/catching up. Food is alright, though a bit overpriced. The bartenders are amazing and service is good.

Ambiance - 4/5. It's a cool pet friendly bar adjacent to Aloft and Element hotel near Microsoft visitor center. I'm not sure why it's empty all the time. Could it be due to Covid?Service - 1/5. There isn't really service. I'm just could he because they are understaffed after Covid.Drinks - 3/5. How can they not have a draft Hefeweizen? I don't want to pay premium for a bottle beer. I'd rather go get a 6-pack at Safeway that is a minute away by car and about a few minutes walk by foot. They do have a pretty good line up of other drinks like wine, cocktails, etc. though.

Stopped by for a drink to cool down when we two spied this new WXYZ lounge while on a long neighborhood walk on a hot July 4th.Not really a destination, but a nice stop if one is in the area. Cocktails were generous-sized and refreshing, helping us beat the heat.Ambiance aimed for mod. Low-volume Jazz/Euro-tech/reggae-ish music I was unfamiliar with played pleasantly in the background. Large interior with high ceilings and multiple seating areas, including at the bar. One roomy isolated corner had screens (muted) showing a baseball game. Other than us, there were only two other customers during our hour visit.Pet-friendly, with water dishes at the hotel/bar entry.

For drinks in the evening, the staff was friendly enough but didn't know much about the drinks on the menu. For breakfast, I sat there for well over 5 minutes with 3 other people at tables and didn't see a single waitperson, so I left.

Not a bad place for a drink or two. W XYZ Bar is located inside the Aloft Hotel in Redmond, right across the street from Microsoft. Therefore, you can imagine the kind of guests that stay and most likely get a drink here. In fact, when my friends and I visited this bar, we walked in and saw that most of the guests were in business attire and working on their laptops. It's definitely a gathering place for Microsofties and their clients and business partners.My friends and I visited W XYZ Bar after dinner, as it was walking distance from the restaurant that we ate at. On a Friday night the place had quite a few people there. Yet, we were able to sit further from the bar area, where all the comfy chairs were. I liked that this bar is more of a lounge, where people can relax, with hip hop in the background playing. When I asked the bartender what IPAs were on tap, she was a little confused at what breweries were which when she looked over where the beers were, but we saw the handles and figured it out ourselves. I ordered an IPA for my first round. And for my second round I ordered a Jameson on the rocks. She poured the Jameson in the glass first then put the ice on top instead of vice versa, which is how it's normally made. Because of so, the first thing I tasted was the block of ice that was stacked high and near the top of my glass. I wish it had been made the traditional way. We didn't order any food, but that's cool they offer grub. I'm sure hotel guests find this place to be a lifesaver and convenient. Glad to know this is in the area, in case I'm around and need a place for a drink. But it's far from the best bar experience. Yet, I did love seeing all the dogs around since Aloft is dog-friendly. Snaps for that.

This tiny bar and space services two hotels. So it is understaffed. And the servers are overwhelmed. So it really isn't their fault it is poor design. The bar is well stocked if you can get service. The first night I stayed it went to the bar and was refused service. They said I can only get service at a table. Um, ok. So we went to table, and waited 40 minutes, but got not waiter. Another night I went to the bar and received service. They were just so overwhelmed though.

Full disclosure. If it wasn't because of Anthony working the bar and the kitchen simultaneously this would have been a 1 star review. The man ran the entire place single handedly trying to earn the smiles of whole bunch of alcoholics and hungry people. Next time I come around I'm hopping he has some help running the place. Otherwise you can expect your Yelp average review just about Two/half stars for a long while. Cheers Anthony