W HOTELS WORLDWIDE – FACT SHEET W HOTELS, THE CATEGORY INNOVATOR, TRANSFORMS FROM US PHENOMENON TO WORLDWIDE WOW W Hotels is a design-led, contemporary lifestyle brand and the industry innovator with 44 hotels and retreats, including 16 W-branded residences, in the most vibrant cities and exotic destinations around the world. Continuing its rapid global expansion, the brand is on track to reach more than 60 hotels by 2017. Inspiring, iconic, innovative and influential, W Hotels provides the ultimate in insider access, allowing global jetsetters and local tastemakers to be connected to the pulse of what’s new and next. Each hotel offers a unique mix of innovative design and passions around design, fashion, and music. W Hotels offers a holistic lifestyle experience that is integrated into the brand’s sensibility through contemporary restaurant concepts, glamorous entertainment experiences, stylish retail concepts, signature spas and inspiring residences. WHERE IT ALL BEGAN The W experience began with W New York (49th St. and Lexington Avenue), which opened its doors in 1998, transforming the meaning of hotel to not only a place to stay but also a lifestyle experience that has become a destination in the destination. Signature events, called W Happenings, bring to life W’s passion for design, fashion, music and entertainment and are continuously providing insider access to what’s new and next. An inspiring, cool yet welcoming environment mixed with W’s signature programming, including W’s Whatever/Whenever® service philosophy, are all part of the W experience for both hotel guests and locals alike. MORE THAN 15 YEARS OF PROVEN SUCCESS With more than 15 years of proven success, W Hotels has established itself as an iconic lifestyle brand, offering guests unprecedented insider access to what’s “new/next” around the globe. W Hotels forever changed the hospitality landscape with a series of industry firsts in the past 15 years, including: the transformation of the hotel lobby into the W Living Room experience; the introduction of the W brand’s signature Whatever/Whenever service philosophy as a vehicle to fulfill every guest’s dreams; extension of the lifestyle experience into retail through W Hotels -The Store; recognizing the importance of creating an atmosphere through a signature scent, candle lighting and music; the reinterpretation of the hotel mini-bar into the W “Munchie Box” to present the brand’s lifestyle point of view in-room; and the reinvention of the presidential suite into W’s “Extreme Wow” and “Wow” suites. The unique look and feel of each hotel is determined by a contextual insight, making it locally relevant as
seen through W’s DNA and mixed with unique collaborations of creative spirits. The brand is currently working with renown, cutting-edge designers and architects from around the world, including Rockwell Group Europe (W ParisOpera), Yabu Pushelberg (W Milan; W South Beach; W Times Square), Concrete Architectual Associates (W London-Leicester Square), Antonio Citterio & Partners (W St. Petersburg), Geomim (W Istanbul), United Designers (W Doha), Ricardo Bofill (W Barcelona), Tony Chi (W Santiago), Patricia Uriquola (W Retreat & Spa – Vieques Island), SODA Thailand and avroko (W Bangkok), Glamorous Corp and g+a (W Hong Kong, Clodagh (W Fort Lauderdale), Graft (W New York-Downtown) B+F (BEVERAGE + FOOD VS FOOD AND BEVERAGE) W Hotels focuses on creating innovative, vibrant nightlife concepts at each hotel, offering a destination within a destination, including Gerber Group’s Whiskey Blue at W New York, W Fort Lauderdale, W Atlanta - Buckhead, and W Santiago; Drai’s at W Hollywood; P.O.V. and DrinkShop from famed mixologist Sasha Petraske at W Washington D.C. and W Atlanta – Downtown, respectively; The Wall at W South Beach; Wyld Bar at W London; Chandelier Room at W Hoboken and Eclipse Bar at W Barcelona from famed London-based nightlife impresarios Ignite Group. In addition, W has partnered with the some of the country’s top restaurateurs to create unique signature restaurants that have become instant destinations in themselves. Celebrated W eateries include Sergi Arola’s signature restaurant, Arola, at W Paris-Opéra; Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Spice Market at W Atlanta – Midtown and W Doha, W Boston and W Doha and J&G Steakhouse at W Washington D.C.; Carles Abellan’s Bravo at W Barcelona; Ciro Watanabe’s Osaka at W Santiago; Starr Restaurant Group’s Steak954 at W Fort Lauderdale; Alain Ducasse’s miX at W St. Petersburg; Todd English’s Olives at W New York - Union Square. In 2012, W launched its signature farm-to-table restaurant concept, TRACE at W Seattle, W San Francisco, and W Austin. BEAUTY AND WELL BEING AT W HOTELS WORLDWIDE W Hotels and Bliss® Spas first started their long relationship with the opening of Bliss49 at W New York in December 2004. The partnership has continued with openings of Bliss Spas at W San Francisco, W Los Angeles, W Chicago Lakeshore, W Dallas, W Scottsdale, W Atlanta - Midtown, W Atlanta Downtown, W Hong Kong, W South Beach, W Hoboken, W Doha, W Fort Lauderdale, W Barcelona, W Washington D.C., W Hollywood, and W Boston. Bliss is a beauty focused spa solution with a lighthearted approach. W Hotels that do not have a Bliss Spa, offer guests to experience AWAY Spa, a W signature spa concept. W Hotels also provide FIT, state-of-the-art fitness facilities, offering the latest equipment, including large video screens and iPod
connectivity, allowing guests to keep up their workout routine without missing a beat. W HOTELS - THE STORE W Hotels - The Store (W’s take on the traditional hotel gift shop) attracts local trendsetters in New York, Chicago, Scottsdale, South Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Barcelona, Atlanta, Hollywood, Seoul, Hong Kong, Maldives, Santiago and Mexico City, featuring a variety of unique products, with an emphasis on jewelry and fashion accessories, handbags, gadgets, ambient music and more. This highly successful retail element of W Hotels publishes a seasonal catalog and offers online shopping through www.whotelsthestore.com to allow guests to purchase W’s signature bedding and furniture as well as in-store items without leaving home. WHATEVER/WHENEVER® SERVICE W Hotels broke industry standards when it introduced its signature Whatever/Whenever service philosophy, offering guests whatever they want – from consistently delivered service basics to providing a pair of jogging shoes at 2AM, to a one-of-a-kind wedding cake delivered by helicopter – whenever they want it, as long as it’s legal! This service philosophy is applied to every aspect of the W guest experience from the moment the guest begins planning their stay to after they have checked out. With Whatever/Whenever, W makes special moments magical and transforms dreams into reality. STARWOOD PREFERRED GUEST® W Hotels, like all Starwood brands, is proud to offer the Starwood Preferred Guest® program, which made headlines when it launched in 1999 with a breakthrough policy of no blackout dates on Free Night Awards. SPG® offers members the ability to redeem awards at more resorts, more luxury properties, more European hotels and more golf properties than any other hotel program. WHAT’S NEW/NEXT With more than 15 years of proven success, W Hotels is on track to reach more than 60 hotels by the end of 2017. W Hotels have been announced for Beijing, Santa Fe, Mexico, Shanghai, Mumbai Abu Dhabi, Tel Aviv, Milan, and upcoming W Retreats include Verbier and Mexico’s Riviera Maya. For more information, visit www.whotels.com. To live the W Hotels lifestyle 24/7/365, visit www.wresidences.com. Follow W Hotels on Twitter: @WHotels.
