With a target to establish a footprint of over 50 properties by the end of 2012, 2011 will see the following launches
• W Taipei (February 14, 2011) – GA Design International has created a “nature electrified” design concept that
fuses the rural surroundings of Taipei with the vibrant, high voltage core of the city. W Hotels Designer of the Future
award winner Zigelbaum + Coelho has also been commissioned to create an interactive chandelier for the hotel.
• W London – Leicester Square (February 14, 2011) – Debuting as the 40th W Hotel globally, W London has been
designed by renowned London architects Jestico + Whiles and Dutch interior design agency, Concrete. Veiled in translucent glass that will change color according to the time of day or happenings in the city or hotel, the 10-story hotel is sure to become the epicenter of entertainment. Interiors are based on the “dual personality” of the Englishman – buttoned-up by day and uninhibited and free-spirited by night.
• W St. Petersburg (March 2011) – With architecture by Grigoriev + Partners and interior design by Milan-based
Antonio Citterio and Partners, W St. Petersburg will be located in a historic building near the lavish Winter Palace, a
new place to experience the white of night. Inspired by the jewel-tones and layers of a Fabergé Egg, the “hidden gem”
design of the hotel will reveal surprises throughout the guest experience.
• W Retreat & Spa Bali – Seminyak (March 2011) – For its latest Retreat experience, W Hotels has partnered with
SCDA Design International and AB Concepts Hong Kong. An island marked by worship and celebration, the design of W Bali was inspired by the more than 20,000 temples that populate the Island – each with private inner courtyards and public outer courtyards that constantly “conceal and reveal,” introducing a new scene unseen.
• W Paris – Opéra (December 2011) – Located steps from the world-famous Opéra Garnier, W Paris – Opéra has been
designed by Rockwell Group Europe (“RGe”) and inspired by both the energy of New York City – W’s birthplace – and Paris as the “City of Light.” Sure to light up the refined district, W Paris will melt the somber traditions of the 1870s
Haussman-era building in which it will be housed with a “spark” of modern radiance.
• W Guangzhou (December 2011) – With architecture by Hong Kong-based Rocco Design and interiors by renowned Yabu
Pushelberg, the design of W Guangzhou, located in the city’s buzzing Zhujiang district, has been inspired by the region’s
ancient Kesi Tapestries. Throughout the hotel, guests will find themes around unraveling, mesh work and emerging
patterns.
Design has been at the forefront of W Hotels since the opening of the David Rockwell-designed W New York – the first ever W Hotel – more than 12 years ago and has evolved with more recent hotel openings by designers such as Patricia Urquiola (W Vieques), United Design (W Doha), and Ricardo Bofill (W Barcelona), among others. As a way to further fuel innovation in design, W Hotels has also forged unique design partnerships such as its ‘W Hotels Designers of the Future’ award with Design Miami/Basel.
W Hotels Worldwide global brand leader Eva Ziegler said “Design has always been an integral part of the W brand. As W
continues to transform into a global powerhouse, we have evolved our design approach to include contextual insights that
lead to locally relevant designs bound together by W’s DNA.”
W Hotels is also using Fashion to communicate its global growth.It has recently launched the Global Glam collection of
exclusive designer fashion and accessories. In 2010, W Hotels had a presence at key international design weeks, kicking
the year off by announcing a partnership with Design Miami/Basel. In September 2010, W was an official sponsor of Istanbul Design Week, hosting a Young Designer Competition and also displaying the innovative “W Hotels Designers of the Future” works within W Istanbul. W Hong Kong also hosted a variety of special events, dinners and presentations during Hong Kong’s annual Business of Design Week in December.This week, during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, W will launch the fourth season of the Global Glam collection, reflecting the designs of W Taipei (opening February 14, 2011), W Austin (opened December 2010) and W Mexico City (undergoing renovation).
