 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Hospitality |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Headquarters | Bethesda, Maryland, U.S. |
Number of locations | 71 (2023) |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Parent | Marriott International |
| Website | w-hotels |
W Hotels is an American hotel chain founded by Starwood Hotels and Resorts but now owned by Marriott International operating around 70 upscale hotels and long-stay apartment facilities worldwide. [1]
W Hotels was launched in 1998 with W New York, a conversion of the former Doral Inn hotel on Lexington Avenue, Manhattan. [2] [3] Barry Sternlicht, then CEO of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Hotels 1995–2005, created the brand. [4] The concept included dark, muted colors, brushed metal, hotel staff in black T-shirts, photographs, and a bar. [5] His demand for all-white bedding required manufacturers to develop white fabric that stayed clean without weekly dry cleaning. [4] Many properties are co-located with luxury apartments known as "Residences at the W", such as W Boston and W Austin. [6] [7] About 3 in 10 W Hotels have Residences. [8]
The earlier W Hotels in the U.S. were renovations of existing hotels within the Starwood group. [3] Replacing the lobby with the "living room" concept, where guests could gather at the bar, differed from the traditional hotel. [4] Although W Hotels receives credit for the idea, the underlying concept was once common. In the 1800s, the lobby provided a social gathering point in most communities. In earlier eras, the bar was often unseparated from the lobby. [3] In 2001, Starwood added W New York - Times Square, a design model for the rapid expansion of properties in the United States over the next decade. [9]
W Hotels opened its first hotel in Europe in Istanbul in May 2008. Within the renovated Akaretler Row Houses, a group of historic structures built in the 1870s to house the employees of the Dolmabahçe Palace. [10] Opened in October 2009, W Barcelona hotel was W's first in Western Europe. [11]
In September 2016, Marriott incorporated the W chain into its own portfolio as part of its acquisition of Starwood. [12]
In 2024, the Delano Las Vegas, located within the Mandalay Bay, became the W Las Vegas. [13]
In December 2024, W Hotels opened W Prague at the Grand Hotel Evropa in Prague, its first hotel in the Czech Republic. [14]
There are currently around 60 W Hotels worldwide, with many more in the pipeline. [...] There are currently 18 W Hotels with Residences.
Media related to W Hotels at Wikimedia Commons
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