 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Hospitality |
| Founded | 1998; 27 years ago (1998) |
| Headquarters | Bethesda, Maryland, U.S. |
Number of locations | 71 (2023) |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Parent | Marriott International |
| Website | w-hotels |
W Hotels is an Americanhotel chain founded byStarwood Hotels and Resorts but now owned byMarriott International operating around 70 upscale hotels and long-stayapartment facilities worldwide.[1]
W Hotels was launched in 1998 with W New York, a conversion of the former Doral Inn hotel onLexington Avenue, Manhattan.[2][3]Barry Sternlicht, then CEO ofStarwood 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 luxuryapartments known as "Residences at the W", such asW Boston andW 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 inIstanbul 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 inWestern Europe.[11]
In September 2016, Marriott incorporated the W chain into its own portfolio as part of its acquisition of Starwood.[12]
In 2020, along withVICI Properties forming,Delano Las Vegas is sold toMGM Resorts International &VICI Properties.
In 2024, theDelano Las Vegas, located within theMandalay Bay, became the W Las Vegas.[13]
In December 2024, W Hotels opened W Prague at the Grand Hotel Evropa inPrague, its first hotel in theCzech Republic.[14]
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There are currently around 60 W Hotels worldwide, with many more in the pipeline. [...] There are currently 18 W Hotels with Residences.
Media related toW Hotels at Wikimedia Commons
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