W Hotels
A global upscale lifestyle hotel brand known for design-led properties, social public spaces, dining, nightlife, and contemporary guest experiences.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
W Hotels is an American-origin upscale lifestyle hospitality brand created by Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 1998 and now owned and operated within Marriott International’s portfolio. The brand was conceived as a response to conventional business hotels: rather than treating the lobby as merely a circulation area, W positioned it as a social “living room” centered on a bar, music, design, and informal interaction. Its early visual language used dark or muted colors, brushed metal, photography, black staff T-shirts, and prominently all-white beds, giving the properties a distinctive urban and fashion-conscious identity. The first W opened in Manhattan in 1998 through the conversion of the former Doral Inn on Lexington Avenue. Barry Sternlicht, then chief executive of Starwood, was the principal creative and strategic force behind the concept. Early United States properties were frequently conversions or renovations of hotels already associated with Starwood, allowing the company to introduce a new brand without building every property from the ground up. W New York–Times Square, opened in 2001, became an important design and operating model for subsequent expansion in the United States. W’s proposition combines accommodation with public-facing lifestyle facilities. Typical properties include guest rooms and suites, restaurants and bars, lounges, event spaces, fitness facilities, and spas. Nightlife and music-oriented programming have often been central to the guest experience, while the brand’s design approach has emphasized bold interiors and locally adapted architecture. Some locations also include branded residences marketed as “Residences at the W”; the Wikipedia account of the brand notes that roughly three in ten W properties have such residential components. This hotel-and-residences format has enabled W to participate in mixed-use developments as well as traditional hotel projects. International growth began with W Istanbul, which opened in 2008 within the renovated Akaretler Row Houses, historic structures dating from the nineteenth century. W Barcelona followed in 2009 and represented the brand’s first property in Western Europe. W Singapore–Sentosa Cove opened in 2012 as the brand’s first Singapore property and its forty-third hotel worldwide at that time, marking a significant step in its Asia-Pacific development. The international portfolio subsequently expanded across major cities, resort destinations, and mixed-use developments. Marriott International acquired Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 2016, bringing W Hotels into Marriott’s global brand system. The acquisition gave W access to Marriott’s distribution, loyalty, development, and reservation infrastructure while retaining its positioning as a design-led lifestyle brand. W properties participate in Marriott Bonvoy, subject to the applicable terms of each hotel and program period. The brand continues to operate through a mix of franchised, managed, and other hotel arrangements rather than a single uniform ownership model. Recent development has included the conversion of Delano Las Vegas, located within Mandalay Bay and associated with MGM Resorts International and VICI Properties, into W Las Vegas in 2024. In December 2024, W Prague opened at the renovated Grand Hotel Evropa, introducing the brand to the Czech Republic. W Hotels remains active internationally, with a portfolio described by Wikipedia as comprising approximately seventy upscale hotels and long-stay apartment facilities. Its core differentiation continues to be the combination of contemporary design, energetic public spaces, dining and entertainment, and a lifestyle-oriented hotel experience rather than a purely functional lodging offer.
History
W Hotels was launched by Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 1998 under the leadership of Barry Sternlicht. The first property, W New York, occupied the former Doral Inn on Lexington Avenue in Manhattan. Its creation reflected Starwood’s effort to develop a hotel format that appealed to travelers seeking design, entertainment, and social energy in addition to conventional accommodation. The early W concept deliberately challenged the standard business-hotel model. Public areas were designed around a “living room” idea, with the lobby functioning as a place to meet, drink, listen to music, and spend time rather than simply check in or pass through. Interiors used dark and muted palettes, metal finishes, photography, and other contemporary visual elements. Employees were associated with informal black T-shirts, and Sternlicht’s insistence on crisp all-white bedding led suppliers to develop fabrics that could remain white without requiring constant dry cleaning. During its first phase, many United States W properties were created through the renovation or repositioning of existing Starwood hotels. W New York–Times Square, opened in 2001, became a significant reference point for the brand’s subsequent domestic growth. The W format combined lodging with restaurants, bars, lounges, event spaces, and nightlife-oriented facilities. A number of developments also combined hotels with long-stay apartments or luxury residences marketed under the W name. The brand began international expansion with W Istanbul in 2008. The hotel was installed in the Akaretler Row Houses, historic buildings originally constructed in the 1870s for employees of the Dolmabahçe Palace. W Barcelona opened in 2009 and became the brand’s first hotel in Western Europe. In 2012, W Singapore–Sentosa Cove opened on Sentosa Island. It was the company’s first Singapore property, its seventh in the Asia-Pacific region, and the forty-third W hotel worldwide at the time. Marriott International’s acquisition of Starwood in 2016 transferred W Hotels into Marriott’s system. The transaction connected the brand to Marriott’s worldwide sales, development, reservations, and loyalty infrastructure while preserving W’s upscale lifestyle identity. Since then, W has continued to expand through a mixture of managed, franchised, and other arrangements, including city hotels, resort properties, mixed-use projects, and locations with branded residences. The brand’s more recent milestones include the transformation of Delano Las Vegas into W Las Vegas in 2024 and the opening of W Prague in December 2024. The Prague property occupies the renovated Grand Hotel Evropa and represents W Hotels’ entry into the Czech Republic. As described in the brand’s Wikipedia article, the portfolio consists of approximately seventy upscale hotels and long-stay apartment facilities around the world. W Hotels’ continuing identity rests on design-forward architecture and interiors, social public spaces, restaurants and bars, wellness, music, nightlife, and a deliberately contemporary interpretation of luxury hospitality.
- 2024
W Las Vegas launches
[1]The former Delano Las Vegas within Mandalay Bay is converted to W Las Vegas.
- 2024
W Prague opens
[1]W Prague opens at the renovated Grand Hotel Evropa, introducing the brand to the Czech Republic.
- 2016
Marriott acquires Starwood
[1]W Hotels becomes part of Marriott International following Marriott’s acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts.
- 2012
W Singapore–Sentosa Cove opens
[1]The opening marks W Hotels’ entry into Singapore and expands its Asia-Pacific presence.
- 2009
W Barcelona opens
[1]W Barcelona becomes the brand’s first property in Western Europe.
- 2008
First European W hotel opens in Istanbul
[1]W Istanbul opens in the renovated Akaretler Row Houses, marking the brand’s first European location.
- 2001
W New York–Times Square opens
[1]The Times Square property becomes an important design and operating model for W Hotels’ subsequent expansion in the United States.
- 1998
W New York opens in Manhattan
[1]Starwood launches W Hotels with W New York, created through the conversion of the former Doral Inn on Lexington Avenue.
Products and positioning
Upscale, design-led lifestyle hospitality with a strong emphasis on social spaces, dining, nightlife, music, and contemporary culture.
Upscale lifestyle hotels · 1998
W Hotels
The core W Hotels product is upscale accommodation built around distinctive architecture, contemporary interiors, energetic public areas, restaurants, bars, and social programming. Properties vary by market, but the brand generally combines guest rooms and suites with lifestyle amenities intended to make the hotel a destination for both travelers and local visitors.
Branded residences and long-stay apartments
W Residences
Some W developments include luxury residences or long-stay apartments marketed under the W name. These projects extend the hotel brand into mixed-use real estate and may share selected hospitality services, amenities, design language, and food-and-beverage facilities with the adjoining hotel.
Restaurants, bars, and entertainment · 1998
W dining and nightlife
Restaurants, cocktail bars, lounges, music venues, and other entertainment spaces are central components of many W properties. The brand’s public-facing spaces are designed to attract both hotel guests and local customers, reinforcing its positioning as a lifestyle and social-hospitality operator rather than solely a room provider.
Spa and fitness
W wellness
W properties commonly offer wellness amenities such as spas, fitness facilities, pools, and leisure decks. These facilities are adapted to the individual hotel and destination but support the broader brand proposition of combining upscale accommodation with recreation, self-care, and social experiences.
Brand decisions
2024
Convert Delano Las Vegas into W Las VegasProduct launchBackground
Marriott expanded W’s Las Vegas presence through a property located within the Mandalay Bay complex.
Action taken
The Delano Las Vegas hotel was converted and relaunched as W Las Vegas.
Aftermath
The conversion extended the W brand into a major United States resort and entertainment market.
2016
Move W Hotels into Marriott International’s portfolioM&ABackground
Marriott International acquired Starwood Hotels & Resorts, whose brand portfolio included W Hotels.
Action taken
Marriott incorporated W Hotels into its global brand system and made the brand part of its broader hotel, distribution, and loyalty platform.
Aftermath
W retained its upscale lifestyle positioning while gaining access to Marriott’s international operating and commercial infrastructure.
1998
Launch a design-led lifestyle hotel brandStrategyBackground
Starwood sought to differentiate W from conventional business hotels by combining accommodation with contemporary design, nightlife, and socially oriented public spaces.
Action taken
The company launched W Hotels with a lobby-as-living-room concept, distinctive interiors, informal service cues, bars, and entertainment-oriented facilities.
Aftermath
The format became the foundation for W’s expansion across the United States and later into international markets.
Recent events
Reported
W Hotels and Rent the Runway partner on Closet Concierge[3]
W Hotels' Closet Concierge partners with Rent the Runway to provide designer clothing rentals delivered to guests' rooms at select W Hotels.
Reported
Rent the Runway and W Hotels launch hotel rental experience[4]
Rent the Runway teamed up with W Hotels to offer its clothing rental service at four hotel locations, where guests can select outfits for their stay.
Marriott acquires W New York – Union Square[5]
Marriott International purchased the 270-room W New York – Union Square for $206 million. Marriott said it planned a significant renovation and to transform the existing hotel into a W Hotels showcase.
- Unconfirmed
Marriott appoints LP Giobbi as W Hotels North America music director[6]
Marriott appointed Leah Chisholm, who performs as LP Giobbi, as Music Director for W Hotels - North America.
Sources7 sources
- 1W Hotelsen.wikipedia.org
- 2W Hotels official brand pagemarriott.com
- 3W Hotels 与 Rent the Runway 合作推出 Closet Concierge 服务latimes.com
- 4Rent the Runway 与 W Hotels 推出酒店服装租赁体验cnbc.com
- 5万豪收购纽约联合广场 W 酒店breakingtravelnews.com
- 6万豪任命 LP Giobbi 为 W Hotels 北美音乐总监asiatraveltips.com
- 7Marriott partners with Rent the Runway for designer clothing rentals in hotel roomsfoxbusiness.com
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