How does the history of a particular hotel chain actually start? Who is the founder of the company? Who manages the hotel group now? What is the concept of a new hotel or restaurant? These are the questions that excite the curiosity of many people, both those professionally connected with the hotel business, and those who just use the services of the hospitality industry companies, for example, stay in hotels or visit restaurants and amusement parks. There comes a time when you want to learn more about the brand and prefer to get your knowledge first hand. TOHOLOGY is launching a series of articles “The Hospitality Industry. Companies”. This time we are going to talk about hotels. We met with Selim Olmez, Marketing Director at W St. Petersburg. Mr. Olmez spoke about the history and the concept of the W Hotels chain.
The W Hotels brand is owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, also including Le Méridien, The Luxury Collection, Sheraton and some other hotel chains. So, have we learned anything new and how do we see this brand?
Launching
The W Hotels Worldwide chain was founded in 1998 in New York, and each hotel is brimming with the 24/7 energy that is the true rhythm of this city. W Hotels is a cocktail of everything new that appears in the international fashion, music and design industries.
The mission of W Hotels is to combine the individual approach to guests common to boutique hotels with the idea of the modern lifestyle. Hotels of this chain have thus managed to lay the groundwork for a new segment in the hospitality industry.
Three “Passions”
Having been born in New York, the city of design, fashion and music, hotels of the W Hotels chain continue to passionately live up to these three concepts, at the same time creating a “meeting place” for hotel guests and local residents, who share their passion for the modern rhythms of life.
- Fashion
To be aware of all worldwide fashion industry trends, the W Hotels team includes a Global Fashion Director, whose name is Jenné Lombardo. Ms. Lombardo actively cooperates with people from different countries, for example, with Dasha Zhukova from Russia. - Music
Similar to the fashion industry, the W Hotels team boasts its Global Music Director. Michaelangelo L’Acqua is the one who is responsible for the music at this hotel chain. It's time to mention that the W Hotels tracks are available on iTunes, where you can listen to your faves to your heart's delight! - Design
To keep the constantly changing hotels in line with innovations, the W Hotels chain works with famous designers, fashion photographers and other professionals.
What's New?
The W Hotels chain offers a new vision of modern hotels. A conventional lobby, for example, is replaced here with a living room. This kind of a living room is about to become one of the main centres of life in the hotel. Here, guests are invited to lounge in the atmosphere of style and fashion, sipping special cocktails and enjoying the latest musical novelties, selected by W Hotels experts. A lobby could be suitable for all those things too, but the important thing here is the way the whole idea is presented to the guest.
While we are on the subject of the living room, we are immediately reminded of another term used in hotels of this chain – “Beverage & Food”, because a restaurant service is typically referred to as “Food & Beverage”. We are not sure yet whether this is a whole new concept or just a different word order, but we will try to learn more in our meetings with the chain managers.
The key position in these hotels is a W Insider. W Insider will always inform guests about the most striking, fashionable and unconventional events, stores, places of recreation – all the interesting things happening in the city. The service principle of the W Hotels chain is to help their guests at any time with anything they need – “Whatever / Whenever”.
Growth
The company plans to open 60 hotels worldwide by the end of 2015. You can find their hotels today in New York, London, Istanbul, Barcelona, Paris, Hong Kong, Bali, and other places.
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