Friday, May 1, 2009
With its shining bright red logo light that it’s said you can see
from outer space, the W Hoboken opened in grand fashion last Thursday. The hotel’s opening-night bash featured Jamie Foxx singing to a crowd of 1,400 that included Shanon Doherty and Tyson Beckford.
On the design side, the 25-story mini-tower includes a double-height entry way and several adult fun houses. The highlight might be the Chandelier Room, a nightclub with an outside deck staring at the New York City skyline, it’s so vivid, you don’t think it’s real.
Executives for W Hotel’s parent company, Starwood, keep rolling out properties and new brands. Amid a lawsuit against Hilton, where former W bigwigs are charged with corporate espionage, Starwood plans opening 28 W properties over three years.
“Our people are so focused on branding, they feed off creative tension,” says Frits van Paasschen, Starwood CEO, who speaks five languages. “This is a resilient, confident brand that knows how to create memorable experiences.”
The parties don’t stop for the hotel’s developers, either. This
weekend, David and Michael Barry, who own the Hoboken-based Applied Development Co. and Ironstate Development, open Bungalow, a boutique hotel in Long Branch, N J. The brother pair are also working on the W Marrakesh. which is set to open in January, 2011.
Photo: Emily Schlipf
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