What’s All the Fuss About?

Starwood’s W Hotel chain is unique in concept and design. The parent company has filtered the reliability and predictability of a mass-market hotel through a boutique hotel experience. The result is a string of hotels with “a mix of vibes and elements” that delivers everything a traveler expects from a large chain “for exclusive and extraordinary experiences.” In that sense, Starwood hasn’t forgotten that W Hotels must ultimately deliver a safe space for travelers to rest, but with this practical purpose the creators make every effort to bring an authentic voice to each property to reflect the environment’s heritage and style.

In July I traveled to New Orleans for the 10th annual Tales of the Cocktail®, which brings together the world’s top spirits producers with the country’s top mixologists to explore innovations in cocktails and cocktail culture. My group of colleagues and I stayed at the W Hotel French Quarter. I was immediately struck by the unique way the hotel’s decorators manifested their vision of New Orleans   culture with unexpected and whimsical witch-inspired wallpaper that played on the city’s long association with voodoo and witchcraft and floor-to-ceiling, two dimensional art installations representative of the reign krewe kings and queens hold over the populace during Mardi Gras.

Hallway at W Hotel French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana, with black and white 'witch' wallpaper.

The aesthetic was stylish and brash all at the same time. So much so that I was compelled to snap photos of these elements and text them to my friend Carine Francois, who studied textile design at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, to get her take on the unexpected design elements.  This is a perfect example of Starwood creating an experience that gets guests talking. After reading Bhargava’s writings on a brand’s ‘Signature’ and the ‘UAT Filter’, as a marketer and PR professional, it’s disconcerting to know that I got played. I did exactly what the masterminds behind W Hotels wanted me to do. In fact, this entire blog plays into their dastardly scheme to brainwash me into a W Hotel devotee, which has obviously worked.  (Bummer…)

Bedroom at W Hotel French Quarter with city-inspired art installation.

In most cities to which I’ve traveled and at most W Hotels at which I’ve stayed, I’ve found that the spirit of ‘cool’ created by the chain’s creators permeates not only the design aesthetic, but the attitude of the workforce as well. Among a certain demographic, ‘W’ symbolizes cool and affordable indulgence. Although most guests realize that the hotel can’t really deliver whatever you want whenever you want it, they buy into the idea that they’re treating themselves to something only the wealthiest travelers are able to enjoy – what they want, when they want it, no matter the expense. And in my experience, the staff sometimes has a mischievously cocky air seen often among New York City bouncers, club promoters and those girls with clip boards who confirm whether or not you’re on the list for some hot party or another.  Though W Hotel staff are as helpful as anyone in the service industry should be, knowing they hold the key to your whatever/whenever moment seems to give them their own unique buzz.

The creators of W Hotels have turned their property, their brand, into that cool kid in high school who everyone – secretly or overtly – wanted to be friends with. W Hotel is what Starbucks was when it burst onto the coffee house scene. It’s what Jet Blue became to the airline industry and what Virgin America has recently perfected. When I walk into a W Hotel in Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami or New Orleans I feel the buzz of energy, of excitement, of all the cool kids hanging in the ‘Living Room’ bar – reveling in their coolness, eager to see what other cool person has joined their midst, but pretending not to do so.

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