10:24 AM
Anabel Juco
Glitz, glam, and green are what I would describe the new W hotel in Hollywood that was just opened January 28, 2010. Located at the intersection of Hollywood and Vine, the W Hotel and Residences is only one of a long chain of W Hotels around the world by Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide. The property consists of two 15-story towers containing 300 hotel rooms and 144 condo residences. Its design captures a contemporary chic vibe, while paying tribute to classic Hollywood imagery. Every detail, from the red carpet at the front entrance to the rhinestoned peep holes on every door, is homage to the old school Hollywood scene.
Starting at the front entrance, where guests can walk on the red carpet made of red terrazzo with custom-made integral red aggregate that then continues on as a plush carpet leading to the lobby area. A hallway on the left leads to the elevator lifts for hotel guests while a circular white croc-embossed leather sofa is present in the center of the room.
Adjacent to the lobby area is the grand Living Room (a signature room in every W Hotel). Immediately, we spot the main focal point. A huge white marble spiral staircase lined with more red carpet against a curved bronze mosaic wall as well as an incredible 18-foot tiered chandelier of cascading Swarovski crystals. Then we see the black tufted leather seating created for conversing and relaxing with some beverages made from the Living Room Bar.
The bar counter was backlit Onice Fantastico Onyx that gave a really neat warm glow, especially during the night when the lighting of the entire room switched to match the mood of the nightlife outside.
On the opposite side of the Living Room Bar is a floor-to-ceiling window looking out to the outdoor bar, called Station Hollywood. The patio is nestled back against the Metro Station entrance designed by Sharilyn Olson Rigdon of designstudio ltd. Furnishings include woven resin chairs, low sonokeling wood tables and silver alligator-skin ottomans. Also, there is a VIP area on a raised wood deck with its own private seating area that has the best view to the 20' retractable screen with a Panasonic HD projector and surround sound stereo system, the hotel's own silver screen.
Being a guest there this past September, I had the privilege to stay in one of their hotel rooms for one night and experience their excellent Whatever/Whenever service. I stayed in there "Wonderful Room" which had a large window seat with satiny vinyl that looked out on the Hollywood streets and two beds made with goose down comforters and pillows. Behind the beds are white tufted headboards with a matching mini bar and a globe lighting pendant above. In the bathroom, white Carrara marble covers the floor with a polished white marble vanity. One thing I found interesting was a slim floor-to-ceiling frosted glass pane that gave a small glimpse into the shower from the main area.
Other than their overpriced food (I payed $10 for just three small scoops of ice cream), the overall design throught the hotel was very impressive.
W Hotel Hollywood is also the largest LEED certified property in Southern California and the first LEED certified building in Los Angeles. There are many aspects that contribute to its silver level certification, some of which are energy-efficient windows that have overhangs to provide shade, a white heat-deflecting "cool roof" on the pool area to eliminate the inconvenient feeling of hot feet, installed electric ports to recharge electric cars and hybrids in the garages of the residences, high-performance glass that keeps heat out (as opposed to trapping the heat in), an efficient irrigation and plumbing system with the use of faucets designed for low water usage and energy efficient appliances, and recycled low toxicity construction materials used to build the property. But the most important green feature that the hotel offers is that the hotel is sitting on top of a Metro Red Line Station, whose entrance is in front of the hotel right off of the Hollywood walk of Fame. This easy accessability will encourage use of public transportation.
The W Hotel is sleek, chic, and all-around swanky! I'm so glad I got to experience its beauty in person. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see any celebrities during my brief stay, but I'm sure some have stayed or visited the newly built hotel in the past. This is a place that I would definitely recommend other people to see and soak in all its glory. The next time you visit Hollywood, make sure you take a look at the new W Hotel.
Link to Pictures
Project: W Hollywood Hotel & Residences
Client: Gatehouse Capital/HEI Resorts & Hotels
Project: W Hollywood Hotel & Residences
Client: Gatehouse Capital/HEI Resorts & Hotels
Architect: HKS
Interior Designer (residences): Daly Genik Architects
Interior Designer (hotel): Architropolis (early phase), Myhre Group (middle phase), Designstudio ltd. with Lee and Sakahara (final phase)
Interior Designer (restaurant): Zeff Design
Mechanical Engineer: Critichfield Mechanical
Structural Engineer: DCI Engineers
Electrical Engineer: Rosendin Electric
Civil Engineer: Fuscoe Engineering
Geotechnical Engineer: Golder Associates
Geotechnical Engineer: Golder Associates
General Contractor: Webcor Builders
Landscape Architect: Rios Clementi Hale Studios
Signage: Sussman/Preiza
Lighting: Kaplan Gehring McCarroll Architectural Lighting
Art: Lendrum Fine Art
Acoustics: Charles M. Salter Associates; Acoustonica (hotel acoustics)
Size: 969,726 gross square feet
Materials & Sources
Exterior Wall Systems: Werner Systems (plaster wall), Clark Pacific (precast), STO (plaster)
Glass: Oldcastle
Glass: Oldcastle
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9 comments:
The pictures make me want to go there!! And i like the hotel which chose red products and materials as a trademark. It is not only luxurious but also morden.
Wow! It is so beautiful. I like the design of how they use warm colors to catch my eyes. If I have a chance, I would go there on my vacations. Amazing place. Good job!
Great writing. Sounds like they thought of everything they could to give a glamorous Hollywood feel. Nice job.
haha, I want to walk on that red terrazzo, seems very fancy. I think it's well described about that place, I liked it :).
Nice overview of the concept and materials used. Eye opening to look at the team members and how many people/companies it takes to bring a project like this to life!
What a cool case study, I really enjoyed it, great photos.
Great choice of a case study topic.. Love the pictures! I have stayed in a few W hotels myself, and the Whatever/Whenever service is awesome! The design of each W hotel is increadible..
I love the white furniture used! Especially in the entrance area, the couch is very cool. The red accents really help make the white pop. It looks like a very fun, glitzy hotel. I'd love to stay there.
I absolutely love the use of color, light, and movement in the bar area. What an exquisite place to be overall, but I love this space in particular.
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