Last September, W Hotels--the world's foremost "style" hotel brand--made a bold entry into Latin America with the opening of the architecturally-striking W Mexico City situated in the upscale Polanco neighborhood. With cherry red rooms, hammocks in the showers, a sunken private dining room and a transparent, five-story all-glass facade--which will give sidewalk voyeurs a glimpse of the lively restaurant, bar and lounge scene inside--W Mexico City features some of the most envelope-pushing design in the world.

Photo Credit: Ilan Waisbrod

In developing the 25-story, 237-room hotel, Starwood and Mexico City-based Grupo Plan S.A. de C.V. joined forces with innovative New York-based design team STUDIO GAIA to create W's most 'out of the box' design yet for its 18th property.

"With W we continue to experiment with design that functions and delights," said Barry S. Sternlicht, Chairman and CEO of W's parent, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. [NYSE: HOT] . "This is certainly our most avant-garde hotel yet. The design is sophisticated, vibrant, sexy and full of surprises--which fits in well with Mexico City, and particularly the Polanco neighborhood."

Located in the heart of that exciting area, on the corner of Campos Eliseos and Andres Bello, W Mexico City includes The Whiskey, Rande Gerber's first bar outside the U.S., signature restaurant Solea, a full spa featuring Adobe sauna, a ballroom, a conference center and nine 'Loft' suites, including the Presidential 'Extreme Wow' suite.

GLASS-ENCLOSED PUBLIC SPACES REVEAL TABLEAU VIVANT

As one approaches the all glass entrance to W Mexico City, an indoor theatre of life and movement is visible. Guests enter the hotel through the dramatic lobby with an intriguing array of stepped-lounge areas that seem weightless. The entire entry level appears to float on water, with various Koi ponds appearing underneath a maze of walkways and seating-areas designed to encourage socializing.

Guests checking-in walk through a black-lava stone tunnel to find a welcoming reception area. Visitors to the hotel bars or restaurants gain access via loosely-connected "islands": built-in seating areas made of white leather and yellow fabric--a subtle homage to the yellow sunflower so popular in Mexico. The seating areas are in a spiral formation, and lead to The Whiskey bar, adjacent to a koi pond and dramatically visible from street level.

A favorite among 'the beautiful people' from Mexico City and beyond, The Whiskey radiates sensuality. "All the elements that have made Whiskey bars so popular in the States--great service, beautifully-designed spaces, cool music and a wonderfully eclectic mix of people--are the perfect match for such a hot city, radiating with the sort of energy Miami had 10 years ago," said Rande Gerber, whose bars in the United States include those in W Hotels in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and New Orleans.

W Mexico City's second floor restaurant, "Solea," was developed by Cornerstone, the renowned restaurateur group behind the highly acclaimed one sixtyblue, wc and Wave restaurants in Chicago. The restaurant features a bar and communal table at the entrance, with chocolate-colored walls and ebony-stained wood floors. Anchored by a white-stone tunnel, it has banquette seating-areas separated by red glass partitions. An eye-catching 12-seat dining room is sunken several feet so that the lower half--enclosed by glass walls--and transparent to people in the lobby.

Located in the heart of Mexico, "Solea," offers an exciting 'Coastal Cuisine,' with fresh seafood from both the Caribbean and the Pacific. Melding local ingredients with an Asian flair, specialties include 'sushi and ceviche' and whole roasted fish based on the catch of the day.

Adjacent to the restaurant is an expansive outdoor Whiskey bar with a view of downtown Polanco. Both breakfast and lunch are served on the terrace, which converts to a hot spot for drinks and light food in the evening.

FORWARD-THINKING GUESTROOMS LIKE NONE OTHER

W Mexico City's guestrooms are designed to resemble no other hotel rooms in the world. Walls and ceilings are cherry red, in stark contrast with all white beds, terrazzo floors, built-in shelving and desks. Rooms reflect the needs of the business traveler, with large work areas, oversized desks and ample seating for small meetings.

In a radical departure from the norm, bathrooms are located at the far end from room entrances and have window views. Unlike typically smaller-size hotel bathrooms, they are large, open spaces covered in light-hued stone. Large "rain" (big enough for two) showers have two additional body jets and can be bisected by woven hammocks that can be used with the showerhead turned on or off. The hammocks may also be "turned down" before evening, creating cozy lounging spots. Vanities and sinks are located near the beds in the main rooms.

W signature beds--known for being among the most comfortable beds available in a hotel--are positioned in the middle of the rooms. Sumptuous as always, they are outfitted with pillow-top mattresses, and goose-down comforters and pillows.

The hotel offers nine Loft suites, with high ceilings, expansive views of Chapultepec Park and amenities like green glass showers and flat-screen TVs mounted on the ceiling above the beds. 'Cool Corner' suites have terraces, while the 3,000 sq.-ft. Extreme Wow suite has terraces, a soaring living room, an adjacent 'play room' with a raised platform covered in pillows, a wet bar and kitchen and two bedrooms.

Other W standard in-room features include dual telephones, high-speed internet access, CD players, 27"-color TVs with advanced in-room entertainment systems, coffeemakers with W's own blend of coffee, custom-designed bathrobes and W-tailored bath products.

SPA--A SEEMLESS BLEND OF MODERN LUXURY AND ANCIENT MEXICO

W Mexico City features a destination spa complete with juice bar and five treatment rooms encased on four sides by green glass. The centerpiece of the spa is a modern interpretation of the traditional Mexican adobe hut ("temazcal" style) sauna. Guests can work out in a full-service health club, also enclosed in glass and overlooking the street.

STELLAR BUSINESS SERVICE WITH A TWIST

Like all W properties, W Mexico City has a full-service business center, 24-hour room service, concierge, W's signature "Whatever/Whenever" service. W Mexico City has 6,650 square feet of meeting facilities, including a ballroom and conference center. A signature W program designed to liven up meetings, "Sensory Setup," is available to ease guests into a creative frame of mind, with lively music, smells, tastes and visuals.

About W Hotels: The first W Hotel opened in New York in December 1998. There are now five W Hotels in New York City (W New York, W New York - The Court, W New York - The Tuscany, W New York - Union Square and W New York - Times Square) and 18 hotels brand-wide in the U.S. and abroad. Two new W Hotels are currently under construction in Seoul and Montreal.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 740 properties in more than 80 countries and 105,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. With internationally renowned brands, Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts including: St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, Sheraton, Westin, Four Points by Sheraton, W brands, as well as Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.starwood.com.

Christine Sarubbe
914-640-8408
Starwood

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