W Hotels Brings Its Hip, Hot Brand to South Beach

I had the pleasure of interviewing Eva Ziegler, the GlobalBrand Leader for W Hotels Worldwide and Le Méridien, last week when she was intown to help show off the W South Beach, which is nearing its opening date. Wediscussed how the designs of the company’s diverse locales evolve and how thebrand manages to stay at the top of its game. In her own words:

The designs of the W Hotels are always linked to thelocations, but in a stylish and sophisticated way with a lighthearted approach.We tie the design to a specific place, but in an unexpected way. You might sayit’s always a cool interpretation of the location. For instance, with the WFort Lauderdale, which has just opened, Clodagh was inspired by the flora andfauna of South Florida and the impact of the water, so her theme was underwater.

We always layer in unique experiences. Many locations haveBliss Spas and destination bars. We call our lobby the living room, so there isusually a living room bar, as well. Our pools are called “Wet,” and our gyms“Sweat.” In these cases, the design is important because it sets the scene, butthe thing that sets us apart is the spirit of our people. They are connected bythe purpose of service.

When we hire designers, there’s a period of brand immersionwhen they present the story they want to tell and their rational by creatingmood boards. This sets the design narrative for a project. Then we have them dorenderings so that the visuals begin to come together. The designs for ourproperties have to have an engaging element to them because design becomes atool for innovation and provides a platform for experiences. As much as theshell of the stage is important, the experience we are layering in to provide acertain lifestyle is key and the culture our people provide is key.

At the W Hotels, we have created the position of “TheInsider,” the person who is connected to the city in the coolest way. Thisperson engages guests to provide insight into those venues and activities thatonly the hippest local residents would know about. This gives our guests accessto the insider experience in our cities.

Rather than defining our target audience by age, which isn’ta distinctive enough determiner now, we define it by attitudes and values. Withthe W brand, the sweet spot is the latest, newest, hippest, coolest trend. It’sa need to see and be seen.

We keep our audience satisfied with the next big “wow.”Sometimes, it’s the little details that create a “wow,” like finding browniesin the Bliss Spa where one would expect to find cucumbers. It is also aboutproviding over-the-top service. If a guest feels like running at 2 a.m., wewill know where to find a pair of Nikes. If someone wants a chocolate bath, wewill accommodate that. We make the impossible possible and the inaccessible accessible.

[The design team for the W South Beach includesaward-winning design firm Yabu Pushelberg, renowned architect Costas Kondylis,Anna Busta of Studio B Design, landscape designer Paula Hayes andGrammy-nominated photographer Danny Clinch.] For designer links, visit my Examiner page.