Starwood Preferred Guest - Some W Hotels and Westins, intermix?

Why are some W Hotels looking like Westins and some Westins looking like W Hotels? Is it me or are some Westins very W Hotel-ish (Westin Times Square) and some W Hotels are very Westin-ish (W Chicago City Center)? The Westin Times Square looks kitsch and the W Chicago City Center looks very classy, refined & stylish; those characteristics are not usually associated with W Hotels... to me anyway. For some reason those two brands intermix with each others "styles" sometimes. Is it me or has this been noticed before? But, you won't see a Sheraton looking like a W Hotel... that's for sure.

It's not that Westin is "intermixing" with the W at all. What you have observed is the difference between a NEW hotel versus an OLD hotel.

I don't know about W chicago but I know that the W hotel recently acquired the W atlanta. So that particular W isn't really like the rest of the W's because it was at one point something else. It's actually a lot like Westin like you have mentioned. At some point they might do a major renovation of the hotel and make it more W-ish.

Westin Times Square is a brand new hotel. New hotels often acquire the "W-ish" look because that's just what's "in" right now-the dark colored/metal furnitiure, etc. However, if you compared an actual room at the Westin Times Square AND SERVICE with a W hotel room let's say W Times Square, you would find that a Westin is still Westin and W is still a W.

Also, if you look at Four Points Chelsea, you would find that they also have some of the W hotel's characteristics. That 4 points is also a brand new hotel (a couple of years old).

Also, take a look at the soon to open St Regis San Francisco. You will find this hotel is also going to be W-ish versus the very classic look of the other St Regis. That also applies to the brand new Westin Bellvue in Washington

"W Chicago City Center looks very classy, refined & stylish"

Ummm. You can't find the front desk until you wade through all the tea lights and chairs without arms, the rooms are styles like other Ws. I'm not sure what you perception of a W is, but Chicago City Center seems pretty typical. Just because it's in an old building doesn't mean it isn't a W inside.

FWIW I found the Westin Melbourne almost....'W'ish. Much brighter than a W, without the music, but when there's a light shining outside which broadcasts the name of the lounge on the sidewalk it doesn't really participate in the Platonic form of Westin.

"W Chicago City Center looks very classy, refined & stylish"

Ummm. You can't find the front desk until you wade through all the tea lights and chairs without arms, the rooms are styles like other Ws. I'm not sure what you perception of a W is, but Chicago City Center seems pretty typical. Just because it's in an old building doesn't mean it isn't a W inside.

You have a point, however... it is easy to notice that the W Chicago City Center is much classier, refined & stylish than most W Hotels... since those places are loud and kitsch with strange decor and bright contortionist furniture :confused: Sorry, I'm 26 (somewhat target market of W Hotels), but W Hotels does not appeal to me at all. I hope that the new aLoft Hotels won't be too much like W Hotels. I'm ok with modern luxury, but most W Hotels are just too much or too little of "everything" for my taste.

The W Chicago City Center (formerly the Midland Hotel) was purchased and renovations begun before the W brand was announced -- hence the half-W look. The annoying bar has more to do with the fact that it's smack-dab in the financial district, with almost no nearby competition in terms of acceptable after-work drinking spots.

I liked the hotel lobby much better before the renovation -- all they did, besides adding drapes, was turn the lights way, way down. There's gilt ornament up there, but the light levels won't let you see them.

Similarly, I'm sure that the new alofts that have been announced (mostly Four Points already under renovation) will have a half-done feel, and we'll have to wait for the first round of ground-up hotels to get a true feel for the brand.
.pc

* edit: oops, got dates wrong. A search through old quarterly reports & press releases reveals that renovations began before the final nameplate was announced, but 'tis true, Starwood Trust bought the Midland in March 1996 and opened W New York in December 1998. Renovation and expansion of the Midland began in 1Q 1998. Conversion of the Midland and Days Inn to W hotels was announced in/around 4Q 2000, and it reopened 2Q 2001.

A 1998 2nd quarter report read: 'the ongoing construction of its 426-room Seattle "W" property, the 423-room San Francisco "W" property, and the expansion of the Midland Hotel In Chicago,' indicating that the Midland wasn't seen as part of W at the time.

The W Chicago City Center (formerly the Midland Hotel) was purchased and renovations begun before the W brand was announced -- hence the half-W look.
.pc

The first W Hotel opened in New York in 1998 and the brand was certainly announced before that. W City Center became a W in 2001 and was only purchased and renovated shortly before that, so our renovations did not occur before the brand was announced.

As far as looking more Westin than W to some people, I would have to say it would be the historic nature of the building (1920s) versus a more modern structure, such as the W Chicago - Lakeshore (1960s-1970s). As always, YMMV. :D

The first W Hotel opened in New York in 1998 and the brand was certainly announced before that. W City Center became a W in 2001 and was only purchased and renovated shortly before that, so our renovations did not occur before the brand was announced.

As far as looking more Westin than W to some people, I would have to say it would be the historic nature of the building (1920s) versus a more modern structure, such as the W Chicago - Lakeshore (1960s-1970s). As always, YMMV. :D

The early 1900s; 1910-1930s were one of the best architectural period for hotels, apartments, office buildings and banks. The 1960s and 1970s was an awful period, especially for architecture, think; the infamous brutalist style, the bulldozing of anything historical, etc... :eek:

I suspect BlissWorld is right. I just checked into the Sheraton Miami Mart and the front desk, lobby and hallways (the 12th floor anyway) are W ish in style.

Got an upgrade to the Presidential Suite (1230) and it is slightly less W ish in style. Awesone room, BTW. Huge bathroom with a bidet, a sauna and a skylight. Huge living room, dining room, a second bath, kithenette/wet bar, seperate bedroom and a balcony that runs the length of the room (its the size of 4 hotel rooms). Big ^ ^ ^ to the staff!