W Hotels Worldwide arrived last month with the opening of the W Las Vegas.
W, now part of Marriott International, transformed a 289-room tower of the SLS Las Vegas, into a hotel-within-a-hotel. The property was built by Penta Building Group and designed by Gensler in collaboration with AvroKO Hospitality Group and Philippe Starck.
The welcoming area has a “Living Room” bar inspired by casino gaming tables, while intimate seating nooks nod to the hotel's original mid-century incarnation as the Sahara. Behind the bar is a neon art "desert garden" by artist Keith Lemley.
The 289 rooms at W Las Vegas were designed by Philippe Starck in collaboration with Gensler with what has been called "a cheeky interpretation of luxury hospitality," with trompe l'oeil wall decor. All rooms have the signature W bedding.
The hotel's 2,382 square foot Extreme WOW Suite (designed by Lenny Kravitz) is at the the top of the tower, and has a balcony with mountain views.
For events, W Las Vegas has three floors (and 15,000 square feet) of space. The adjacent SLS Las Vegas hotel serves up an additional 80,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space, making the hotel a good pick for mid-sized conferences..
The rooftop Wet Deck has a private cabana and bar. Taking advantage of its North Strip location, the WET Deck has panoramic views of the Stratosphere and desert mountains, all from a rooftop perch. Art from local and international muralists and photographers punctuates the space.
The Away Spa, located on the hotel's second floor, was designed in pure white. Key elements include large faux-pearl key rings, lockers with bright pink interiors, and hand sculptures.
For dining, the property has seven restaurants, including on-site coffee shop The Perq; Northside Café & Chinese Kitchen which is available 24 hours a day; Bazaar Meat by José Andrés; Katsuya; Cleo; 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria; and Umami Burger, Beer Garden & Sports Book.
Some of these venues have noteworthy design elements. For instance, Starck and Gensler made Bazaar Meat by José Andrés into an avant-garde interpretation of the classic Vegas steakhouse. 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria has intricate chalk art and playful ceiling images of paparazzi surrounding a red stiletto. Meanwhile, Umami Burger, Beer Garden & Sports has industrial design, showcasing exposed brick and wide wooden beams.
SLS Las Vegas also has several nightclubs, including The Sayers Club, which has a Strip-facing outdoor patio; Foxtail Nightclub, which has graffiti on walls and ceiling, dark leather sectional sofas, and dancers on display in large birdcages; and The Foundry, which has a separate bar and DJ booth. Meanwhile, located adjacent to the SLS casino floor is The Foundry.