W Hotels opens first Indian property imagined by Design Wilkes and Eco-ID

In India, the W Goa has opened on Vagator Beach. The first W Hotels property in India is also the brand’s 50th hotel worldwide, bringing W one door closer to reaching 75 hotels by 2020. 

Interior design house Design Wilkes and architectural firm Eco-ID were both involved in the design of the property.

Situated between the jungle and the coastline of Vagator Beach, W Goa has 160 guestrooms, including villas, chalets, a “Marvelous Suite” and an “Extreme WOW Villa” (the brand’s take on the Presidential Suite). The property overlooks the Arabian Sea and covers 25 acres of beach set against the backdrop of a 500-year old Portuguese fort.

The grand entrance has huge, unframed doors that are always open and adorned with art by Goan artist Subodh Kerkar, representing the lunar phases and a nod to Goa’s full moon party culture. Just steps away, behind the reception pods adorned with white Capize shells, there is a massive street art mural by Indian artist M. Narayan with imagery that celebrates the melting pot culture of Goa, as well as the spectrum of color one can see through meditation.

For the interiors, the design team at Design Wilkes was inspired by the local and foreign cultures of Goa. Each guestroom has a psychedelic look and feel with trippy hues of purples and blues creating a kaleidoscopic melding of color throughout. Many fixtures—from foggy metal closet doors to the “beaten” metal drawers in the bathroom—were purposefully designed so that guests cannot clearly see themselves, but rather just their shape and movements. Each guestroom has a chandelier that looks as though the lights are melting from the ceiling, and each bathroom has a mirror adorned with the shape of the Bodhi Leaf that is often associated with enlightenment.

Located in a subterranean space, the 14,000 square foot Spa by Clarins has details inspired by the baths of Pompeii and a labyrinth of corridors leading to private rooms. The spa includes an Oxygen room, eight treatment rooms, a heated vitality pool, steam room and sauna.

W Goa’s restaurant, Spice Traders, has ocean views and al fresco dining. Other dining venues include the all-day restaurant Kitchen Table, WET deck bar, Living Room, WOOBAR and Rock Pool.

For events, W Goa will open approximately 50,000 square feet of function space and meeting rooms by the end of 2017. The 4,160 square foot Great Room will be accompanied by two studios of 440 and 540 square feet each. Already open, the landscaped Horizon covers 4,500 square feet of oceanfront area for outdoor festivities. And an additional outdoor venue, Backyard, has 5,800 square feet of green landscape that sits just below the Chapora Fort.

TJ Joulak is the GM of W Goa.