HotelChatter

Thom Filicia / W Hotels / Starwood Hotels / Hotel Renovations / → All Tags

W San Diego Gets the 'Queer Eye' Treatment

Where: 421 W B St [map], San Diego, CA, United States, 92101

Thom Filicia, the interior design dude from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (may it rest in peace), has apparently graduated from redecorating gross dudes' apartments and has taken his talents straight (har har) to the W San Diego.

The hotel's lounge spaces -- the lobby lounge, poolside bar and rooftop bar -- are undergoing huge renovations this summer and Thom's design firm, Thom Filicia Interiors has partnered up with W San Diego's design team.

more ›

W Hotels / Hotel News / Atlanta Hotels / Hotel Openings / Hotel Hype / Thom Filicia / → All Tags

The W Midtown Atlanta Opens Today

Where: 188 14th Street [map], Atlanta, GA, United States, 30361

The W Hotels brand is one step closer to completing its hotel monopoly on the city of Atlanta as the second W Hotel opens today in midtown. A third and fourth W Hotel is schedule to open next year, making Atlanta just one hotel behind New York for the title of most Ws in a single city.

Now you must be asking why so many Ws in Atlanta? Turns out the city has a bumpin' hotel market:

Atlanta has four distinct hotel markets, and W wanted to have a share in each, [Frits van Paasschen, Starwood CEO] said. Perimeter caters to residential and shopping while Buckhead grabs the business crowd and the well-heeled looking to drop cash at Lenox Square Mall and Phipps Plaza. Midtown is where celebrities come to party and lawyers entertain their clients, and downtown brings in conventioneers.

Looks like lawyers will get some "techno glam" when they visit The W Atlanta Midtown. That was the inspiration/theme behind this hotel, which was once a Sheraton. The hotel has sleek lines, "clubby" public areas (read: bars and music in the lobby) and gray and black interiors.

More Ws are set for downtown and Buckhead. The W Downtown will have residences atop it and according to Mit Shah, the owner of the W Buckhead, it will be more "shabby chic" interiors, designed by Thom Filicia of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" who also did the renovations of the rooms at the W Westwood.

We couldn't find any rooms online open tonight but we did find something on Saturday--a Wonderful room with King bed for $215 a night at the internet rate which is pre-pay and no cancellations allowed.

W Hotels / Hotel Renovations / Hotel Video Tours / Thom Filicia / → All Tags

Sweet Suite: The W Los Angeles' Renovated MegaSuite

Where: 930 Hilgard Ave., Los Angeles, United States

Before we hit up the GenArt party the other week at the W Westwood Hotel in Los Angeles, we got a tour of room 1416--a newly renovated two-bedroom MegaSuite.

Thom Filica from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy has done all the rooms in the hotel in a beach glamour theme, getting rid of the boring beige and neutral colors and adding personality to the hotel suites. The design was also meant to be particular for Los Angeles so hence the beach theme. Word is that all of the older W Hotels will get a similar specific-to-the-location renovation such as the W San Francisco getting a Far East type of look.

Here's our quick video tour which was cut short by a full memory stick. But never fear, we have a ton of photos after the jump.

more ›

W Hotels / Hotel Hype / Thom Filicia / → All Tags

PM Linkage: A Brief Look at W Hotels' Hotel Hype

Related Stories:
· Thom Filicia from "Queer Eye" to design W Hotel Atlanta-Buckhead [Hotel & Motel]
· Construction begins on W Philadelphia near convention center [Washington Biz Journal]
· W Hotel reveals interior design plan for Ft. Lauderdale shop [Hotel & Motel]
· Expect W Hotel & Residences Koh Samui in Thailand in late 2008 [Gulf News]
· W Hollywood gets a construction loan [HospitalityNet]