W Hotels is celebrating its first opening in mainland China as it opens the doors to the W Guangzhou.
The hotel is housed in a striking black glass building on the Pearl River, in the commercial district of Zhujiang, complete with a 19-metre tall water feature in the lobby.
The W Guangzhou comprises 317 rooms in the typical W categories, ranging from Wonderful and Spectacular rooms to WOW suites. All rooms come with standard amenities and high-speed wifi.
There are three restaurants inside the property, including the Cantonese Yan Yu, created in collaboration with celebrity chef Jereme Leung. There is also the Japanese I by Inagiku offering sushi and teppanyaki in either an indoor or garden setting, and finally the all-day dining restaurant The Kitchen Table.
In terms of nightlife the Woobar serves molecular cocktails and the Fei Ultralounge stays open until the early hours, with both hosting a resident DJ.
The hotel also has the 24/7 Away Spa, a Sweat fitness centre, an indoor pool, 24-hour business centre, and more than 2,000 square meters of meeting and event space.
Guests can also take advantage of the W signature “Whatever/Whenever” concierge service, where staff promise to deliver: “Whatever you want. Whenever you want it, (as long as it’s legal)”.
Originally due to open by the end of 2011, and then by October 2012 (see online news June 2012), various delays have pushed the opening date back to now.
This opening marks another step towards Starwood’s growth strategy in Asia (see online news January 2013), which includes three further W Hotels under construction in Beijing, Shanghai and Changsha, Hunan region which are set to open in 2014. Other mainland China properties located in Suzhou and Chengdu are also in the pipeline.
Paul James, global brand leader, W Hotels Worldwide, St. Regis, and The Luxury Collection says, "W Hotels has a strong pipeline of global growth, specifically in Asia, and mainland China is a highly-anticipated and strategic market for us as we continue to reinvent the luxury hotel landscape with each new W Hotel opening."
W has had a presence in Hong Kong since 2008. To read a review of the property from January 2009, click here.
Guangzhou has also recently welcomed another five-star property in the form of the Mandarin Oriental Guangzhou, which opened last month. For a sneak peek of the interiors of this hotel click here.
For more information visit whotels.com/guangzhou.
Report by Scott Carey
