Marking the Brands’ Debut in the ‘City of Brotherly Love,’ W
Philadelphia will Offer Contemporary Luxury and Ultimate Insider Access, while
Element Philadelphia will Feature Smart, Sustainable Extended-Stay Lodging
STAMFORD, Conn., Jun 17, 2015 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Starwood
Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. HOT, -0.41% today announced the commencement of
construction for its first-ever W and Element dual-branded hotel development,
scheduled to open in the heart of downtown Philadelphia in early 2018. The
295-room W Philadelphia and 460-room Element Philadelphia will
occupy a 51 story skyscraper located in the geographic center of the city’s
business, arts and retail districts, and directly across from Philadelphia City
Hall. Owned by Chestlen Development and developed by Vine Street Matthews
Development, the highly-anticipated project will also boast panoramic city
views and facilities include an outdoor pool bar and terrace, market-leading
meeting and banquet facilities, exciting food and beverage outlets, and prime
retail space along Chestnut Street.
“This exciting project will bring two popular Starwood
brands to Philadelphia and provide much needed inventory to the City and Convention
Center, attracting even more visitors and meetings business to our downtown,”
said Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter. “The construction and operations of
the new development will also have a significant economic impact on the City of
Philadelphia and the surrounding region, creating numerous immediate and
long-term jobs and generating substantial tax revenues.”
Brook Lenfest, Owner of Chestlen Development said, “This
has been many years in the making and a true collaboration between ownership,
our development partners, the City of Philadelphia, the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania and Starwood Hotels & Resorts. We’re excited to deliver this
iconic project to the downtown market.”
“We have actively pursued this market for some time and
look forward to the upcoming debut of both W and Element in Philadelphia as
part of this dual-branded development, which will increase Starwood’s total
portfolio in the city to 12 hotels across seven of our nine world-class
brands,” said Allison Reid, Senior Vice President of North American Development
for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. “Our innovative W Hotels
brand provides contemporary luxury and insider access in key urban and exotic
destinations worldwide, while Element Hotels is an industry-leader in the
eco-space, offering stylish, sustainable extended stay lodging. These two
unique and highly differentiated brands will offer guests a new experience not
currently available in the Philadelphia market.”
Combined the W Philadelphia and Element Philadelphia can
operate jointly as a 755 room headquarters hotel ideal for conventions and
group business due to its direct views as well as short walking distance from
both Suburban Station and the Broad Street entrance to the Pennsylvania
Convention Center. Additionally, the property’s downtown location is proximate
to leading city attractions such as the Avenue of the Arts, Independence Hall,
Barnes Foundation, Liberty Bell, Mutter Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art,
and the galleries, restaurants and boutiques along Walnut Street, Chestnut
Street and Rittenhouse Row. Less than 10 miles from Philadelphia International
Airport (PHL) and one block from the re-designed Dilworth Plaza.
“The $786 million expansion of the Pennsylvania
Convention Center has transformed it into the largest contiguous exhibit space
in the Northeast and generated increased demand for high-caliber lodging within
walking distance,” said Jack Ferguson, President and CEO of the Philadelphia
Convention & Visitors Bureau. “These two new Starwood hotels will supply
additional downtown room inventory in close proximity to Pennsylvania
Convention Center, which will encourage large-scale new business to select
Philadelphia as their convention destination."
Guests will enter W Philadelphia via the hotel’s distinct
entrance on Chestnut Street. The ground-floor will feature a signature W Living
Room (the W brand’s take on the traditional hotel lobby) with a full bar and
VIP room and a 150-seat destination restaurant. In addition, the hotel will feature
a 2,900 square foot spa, 1,400 square foot FIT gym, and 7,000 square foot WET
outdoor terrace with a year-round heated outdoor pool and destination bar, and
45,000 square feet of state-of-the-art meeting and event space for conventions,
business meetings and social functions of all sizes. More than just a hotel
brand, W Hotels is an innovative luxury lifestyle brand that connects global
jetsetters and local tastemakers to the pulse of the next big thing. First
introduced in 1998, W Hotels is a global design powerhouse with more than 46
hotels and retreats in the world’s most vibrant cities and exotic destinations.
The Element Philadelphia will feature a separate arrival
lobby on Chestnut Street with elevator access to the main second floor lobby,
which will feature a 1,400 square foot breakfast and lounge area, a 1,600
square foot fitness center and 560 square feet of branded meeting space. The
hotel’s light-filled studios will offer a fluid design of modular furniture,
fully equipped kitchens, and spa-inspired bathrooms will feature an
invigorating rain shower and dual-flush toilet. Guests will be able to stay on
the move with Element’s complimentary bikes to borrow program and enjoy the
brand’s signature complimentary RISE breakfast and RELAX evening reception. On
track to double its portfolio in the next two years, Element is the first major
hotel brand to mandate that all properties pursue the U.S. Green Building
Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification
for high-performance buildings. It’s recognized as an industry leader in the
eco-space and offers travelers a fresh, reimagined interpretation of the
extended stay hotel experience.
For more information, visit www.whotels.com and www.elementhotels.com
About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide,
Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world
with more than 1,200 properties in some 100 countries and over 180,000
employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood is a fully integrated
owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the
following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, Aloft®, Element® and the recently
introduced Tribute Portfolio™. The
Company boasts one of the industry’s leading loyalty programs, Starwood Preferred Guest
(SPG®), allowing members to earn and redeem points for room stays, room
upgrades and flights, with no blackout dates. Starwood recently announced plans
to spin off its Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc. business, a premier provider
of world-class vacation experiences through villa-style resorts and privileged
access to Starwood brands, into a standalone public company by the end of 2015.
For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.
About W Hotels Worldwide
W Hotels is a contemporary, design-led luxury lifestyle
brand and the industry innovator with 46 hotels and retreats, including 17
W-branded residences, in the most vibrant cities and exotic destinations around
the world. Inspiring, iconic, innovative and influential, W Hotels provides the
ultimate in insider access, offering a unique mix of cutting-edge design and
passions around fashion, music and entertainment. W Hotels offers a holistic
lifestyle experience that is integrated into the brand’s sensibility through
contemporary restaurant concepts, glamorous entertainment experiences, stylish
retail concepts, signature spas and inspiring residences. With 15 years of
proven success, W Hotels is on track to reach more than 60 hotels by 2018. W
Hotels have been announced for Amsterdam, Shanghai, Tel Aviv, Abu Dhabi, Dubai,
Amman, Jakarta, Panama, Muscat, Suzhou, Changsha, Chengdu, New Delhi, Kuala
Lumpur, Shenyang, Marrakech and Brisbane, while upcoming W Retreats include
Goa, Phuket, Hainan Island and Mexico’s Riviera Maya. For more information,
visit www.whotels.com, www.whotels.tumblr.com or www.facebook.com/whotels. To
live the W Hotels lifestyle 24/7/365, visit www.wresidences.com. Follow
@WHotels on Twitter and Instagram.
About Element Hotels
Element® Hotels is made to order for guests in the know
and on the go. Its bright design defies convention, bathing guest rooms and
public spaces in natural light. Stylish and sustainable throughout, Element
offers extended stay comfort with a conscience and lots of signature amenities
from its healthy RISE breakfast and RELAX evening reception to saline swimming
pools, spacious fitness centers, bikes to borrow and electric vehicle charging
stations. Starwood’s latest brand innovation, Element made history in 2008 as
the only major hotel brand to pursue LEED certification for high-performance
buildings brand-wide. To date, there are 17 Element Hotels worldwide, with
16 in North America and one in Europe with new domestic and international
hotels in development. Visit www.ElementHotels.com or
connect on Facebook.
Source: Market
Watch
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