Marriott’s W Hotels has revealed its highly anticipated grand transformation of W New York – Union Square. Following an impressive $100 million reimagination, the iconic 256-room hotel in the heart of New York City now stands as a defining expression of W Hotels, the original luxury lifestyle hospitality brand, reflecting its global evolution across design, culture, and elevated service. With a full room-to-rooftop reinvention, W New York – Union Square reclaims its place as a cultural cornerstone in the city where the brand was born over two decades ago.
Inspired in part by the grandeur and symmetry of Grand Central Station, the space showcases soaring ceilings, intricate moldings, and early twentieth-century charm. Yet it’s more than a Living Room in a hotel, it’s a Living Room for New York City itself, a magnetic downtown hideaway where locals, travellers, and creatives converge, and where timeless design hums with a distinctly modern pulse that ignites curiosity and expands worlds.
In a full circle moment, W Hotels turned to Rockwell Group, the visionary firm behind the hotel’s original debut in 2001, to lead the reinvention. This time, David Rockwell and his team looked just outside the front door for inspiration. Drawing from the textures, tones, and ever-changing spirit of Union Square Park, the interiors shift with the seasons and capture the electric rhythm of the neighbourhood itself.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on Hotel Designs.