Hornberger + Worstell Designed W Hotel San Francisco Is Example of How Exterior and Interior Design Elements Work Together / Dec 2000

Hotel Online Special
Report

Hornberger + Worstell Designed W Hotel San Francisco 
Is Example of How Exterior and Interior Design 
Elements Work Together
Awarded the 2000 Gold Key Winner in the “Lobby/Reception
Area”

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Dec.5, 2000 – Two of Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) most innovative design-oriented hotels were
recently named as 2000 Gold Key Winners in the November/December 2000 issue
of Hospitality Design in the “Guestroom” and “Lobby/Reception Area” categories. 
The magazine’s Gold Key Awards signify outstanding achievement in hotel
design and only the best hotels in the world qualify for this prestigious
award.
The Starwood hotels that won the magazine’s prestigious awards were
The W Hotel in San Francisco, California and The Westin Plaza Singapore. 
The W Hotel in San Francisco was awarded as the 2000 Gold Key Winner in
the “Lobby/Reception Area” design category while The Westin Plaza Hotel
in Singapore was selected as the 2000 Gold Key Winner in the “Guestroom”
category, respectively.
 
Hornberger + Worstell had been developing the
design for a 31-story tower five years before Starwood decided to make
it one of its first ground-up W hotels.  Located on the prestigious
corner of Howard at Third Street, The W Hotel San Francisco is a rare example
of architectural brilliance featuring white granite in the facade and lobby
which relates to the rotunda of the adjacent Museum of Modern Art.
Mark Hornberger, principal-in-charge of Hornberger + Worstell, remarked 

W Hotel
San Francisco, California

“Starwood felt we had achieved the right mix of warm, inviting, upscale
modern architectural elements to appeal to the affluent dot com generation.” 
He added, “We then collaborated with the Starwood Design Group, who selected
fabrics, colors, and patterns for soft interiors.”
A focal point of the building is the main pedestrian entrance which
is through a three-story octagonal pavilion that complements the street
corner and sits forward of the soaring 31-story tower.  The interior
of the pavilion features splashes of light filtering down from a skylight
behind a cove-lit starburst, reflecting off the multi-colored terrazzo
floor and polished black Canadian granite.  Interior design flourishes
include mahogany spandrels, putty-colored plaster ceilings and warm velvet
drapes.  The hotel is a striking example of how both exterior and
interior design elements work well together.
The W Hotel San Francisco was also awarded as 2000 Gold Key Finalist
in the “Guestrooms” category as well.  One of the goals of the hotel
was for the guestrooms to combine intimacy with convenience for the business
traveler.  This was achieved through combining the use of color, clean
lines and built-in or multi-purpose furnishings.  For the bathrooms,
cream-toned ceramic tile on walls and floors simulates stone evoking a
warm and soft appearance.
Not to be outdone, on the other side of the Pacific, The Westin Plaza
Hotel in Singapore took the award in the “Guestroom” design category. 
Owners of the hotel, were seeking to renovate and upgrade this large five-star
hotel, designed 14 years ago by renowned architect, I.M. Pei.  New
York-based Brennan Beer Gorman Monk served as the design company in the
project and were faced with the challenge of giving the hotel’s business-like
demeanor a more residential feel.  The project also included a refurbishing
of the hotel lobby as well.
“It was the first major re-do the hotel has had.  Not only did
we have to balance a contemporary look with a sense of warmth, but we also
had to deal with the Singapore climate, and had to create a color scheme
that makes the traveler feel cool,” stated Jeffrey Williams, partner in
charge.
Project-designer partner Kate Greenwood was up for the task at hand
at eliminating the rather “nondescript” previous decor and in its place,
design a room that would cater to the modern-day “wired” executive. 
A highlight of the room is the innovative “fainting couch” placed at the
foot of the bed for relaxation.  European in concept, the couch features
a reading light and ledge which serves all the needs of the savvy business
traveler.  The couch’s purpose is multifunctional and serves as a
great place for a businessperson to read, drink, eat or relax.
In addition, to the hotel’s unique design, The Westin Plaza’s South
Tower features the brand’s newest innovation, the “Heavenly Bed™.” 
The sumptuous, stylish, all-white Heavenly Bed consists of ten layers of
heaven—a custom-designed pillow-top mattress set, a cozy down blanket,
three crisp white sheets (thread count ranging from 180 -250 per square
inch), a comforter, a duvet and five of the best pillows in the business.
Starwood is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world
with more than 725 properties in 80 countries and 120,000 employees at
its owned and managed properties.  
 

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Hornberger + Worstell had been developing the
design for a 31-story tower five years before Starwood decided to make
it one of its first ground-up W hotels.  Located on the prestigious
corner of Howard at Third Street, The W Hotel San Francisco is a rare example
of architectural brilliance featuring white granite in the facade and lobby
which relates to the rotunda of the adjacent Museum of Modern Art.
Mark Hornberger, principal-in-charge of Hornberger + Worstell, remarked 

W Hotel
San Francisco, California

W Hotel
San Francisco, California

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Contact:
Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Katie Meyer, Vice President, Public Relations, 
914-640-8247
[email protected]

Also See

Exquisite
Environments Created by Designer Garth Odershaw Help Singapore’s Ritz-Carlton
Millenia Win Awards / Dec 1999 

Gold Key Awards for
Excellence in Hospitality Design Honors Six Grand Prize Winners / Nov
2000