Rockwell Group Europe (RGE) has teamed up with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide to design the W Paris-Opéra, W Hotels’ debut in France.
Diego Gronda, managing and creative director of RGE, the Madrid satellite office of New York’s Rockwell Group, is leading the design team on the project, which is scheduled to open in 2011. Owned by Barcelona-based Meridia Capital, the hotel occupies an 1870s Haussman-era building located across the street from the famous Opéra Garnier and near Galeries Lafayette and Place Vendome in the 9th Arrondissement.
The 19th-century building, which has a striking original neo-classical interior, will be redesigned with plenty of light and color. The ground level and mezzanine floors have views of the Opéra and provide the perfect setting for a signature W Living Room, where guests and locals will be able to mix, mingle and relax. Along with a new modern concept restaurant, W Paris-Opéra will feature a destination bar, a state-of-the-art fitness facility and 90 stylish guest rooms.
An oversized undulating wall of light is the central design feature that defines the building from the inside and from the street as it weaves through the public spaces, DJ booths and martini bars, through the corridors and finally into each guest room. This programable wall of light can transform based on season, event or time of day to create a festive and celebratory atmosphere, bringing the historic building to life with sophistication and a glowing vibrancy.
Guest rooms and suites, including W Hotels’ renowned WOW suites and Extreme WOW suites (W Hotels’ take on the traditional Presidential Suite), feature three-meter ceiling height and breathtaking views of the Opéra. All W suites will boast an existing fireplace, white marble bathrooms and oversized dressing rooms, the perfect place for guests to prepare for a night out in Europe’s fashion capital.