NEW YORK – April 23, 2009 – W^® Hotels Worldwide, the hotel category buster and industry innovator, today unveils its latest insider escape with the grand opening of the highly anticipated W Hoboken hotel and The Residences at W Hoboken.  This sleek riverfront property has been designed by New York-based Gwathmey Siegel & Associates, providing a contemporary cool environment for both international jetsetters and local loyalists.  Expanding W Hotels’ portfolio to six hotels in the New York area and 29 hotels and retreats globally, W Hoboken provides a modern, fully integrated lifestyle experience from its 225 stylish guest rooms, including 23 suites, and 40 W branded residences to The Chandelier Room, a stylish lounge bar offering breathtaking city views; Zylo, a vibrant Tuscan steakhouse; Bliss^® spa; and W Hotels The Store.  Owned by Hoboken Hotel, LLC, an affiliate of Ironstate Holdings, LLC, W Hoboken is the ultimate insider escape.

A New York-born brand, W Hotels Worldwide is not only expanding in its home market but also continues to update its existing portfolio. W recently announced the completion of renovations of W New York and W New York-Times Square.  With 10 years of proven success, W Hotels will more than double its footprint by 2011, expanding its presence in the most sought after markets from Paris to Milan, Barcelona to London, Washington D.C. to Santiago, Hollywood to South Beach and Shanghai to Bali.

“We are excited to strengthen our presence in the New York area as we unveil the new W Hoboken, a great addition to our existing portfolio,” said Eva Ziegler, Global Brand Leader, W Hotels Worldwide and Le Méridien.  “W Hoboken is a brand icon that is highly visible from Manhattan, and with a short trip across the Hudson, offers an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city while providing stunning views of the New York skyline.”

“We’re delighted to celebrate the grand opening of this world-class hotel and residences, which now stands as an iconic landmark along this city’s illustrious waterfront,” said Michael Barry, President of Ironstate Holdings, LLC.  “With the help of a distinguished team of architects and designers and the support and cooperation of local officials, we’ve created an exceptional lifestyle destination that takes full advantage of its charming urban setting and panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline.”

Iconic, Cutting-Edge Design Lands in Hoboken
Designed by world-renowned architects Gwathmey Siegel & Associates, the shape of W Hoboken’s tower has been designed to enhance views of Manhattan, creating an iconic profile on the shoreline with expressed balconies and a figural crown.  “From the outset we believed that the new hotel should present itself as a counterpoint to the existing and planned development along Hoboken’s shoreline,” said Charles Gwathmey, FAIA, partner at Gwathmey Siegel & Associates.

Guests and residents enter W Hoboken through a spacious entryway, four stories tall and covered with warm and natural wood paneling.  Luminous braided stainless steel mesh curtains change color according to mood and atmosphere and glowingly usher guests from the Welcome Desk into W Hoboken’s stylish living room (W brand’s take on the traditional hotel lobby).  Throughout the property, subtle finishes are punctuated with elements of surprise, including bright colors, animal prints and textural finishes to create a feeling of country club cool.  Floor to ceiling protruding bay windows in all guestrooms have been designed to optimally capture the stunning Hudson River and New York skyline and are fitted with plush round sofas that swivel for added function and style. 

Mix, Mingle and Sip in Style at The Chandelier Room
The Chandelier Room, conceptualized and executed by EMM Group (Tenjune, Four Hundred, The Estate), brings an innovative nightlife experience to the incredibly diverse city of Hoboken. Designed by Manhattan-based design studio ICRAVE, The Chandelier Room reinvents the concept of the traditional hotel lounge, boasting more than 4,000-square-foot of indoor-outdoor space with a high-energy, uniquely outfitted atmosphere.  Hanging crystals suspended from branch-like fixtures in the ceiling surround an ornate, inhabitable chandelier that serves as the centerpiece of the room while breathtaking views of the Manhattan skyline are majestically framed behind the honed marble bar.  Warm, rich colors and textures including copper tiles, glazed cognac leathers and chocolate velvets interjected by tortoise tones and absinthe-colored accents create a sultry and sensual mood.

Savor Sensational Steaks and Tantalizing Tuscan Fare at Zylo
Zylo, a Tuscan steakhouse, combines the enduring texture of Hoboken with the simple pleasures of an Italian kitchen. Boasting unparalleled waterfront views of Manhattan, an interactive salumeria and a bustling 50-seat sunny piazza, Zylo features traditional Italian fare from Executive Chef Troy Unruh, including handmade pastas, made-to-order pizzas and classic salads alongside enticing cuts of prime beef. Designed by leading hospitality firm Bentel & Bentel Architects (Craftsteak, The Modern, and Gramercy Tavern), Zylo’s dining room pays homage to Hoboken’s vibrant history of shipbuilding and shop culture while superimposing modern elements.  Blackened steel, nautical bronze and basalt planks recall the shipbuilding heritage of the city while a soaring wall of bristled broom-heads stacked like bricks hints at Hoboken’s former shop-culture. 

Indulge in Tension-taming Treatments at Bliss® Spa
Bliss^® rounds out the spectacular offerings at W Hoboken, making this waterfront property a true urban escape.  Two floors of tension-fighting facilities feature signature Bliss touches, including a luxe nail lounge, 10 really relaxing treatment rooms, legendary brownie buffet, and retail boutique, set against whimsical New York skyline graphics.  Bliss offers guests, residents and local loyalists a super-effective menu of services including the Ginger Rub, Blissage 75, Betweeny Wax, and Triple Oxygen Treatment.  W Hoboken guests and residents receive “BIP” (Bliss Important Person) status for priority reservations, exclusive in-room sampling and much craved sinkside Bliss amenities.  

All guest rooms and suites at W Hoboken feature state-of-the-art entertainment options, including flat-screen LCD TV, docking station for MP3 players and Tivoli radio, fully wired technology, fully stocked Munchie Box (W Hotels’ re-interpretation of the traditional hotel Mini Bar), and the W signature bed with feather-top mattress, 350 thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets and goose down comforter for the ultimate urban escape.  W Hoboken also features more than 5,700 square feet of ultra-modern meeting and event space equipped with the latest wired and wireless technology, including six state-of-the-art meeting rooms.

Providing the ultimate in urban living, The Residences at W Hoboken offer owners a combination of stylish one, two, and three bedroom condominiums with all the signature W comforts, services and amenities available to hotel guests. In addition to W Hotels’ signature services, W Hoboken offers the W brand’s signature Whatever/Whenever® service promise, providing both hotel guests and residents with whatever they want – from a private yacht excursion around Manhattan to private jet service from Teterboro – whenever they want it.

More than a hotel brand, W Hotels has established itself as an iconic lifestyle brand, offering guests unprecedented insider access to a world of “Wow” through contemporary cool design, fashion, nightlife, celebrities, entertainment and other. W Hotels has forever changed the hospitality landscape with a series of industry firsts in the past 10 years, including: the transformation of the hotel lobby into the W living room experience; the introduction of the W brand’s signature Whatever/Whenever service promise as a vehicle to fulfill every guest’s dreams; extension of the lifestyle experience into retail through W Hotels the Store; a sensorial multiplex experience with branded W CD compilations released each year; the reinterpretation of the hotel mini-bar into the W Munchie Box to present the brand’s lifestyle point of view; and the reinvention of the presidential suite into W’s “Extreme Wow” and “Wow” suites.

About W Hotels Worldwide®
W Hotels is an innovative luxury lifestyle brand and the hotel category buster with 29 properties in the most vibrant destinations around the world. Inspiring, iconic, innovative and influential, W Hotels provides the ultimate in insider access to a world of “Wow.” Each hotel offers a unique mix of innovative design and passions around fashion, music, entertainment, design, architecture, pop culture, and everything in between. W Hotels are unique and individual expressions of modern living, reflected in the brand’s sensibility to a holistic lifestyle experience with cutting-edge design, contemporary restaurant concepts, glamorous nightlife experiences, and signature spas.  With 10 years of proven success, W Hotels will triple its footprint by 2011. In North America and Latin America, W Hotels have been announced in Austin, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Huntington Beach, Downtown New York, Santiago, South Beach, and Washington, D.C. In Europe, W Hotels have been announced in Athens, Barcelona, London, Manchester, Milan, Paris and St. Petersburg. In Asia, W has announced properties in Bangkok, Guangzhou, Macao-Studio City, Shanghai and Yokohama. In Africa and the Middle East, W has announced properties in Marrakech, Amman, and Dubai. W has plans to open W Retreats in Bali, Koh Samui, Vieques Island and Verbier, the latter of which will serve as W Hotels’ first ski retreat.  For more information, visit www.whotels.com.

About Gwathmey Siegel & Associates
Founded in 1968, Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects is a New York-based firm offering master planning, architectural, interior and product design services.  Gwathmey Siegel has completed over three hundred projects for educational, healthcare, corporate, cultural, government and private clients throughout the United States and abroad.  Gwathmey Siegel & Associates was the youngest firm to receive the American Institute of Architects’ highest honor—the Firm Award—for “approaching every project with a fresh eye, a meticulous attention to detail, a keen appreciation for environmental and economic concerns…and a strong belief in collaborative effort.”

About Ironstate Holdings, LLC
Ironstate Holdings, LLC  and its principals have developed thousands of residential units and hundreds of thousands of square feet of commercial and hospitality space; the company continues to own and manage the overwhelming majority of this portfolio.   Ironstate is currently engaged in the active development of over $1 billion of residential and hospitality real estate, including the W Marrakech hotel in Morocco and Bungalow, a boutique hotel just steps from the ocean in Long Branch, NJ.  The company’s expertise and strength are in its ability to successfully plan and execute the development of complex, multi-faceted projects. For more information, visit www.Ironstate.net

About EMM Group
As leaders in the nightlife industry for over a decade, Eugene Remm and Mark Birnbaum along with business partner Michael Hirtenstein founded EMM Group, one of the industry’s most successful hospitality, lifestyle and management companies in New York. Since expanding the EMM Group’s portfolio in 2006, the partners have built a solid reputation as leaders in the industry organizing several hundred events and developing the company into a multi-million dollar empire. EMM Group specializes in restaurant and nightlife operations, marketing and event production, celebrity procurement and lifestyle management. Building on the success of their first nightlife venture Tenjune, a celebrity haunt located in the heart of the Meatpacking District, the EMM Group’s business portfolio continues to expand creating new trend-setting hospitality and lifestyle ventures. In 2006, EMM Group purchased the EMM Group Estate, their multi-million-dollar, privately-owned mansion in the Hamptons that plays home to the most exclusive events during the summer season. In 2007 they launched Four Hundred, a members-only, lifestyle management service. EMM Group maintains the principles, in which the company was founded, of superior execution, quality service and exceptional management.


About Cornerstone Restaurant Group
Cornerstone Management and Jump Higher, L.L.C., led by restaurateurs Jonathan Albert and David Zadikoff, in collaboration with Michael Jordan, oversees all Michael Jordan-brand restaurants including fine dining restaurants one sixtyblue, Chicago, and Michael Jordan’s Steak House and Michael Jordan’s 23.sportcafe at Mohegan Sun; Uncasville, CT.; WAVE in the W Chicago–Lakeshore, ristorante we in the W Chicago–City Center Chicago, solea in the W Mexico City and now Zylo at the W-Hoboken.

About Bliss
Founded in 1996, bliss was spotted by beauty-obsessed buzz-makers and quickly massaged its way to the top. Bliss retails its bliss bath, body and skincare lines through its bliss catalog, blissworld.com web site and at international retailers including Bloomingdale’s, Bluemercury, Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Lane Crawford, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Selfridges and Sephora. For more information and spa locations, visit blissworld.com.