San Diego’s New WOW – The W Hotel
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It started the minute I was greeted by the W San Diego Hotel's valet. A beautiful young woman, with a friendly welcoming smile opened my car door and my "W" experience began!
"Hi, welcome to the W San Diego, we're so happy that you've arrived!" From the minute my foot touched the curb in front of this new "style" hotel, I immediately knew something extraordinary was about to occur. The "W" is located in the heart of the new residential loft district just south of Little Italy on State and B Streets, in downtown San Diego. San Diego has always been my favorite city in the world. Now that the downtown area is undergoing an exciting renaissance, I couldn't wait to experience this new kind of urban lifestyle.
There wasn't a moment that I wasn't surprised, captivated, and thoroughly enthralled with the way the "W" captured the casual comfort and beach culture that makes San Diego one of the most quintessential Southern California cities. This place is like none other in all of its amenities.
As you enter the lobby you realize that you've found a place where "high touch" meets "high tech," and you can't wait to see, feel and taste what's next!
The visually stimulating "technowall" over the lobby bar is a grouping of ten individual television screens measuring six feet high and five feet wide. The video showed a surfer riding the big blue Pacific waves, a vision of perfect symmetry in motion. When I'm at the beach I always feel a tremendous sense of awe and wonder at the ocean's magnificence. This virtual reality "technowall" instantly, gave me the ocean experience I craved.
So without fighting for parking, or being mobbed by tourists, I was getting my beach fix just by entering the W San Diego's lobby. The warm and inviting beach colors greeted me like the call of a friendly seagull. The plush sofas and extravagant window seats invited me relax and enjoy the exhilarating beach sensations The sky blue of the chairs and the sandy beige stripes accented by golden tones and sunny images made me feel like a perfect Southern California day. I began to believe that "W" stood for Wow!
As I checked-in, I admired the dramatic round entryway that led me to the reception area. Behind the desk was a clear resin wall embedded with floating shells that served as another visual seascape. As I looked up, I was captivated by the soaring ceilings and sheer drapes that framed the lobby decor. It was a grand mixture of textures and natural fibers that are usually found in luxurious Mexican retreats but a strong influence of American Modernism eclectically integrates the colors and lines creating a marriage of substance and style.
There were two rows of eight tall dark wicker chairs that had individual acrylic game tables that included oversized and colorful checkers, chess, and other unique board games. It was festive and sporty. The lobby decor captured everything I love about San Diego and it gave me the distinct impression this was one of the most sophisticated and sizzling places to be. Like being at the beach, where people watching is a spectator sport, the lobby of the W was a place to relax and enjoy, watch and wait or see what would happen next?
What happened next for us was that our exuberant valet couldn't wait to take us up to our room! I've never met someone so genuinely happy to be working at a hotel. It appeared as if the W was her home, and she was completely thrilled that we were going to be spending time enjoying her private beach resort. In fact, every hotel staff member we met made us feel like honored guests and it was their pleasure to serve us.
I had the opportunity to talk with Rob Stirling, Director of Sales and Marketing for the W San Diego and asked him about the refreshing enthusiasm each employee exhibited. He told me, "We made a point to hire people that never had hotel experience but loved being with people. We didn't want our staff tainted with how things 'should be done'. It was important for us to have people who loved our hotel and thoroughly enjoyed serving our guests. It's part of what makes us so unique."
Again I felt that soothing, cool sea breeze that always gives me a sense of well being and happiness. I felt privileged to be experiencing one of America's preeminent leisure destinations. The grandeur of the ocean always leaves me speechless. The first ten minutes of my stay at the W San Diego did the same.
The sensations and pleasures of this hip and upscale hotel continued to astound my husband and myself! San Diego is often compared to the Mediterranean Riviera and the mod touches of the decor of the hotel, combined with the ethnic and rustic weaves truly captured this ambiance.
The next big surprise was our room. I didn't know what to think.
The walls were a deep sea blue and were dramatically contrasted against striking white furnishings. The beach-like slated window treatments cast a hazy, misty, light into the room. I could almost smell the comfort of the night sea mist rolling in. But my thoughts of an afternoon nap were abruptly interrupted with my valet's grand gestures to get my attention. She wanted to make sure I was aware of all the amenities this room offered.
She smiled infectiously and bragged, "As always, your luxurious W bed is the focal point of the room, with its pillow-top mattress, 250 thread count linens and goose down comforters and pillows, you will have the best sleep of your life!" Her speech was rehearsed but genuine. The bed was an inviting, heavenly blue, with a large round pillow in the center that looked like a beach ball. I waited until our ice bucket was filled before I dove on top of the bed to prove how luxurious it truly was. I wasn't disappointed. My husband and I playfully tossed the beach ball pillow back and forth. This room, like the rest of the W San Diego was filled with expectations of fun and pleasure!
But I did notice that if you were there for business, the hotel didn't miss a beat with all of its high tech amenities. There was a large desk, two telephones, one with a dataport and speakerphone capabilities, for all those required conference calls. There was a high speed internet broadband access line available, that's also wireless. No need to waste your time at your computer. The phone by the bed was cordless.
"Nice touch," I thought. I always hated being held captive by a telephone cord when I wanted to roam the room, answer the door, or gaze out the window, especially if I could see the ocean!
Above the desk, where there's usually a mirror or painting, hung a huge black board, equipped with eraser and white chalk. Our valet signed her name... Carly, and told us to call her if we needed anything.
Later, my husband and I sent each other chalk messages and drew funny cartoons. I'm still smiling at how mischievous it felt to write on that big black chalk board!
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Janice Wilson, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent – Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To book travel visit Jetstreams.com at www.jetstreams.com and for Beach Resorts visit Beach Booker at www.beachbooker.com
About the Author
Janice Wilson, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent. Join the Travel Writers Network in the logo at www.jetsettersmagazine.com