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CONCIERGE
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5 MINUTES
WITH EVA ZIEGLER
GLOBAL BRAND LEADER of W HOTELS |
by SUZANNE WALES
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What makes a five-star hotel a leader of the pack? For Eva Ziegler, the global brand leader of W Hotels, it’s a combination of stunning design and limitless, accommodating service. Speaking at the preview of Barcelona’s new W Hotel, the brand’s second in Europe, Ziegler extolled the architectural virtues of the new soaring, sail-shaped building as well as the brand’s ‘Whatever/Whenever’ creed (guaranteeing the client anything from a pair of running shoes at 2am to a helicopter-delivered wedding cake).
Designed by local architect Ricardo Bofill, the 26-storey W Barcelona is perched miraculously on an artificial island at the tip of the city’s southernmost point. Like a modernist Colossus of Rhodes, it acts as a gateway for visitors to Barcelona arriving by sea or air.
But is that enough in the midst of an economic recession and plunging occupancy? (The city’s hoteliers’ association reported an occupancy rate of 63% in the first four months of 2009, down 10% from the year before). The 29-strong W brand belongs to the Starwood Group, who acquired them along with Le Meridian hotels in 2005. This, according to Ziegler, puts her ‘category-buster’ baby at an advantage. "Being part of Starwood allows us to enhance the value of our packages," says Ziegler. "At present we are offering a ‘two-days with the third free’ deal which can be cashed in at all brands and locations."
But it’s not just about room revenue. Ziegler describes the W hotels as ‘sensorial multiplex’, a space in which to hang out and feel part of a community. "We identify third parties and activate space inside the hotel for them, whether it be through events, entertainment or rendezvous. Nowadays, people are looking for experiences, they want to identify and create memories. It’s not all about the fast checkout." |
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