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W Hotels Opens First Ski Residence
Hospitality group W Hotels Worldwide, renowned for its emphasis on cutting edge design and lifestyle, has opened its first ski resort located in Verbier, southwest Switzerland.
The group’s 45th property across the globe, W Verbier is located at the base of a mountain in the Medran area of Verbier and is billed as offering “the spirit of Ibiza set on ice”.
Boasting 123 rooms, the hotel is conveniently situated next to the main gondola offering immediate access to the resort's ski slopes. Next door to the hotel are The Residences at W Verbier, 15 W-branded, full-service residences.
Before or après ski, guests and residents are invited to experience the W Cafe, W Living Room, Away Spa and FIT (W's take on the traditional fitness centre) as well as an indoor/outdoor WET pool deck.
The signature restaurant, Arola, is presided over by two-Michelin Star Chef Sergi Arola and features a dining and bar area where holidaymakers and locals can mingle over a variety of cocktails and contemporary tapas with a modern Swiss twist.
Following its 1998 debut in New York City, W Hotels have been widely credited for redefining the contemporary hotel experience, combining the spirit of boutique hotels with the hospitality expertise and service know-how of a veteran hotelier.
"The lasting impact W Hotels has made on the hotel industry cannot be overstated," said Frits van Paasschen, Chief Executive Officer and President of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.
"Over the past 15 years, W has turned the staid hospitality landscape on its head and demonstrated that a hotel is more than a place to check in and checkout as it continues to reinvent the category it created with each new hotel opening around the world."
W Hotels Worldwide has said that it hopes to increase its portfolio of hotels to more than 60 by 2017.